Guided tissue regeneration for severe periodontal disease in dogs: A retrospective study

Clinical evidence on guided tissue regeneration (GTR) in dogs with advanced periodontal defects is limited. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes and tooth survival after GTR in dogs with severe periodontal disease. The medical records of 67 dogs with 129 treated teeth/sites in total were reviewed. The regenerative treatment consisted of an enamel matrix derivative or bovine-derived xenograft in combination with a collagen membrane, which was selected based on the clinical characteristics of each case. Periodontal outcomes were assessed based on probing depth, clinical attachment level, radiographic bone defect size, and tooth survival at postoperative follow-up examinations. Significant postoperative improvements were observed in the clinical and radiographic parameters. The tooth survival rates at 3-5, 6-8, 10-13, and 18-24 months were 98.45%, 97.67%, 96.12%, and 93.02%, respectively. These findings suggest that GTR is a tooth-preserving treatment option for selected dogs with severe periodontal defects. However, the long-term outcomes should be interpreted cautiously because the follow-up was incomplete and variable, the number of cases decreased over time, and no control group was included.