Inflammatory resorption: untreated, arrested, prevented.

Three human replantation cases are presented wherein the results are in accord with the literature concerning inflammatory resorption and calcium hydroxide therapy. The cases unintentionally simulate a designed experiment wherein the control case received no treatment and the other 2 were subjected to independent variables such as obturation in the hand and the timing of the calcium hydroxide therapy. The untreated case resulted in loss of the tooth, while manipulation of variables in the other two resulted in retention.