Quantitative scintigraphic analysis of pulp revascularization in autotransplanted teeth in dogs

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pulpal changes associated with autogenous single-rooted immature tooth transplantation in dogs, using either one, or two-stage surgical techniques. Methods: Teeth from 3 beagle dogs, 5 months old, were extracted and transplanted to mechanically prepared recipient sockets. Group (A), where the teeth were transplanted using a one-stage method to recipient beds prepared immediately before transplantation. Group (B), where the teeth were transplanted using a two-stage method in which the recipient beds were prepared and left to heal for 7 days before transplantation. Clinical examinations were done every week during 9 weeks. After 9 weeks, the animals were injected with 99mTechnetium hydroxylmethylene diphosphonate (99mTc-HMDP) and 3 h after injection, a whole body scintigraphic acquisition was performed. After scintigraphic acquisition the animals were euthanized and the teeth extracted and its radioactivity counted in a well counter calibrated to 99mTc. With the data obtained, the percentage of activity injected was calculated for each tooth. The data for each group of teeth were evaluated and analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test (p = 0.05). Results: All the transplanted teeth in both groups survived. No statistically significant difference was found in the absorption of the 99mTc-HMDP, between the treatment groups (p = 0.464) and between them and the control group (Group A vs. control p = 0.713 and Group B vs. control p = 0.157). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that there was no difference between the two surgical techniques in terms of the pulp revascularization in transplanted teeth.