Storage media for avulsed tooth - A review

Dental avulsion, also known as total tooth loss from the alveolar socket, is the result of severe traumatic injuries. Management protocols for avulsed teeth should include management of the pulp and periodontal ligament cells to enhance the long-term prognosis and endurance of these teeth. The viability of periodontal ligament cells is the vastest preserved either when a tooth is immediately replanted or stored in a suitable storage medium until reimplantation. Various type of storage media is available of both natural origin and laboratory-prepared solutions. If an avulsed tooth is not kept in an appropriate storage medium it will increase the risk of PDL cell necrosis, resulting in ankylosis and root resorption. The current review of the literature aims to highlight the crucial role that different storage medium and their biological characteristics play in the successful reimplantation of an avulsed tooth.