Dental Autotransplantation or Immediate Single Implant for the Replacement of a Hopeless Molar: A Comparative Case Series Study.

Background: Dental autotransplantation (ATT) of mature teeth in adult patients has recently been supported by a growing body of evidence. Thus, ATT can be considered as an alternative to single implants for the replacement of a compromised tooth. This case series study aims to provide an initial comparison between ATT (test group) and immediate implant treatment (IIT standard group), in terms of volumetric changes and patient-related outcome measures (PROMs).

Materials and methods: Thirty-one interventions (29 patients) were grouped into two similar cohorts. Measurements were made on the superimposed STL files before and at least six months after treatment, and PROMs were obtained from a questionnaire in two follow-up checks. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Adverse events and complications were also recorded.

Results: Volume reduction was 3 to 4 times less in the ATT group than in the ITT group (p<0.05). Patients in the ATT group reported higher levels of perceived inflammation than the IIT group (p=0.015), although patients rated satisfaction similarly between the two treatments, above 9 on a scale of 1-10.

Conclusions: Although this research should be considered an initial step requiring larger samples and follow-up, it supports the trend of including ATT as an alternative option to IIT in molar replacement.