Long term evaluation of osseous grafts in periodontal therapy

Osseous grafting therapy has been shown to be clinically successful for time intervals exceeding 20 years when encompassed in a comprehensive care programme based on effective daily plaque control by the patient and a professionally supervised periodontal maintenance programme. Although other treatment modalities have also yielded favourable clinical results over varying time intervals, only osseous grafting therapy has demonstrated histologic regeneration of lost periodontium consisting of new cementum, alveolar process and a functionally orientated periodontal ligament in the human. While the frequency of such regeneration is only speculative at this time, studies to identify factors enhancing favourable reponse will hopefully afford the practitioner a predictable technique for periodontal reconstruction in the future. For the present, biometric and histometric data assure osseous grafting a place in currently accepted therapy for the pocket-osseous defect.