Regenerating the periodontium

A variety of techniques have been used in an attempt to regenerate periodontal tissues. Studies have confirmed that considerable but varying amounts of new connective tissue attachment may form on teeth treated with these techniques. At present, careful case selection and meticulous surgical technique can regenerate the periodontium, although studies from the literature demonstrate a large variation in success rates. In the future, we can expect further developments from the field of tissue engineering to produce more predictable techniques that could allow us to regenerate lost periodontal tissues even more effectively.

This paper reviews the current techniques that can be used to regenerate periodontal tissues and suggests some possible developments in this field that may influence future clinical practice.