Application of bioactive ceramics for functional surgery in masticatory organs.

Transplanted and replanted autogenous teeth or implanted artificial roots become easily ankylotic. However, if adequate functional loads are applied to them continuously postop with proper fixation, ankylosis can be prevented. The author found this fact through studies on autogenous tooth replantation 20 years ago. Therefore, not only can tooth transplantation, replantation, and artificial root implantation be done successfully with adequate functional loads, but surgical orthodontics as well as plastic operation of jaw deformity can also benefit in the same way. This therapeutic method is called functional surgery. The ankylotic process can be more effectively prevented by applying bioceramic granules. Using these methods, (a) 30 vital teeth in 23 patients were transplanted or replanted. Follow-up duration was 6 to 96 months. (b) Artificial roots made of compact sintered hydroxyapatite (apatite) were implanted under the new concept of functional surgery. In all, 57 artificial roots in 19 patients were implanted and observed for over 5 years. (c) Masticatory skeletal deformities of the viscerocranium were treated with the new concept of functional surgery applying sintered apatite. For this purpose, artificial bone implantation or simple gnathoplasty, tooth transplantation, and artificial root implantation was carried out in 15 patients, after which mastication training was applied with concomitant corrections of function inclination, i.e., oral-perioral habits. In these clinical experiments, excellent favorable results were obtained. The following conclusion was obtained: Introducing the new concept of functional surgery using bioceramics, not only tooth transplantation, as well as artificial root therapeutics, but deformity of the jaw can be steadily treated.