Summary
Nowadays, the treatment of immature necrotic teeth is an important clinical challenge. The absence of apex closure and low thickness of the dentin walls, make endodontic treatment unpredictable and difficult. Traditionally, these teeth have been treated with apexification and obturation of the root canal. As a result of this treatment, the tooth remains devitalized and with fragile and short dentin walls, which compromises its prognosis. Regenerative endodontics, on the other hand, seeks to revitalize the tooth and induce root maturation, and is based on the use of mesenchymal stem cells present in the periapical tissues, growth factors present in the dentin and a scaffold that allows growth of new tissue in the root canal. The clinical results are encouraging, since generally, there is root maturation and revascularization of the tooth. However, the newly formed tissue is reparative tissue and with the exception of some studies, no regeneration of dentin and pulp has been reported. Regenerative endodontics emerged to treat necrotic immature teeth. However, recently, preliminary studies have applied regenerative endodontics in mature necrotic teeth, in adult patients. Preliminary results are positive and are similar to those of immature teeth. Nevertheless, research regarding the revitalization of mature teeth is in the early stages and requires further evidence before being systematically administered as therapy in adult patients. However, the potential benefits justify further research in this regard. This article summarizes the available scientific evidence regarding the revitalization of immature and mature necrotic teeth, their biological basis, the expected results and limitations, as well as the clinical protocols for each case.
KEY WORDS: Regenerative endodontics, revitalization, immature necrotic tooth, mature necrotic tooth.
How to cite this article
BUCCHI, C. Treatment of the necrotic permanent tooth. A paradigm shift in endodontics. Int. J. Odontostomat., 14(4): 670-677, 2020.
