This case series discussed guided tissue regeneration (GTR) and its use in treating teeth affected by periodontitis and subsequent tissue loss. The goals of GTR are to reverse alveolar bone loss and re-establish attachment of cementum to alveolar bone via a healthy periodontal ligament.
Periodontal ligament cells must be the first tissue type to repopulate along the root surface for a pocket to successfully heal. Use of a barrier or membrane between the gingival tissues and the root surface facilitates repopulation of periodontal ligament, cementum, and bone cells. Without a membrane and/or proper debridement, epithelial cells may regenerate along the root surface and result in a long junctional epithelium and recurrence of periodontal disease and attachment loss. Alternatively, if bone cells are the first to repopulate the root surface, resorption or ankylosis can occur.
This paper described 4 teeth from 3 dogs with attachment loss ranging from 25% to more than 50%. The teeth were treated with open flap surgery to allow for debridement of the root surface and bony and periodontal pocket surfaces.