Identifying important prognostic factors and outcomes for autotransplantation of developing teeth: Clinicians' perspectives

Background/Aim Variability in the outcome measures used to assess the success of tooth autotransplantation presents challenges for combining data to examine the success of the technique. Reaching agreement on the most important outcomes will enable routine procedural and follow-up data to be collected in a standardised way. In turn this will promote greater data synthesis to evaluate outcomes and examine which procedural techniques influence outcome. The aim of this study was to identify which prognostic factors and outcomes are most important to clinicians with experience in autotransplantation of developing teeth.

Methods The Delphi method was used to build consensus on the most important prognostic factors and outcomes. Item identification involved a systematic literature review and review of current clinical datasets in use. A two-round Delphi questionnaire was undertaken with clinicians providing tooth autotransplantation, followed by a consensus meeting to finalise the most important items.

Results Outcomes and prognostic factors were identified from the systematic review (82 studies and eight reviews), one guideline and three existing clinical datasets. Patient interviews and a clinician survey added a number of items that would not have been identified from the literature only. A total of 56 outcomes and 93 prognostic factors were included for rating in the Delphi questionnaire. The Delphi questionnaire was completed by 15 respondents in round one and 13 respondents in round two. The consensus meeting was attended by nine participants. The final items that were judged to be most important included 29 outcomes (25 clinical, three patient-reported and one service delivery) and 49 prognostic factors (18 patient characteristics, four presurgical, 17 surgical and 10 postsurgical). Clinical outcomes were consistently rated higher than patient-reported outcomes.

Conclusions The clinical outcomes rated as the most important were transplant survival and reason for failure, outcomes relating to pulp health, different types of resorption and evidence of infection (suppuration). Important patient-reported outcomes were satisfaction with overall treatment experience, and outcome and quality of life related to function of the transplanted tooth. Procedural information rated as being the most important related to the donor tooth: stage of root development, method for surgical removal and storage and condition of the donor tooth root surface following removal.