Success of replantation of avulsed teeth using human colostrum as an interim storage medium

OBJECTIVES: Tooth avulsion is defined as total tooth displacement from the alveolar socket; the best treatment is replantation of the tooth. Human milk influences body health, growth, and development related to the presence of micro and macro nutrient components. This study assessed the effects of human colostrum as a storage medium on the success of tooth replantation. METHODS: The upper left incisor of 30 adult male Wistar rats was extracted, and the rats were divided into three groups according to the storage medium of the extracted tooth for replantation: Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS), tap water, and colostrum groups. The MTT cell viability assay was conducted, and histological evaluation and histomorphometric analyses were performed on postoperative day 45 for identification of pulp necrosis, periodontal hyalinization, percentage of resorbed area, and the periodontal ligament attachment. RESULTS: The colostrum medium showed a higher percentage of cell viability followed by HBSS with statistical significance. Histological findings of the replanted avulsed tooth that soaked in tap water as storage medium showed obvious external and internal root resorption. Pulp necrosis and periodontal ligament hyalinization and with a significant differences values in comparison to HBSS and colostrum groups (p > 0.05), whereas the colostrum group showed new well-reattached periodontal ligament with normal pulp and no evidence of root resorption. CONCLUSION: Tooth loss is minimized by using human colostrum as storage medium in replantation of an avulsed tooth after a 1 h period compared to HBSS and water.