Knowledge, attitude, and practice of autotransplantation among the practicing pediatric dentists in Chennai - A questionnaire study.

BACKGROUND

Autotransplantation is a minor surgical procedure which involves transplantation of teeth within the same oral cavity. For children, autotransplantation may be considered as a provisional measure with good survival probability. It offers a viable biological approach for replacing the missing teeth and also for orthodontic treatments in children.

AIM

The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of autotransplantation among pediatric dentists in Chennai, India.

METHODS

An 18-item questionnaire was developed, piloted, and distributed among 100 practicing pediatric dentists in Chennai, India. Descriptive statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test.

RESULTS

Seventy valid responses from the practicing pediatric dentists were obtained. Among them, 39.7% had an experience of 5-10 years, 47.1% practiced less than 5 years, and 13.2% had experience more than 10 years. Analysis of the responses showed that 76.5% of the pediatric dentists were aware of the procedure but have not observed autotransplantation being done. Among the respondents, 95.6% have not performed this technique and 40.6% of them were not sure of the prognosis. Atraumatic extraction of donor tooth was considered to be a major limitation in autotransplantation by 41.8% of the pediatric dentists. From the responses received, 95.6% were interested in gaining more information with majority opting for more hands on workshops on the technique of autotransplantation.

CONCLUSION

Though most of the respondents were aware of autotransplantation procedure, they have not practiced it due to inadequate training.