Pulp healing in immature replanted permanent teeth: A competing risk analysis

Abstract

Background/Aim Tooth displacement during avulsion causes total rupture of the pulp's neurovascular supply. Revascularization and pulp healing may occur in immature teeth, which gives rise to the recommendation that root canal treatment may not be required. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic factors for the pulp’s response after replantation of young permanent teeth. Methods Records from 117 patients with 133 replanted permanent immature teeth were reviewed, and pulp outcomes were classified as healing (hard tissue deposition on the dentinal walls followed by narrowing of the pulp lumen or ingrowth of bone‐like tissue inside the pulp canal) or non‐healing (pulp necrosis with infection). The effect of clinical and demographic co‐variates on the hazards of both outcomes was assessed performing a competing risk model. Results Pulp necrosis with infection was diagnosed in 78.2% of the teeth, and healing was observed in 12.8% of the teeth. A total of 12 teeth (9.0%) were censored due to prophylactic removal of the pulp or severe external root resorption caused by eruption of adjacent canines. The cs‐Cox model demonstrated that the hazards of pulp healing increased in teeth with extra‐alveolar periods <15 min (csHR: 7.83, 95% CI 1.76–34.80, p = .01), while the hazards of pulp necrosis with infection decreased (csHR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.10–0.92, p = .04). Teeth replanted with Moorrees’ stages 4 and 5 of root development had higher hazards of pulp necrosis with infection than teeth with stage 2 of root development (csHR: 2.23, 95% CI 1.11–4.50, p = .03; csHR: 2.89, 95% CI: 1.40–5.95; p = .01). Conclusions Pulp healing rarely occurred after replantation of young permanent teeth being associated with short extra‐alveolar periods <15 min. Early stages of root development decreased the hazards of pulp necrosis with infection.