Wim Laureys

Tooth autotransplantation: A long history. A promising future?

Tooth autotransplantation (TAT) is an evidence based procedure since years. In cases of tooth loss, caused  by trauma in children and growing adolescents, no other treatment can preserve the alveolar bone and at the same time provide an esthetical restoration. Although implant placement has less technical demands, the young age of a patient is the main reason to consider not using dental implants. TAT is the first option in the growing child, but it has a restricted indication area and is much age related. The technique of TAT may benefit from recent and future developments in cryopreservation, pulp regeneration, stem cell isolation and tissue engineering.

Wim Laureys became general dentist at the University of Ghent, Belgium, where he studied orthodontics afterwards and started his research on tooth autotransplantation. This resulted in a PhD. thesis entitled Expanding the application possibilities of tooth transplantation with specif emphasis on pulp regeneration”. Until today he is part-time, postdoctoral researcher at the same University and runs a private practive in orthodontics in Brugges, Belgium