Potential efficacy of GTR and autogenous bone graft for autotransplantation to recipient sites with osseous defects: evaluation by re-entry procedure.

This clinical study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) or autogenous bone graft for autotransplantation to recipient sites with an osseous defect, based on a substantial assessment of bone regeneration using a re-entry procedure. Three cases of autotransplantation of a wisdom tooth to the position of first molar, in which moderate to extensive bone loss at the buccal alveolar plate was observed, were studied. Each tooth was transplanted with no additional treatment, or in conjunction with GTR or autogenous bone graft. Four to 20 months after surgery, a re-entry procedure was performed to visually examine healing. When GTR membrane coverage or bone graft was used, previously absent alveolar bony plates regenerated and the initially exposed roots were covered with newly formed bone, while no bone formation was observed in the case without any additional procedure. These results demonstrate that both GTR and autogenous bone graft are beneficial for obtaining bone regeneration in autotransplantation to defective recipient sites, contributing to retaining space and excluding the contact of gingival connective tissue with periodontal ligaments.