Tooth autotransplantation — replacing a lost tooth with one of your own teeth
Tooth autotransplantation is a special procedure in which the dentist replaces a lost or severely damaged tooth with another healthy tooth of your own. This type of procedure is performed only at selected dental practices.
Autotransplantation is used mainly when a tooth has been knocked out or severely damaged during sport, in an accident or in similar situations. An “unneeded” tooth, most often a wisdom tooth, is then placed in the empty space. Your own tooth takes easily and there are no adverse reactions.
The procedure itself is carried out on an outpatient basis under local anaesthetic. The healthy tooth is extracted and placed in the vacant socket. There it is splinted to the remaining teeth, and after about three weeks it is attached firmly enough to bear full load.
If the knocked-out tooth has been found, replantation is also possible. This means that the tooth is put back in its place and splinted in the same way as an autotransplant, so that it can heal and become anchored in the gum again.
