The prospective study of autotransplanted severely impacted developing premolars: periodontal status and the long-term outcome.

AIMS: To determine the periodontal status and long-term outcomes of the surgical treatment of severely impacted developing premolars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine impacted and adversely angulated second premolars (four maxillary and five mandibular) were autotransplanted from their initial position to the ideal position within the arches (trans-alveolar autotransplantation). The mean age of patients at the time of the surgery was 13 years and 9 months (from 11 years and 5 months to 17 years) and the mean observation period was 5 years (from 2 to 8 years and 6 months). Naturally erupted, contralateral premolars in the same patients were used for comparison. RESULTS: The survival and success were 100%. Autotransplanted premolars did not differ statistically from their controls, except for having a wider zone of keratinized gingiva (mean difference 0.625 mm), increased probing depths (from 0.04 to 0.49 mm depending on the probing location), pulp canal obliteration and a slightly higher crown-to-root ratio (C/R = 0.71 for transplanted teeth and C/R = 0.6 for control teeth respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Trans-alveolar transplantation of severely impacted and adversely angulated developing premolars is a viable treatment option and an attractive alternative to other treatment modalities.