An eleven-year case report of an avulsed maxillary central incisor after delayed replantation

A 12 year-old girl presented with an avulsed maxillary central incisor for a trauma occurred two days earlier. The avulsed tooth was endodontically treated and replanted. Regardless of the ankylosis and replacement root resorption the tooth was retained for a very favourable nine-year period after trauma. In addition no severe infraposition occurred. When the extraction was necessary, despite the slight atrophy, as a result of compromised alveolar bone development due to ankylosis, an implant-supported crown was placed as definitive rehabilitation without recourse to bone augmentation procedures. In conclusion, delayed replantation in children will require long-term therapeutic commitment. In favourable cases, tooth with delayed replantation might be retained for a very long time thus avoiding the bone atrophy that would have accompanied early tooth loss and, consequently, reducing grafting requirements when a definitive implant-supported restoration will be required.