INTENTIONAL REPLANTATION OF THE CROWN-ROOT FRACTURED TOOTH: A CASE REPORT

As the vertical fracture occurs at the various locations following the long axis of a root, treatment method of crown-root fractured anterior teeth is decided according to the depth. If the fracture line is close to the crown, gingivectomy, orthodontic - forced eruption or surgical extrusion of apical fragment could be done. If the line is over 1/3 length of the root, the prognosis is poor and extraction is usually undertaken. However, extraction of maxillary incisor at growing children causes many complications such as esthetic, phonetic problem and alveolar bone resorption. Therefore, preservation of tooth is the highest priority. Recently, intentional replantation with composite resin could be considered as alternative treatment of crown-root fractured anterior tooth. This report presents a patient in mixed dentition with deep vertical crown-root fracture of the maxillary permanent central incisors by trauma. Intentional replantation of the fractured teeth was performed using composite resin. After 2 years, specific clinical symptom has not been found and the patient was satisfied of esthetic result. This method suggests the new technique to preserve a tooth as an alternative to extraction, although it is technically sensitive and the reports of long-term prognosis is insufficient.