Survival and Success of Teeth Involved in Alveolar Bone Injuries: Up to 10 Years of Follow-Up.

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics of patients with ABI treated at a specialized dental trauma center between 1998 and 2023; to analyze the survival rate of teeth involved in alveolar bone injuries (ABI) and assess the risks of healing outcomes for these teeth.

Materials and methods: In total, 115 patients (367 traumatized teeth) were included in the epidemiological analysis. Among them, 47 patients (40.9%) and 145 traumatized teeth (40.8%) were followed for 12 to 118 months (1-9.8 years) after trauma. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the survival of traumatized teeth about pulp necrosis (PN), ankylosis-related resorption (ARR), infection-related resorption (IRR), pulp canal obliteration (PCO), tooth loss (TL), and the success rate of treatment. A multivariate regression analysis identified risk factors associated with these outcomes.

Results: The mean follow-up period for teeth included was 30 months. Patients with ABI comprised 11.5% of cases treated at the center. After 3 years, the TL rate was 10%; 33% of teeth exhibited no healing complications, classified as successful outcomes. PN was the most common complication, affecting 58% of the sample. The risk of TL was 15 times higher in teeth requiring repositioning or reimplantation following trauma. ABI involving alveolar bone plate avulsion was associated with increased risks of IRR, PN, and lower treatment success rates.

Conclusions: Teeth involved in ABI generally have a favorable prognosis, with 90% retained in the oral cavity after 3 years. One-third of these teeth showed no complications during the follow-up period. However, teeth associated with alveolar bone avulsion or requiring replantation or repositioning had higher risks of complications, including IRR, PN, and TL.