Guided Tissue Regeneration

When periodontal disease has resulted in moderate to severe bone loss around teeth in such a manner that the defect has a three-dimensional structure, like a moat or pothole, it is possible to regenerate lost bone. Guided tissue regeneration, GTR, when used with bone substitutes or bone graft material, is highly successful in regenerating the patient’s own bone, thus stabilizing teeth that otherwise may be lost.

GTR involves placing a resorbable membrane covering over the area of bone loss, which is filled with bone material or a substitute, and beneath the gum line. Over a period of weeks the body remodels the bone material into the patients own tissue, while the membrane dissolves. The membrane prevents the gum tissue from migrating down the root length to form a pocket, allowing the bone enough time to regenerate.

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