Applications of guided tissue regeneration with dental implants

This article has discussed and illustrated various applications of GTR associated with dental implants. At present, in the opinion of this author, the material of choice for these procedures is GTAM. Other barriers are currently available while still more are under development. It is not within the scope of this article to include a comprehensive discussion of all available materials but it is noteworthy that resorbable membranes such as GUIDOR (Butler) show promise. At present the predictability of the various GTAM techniques discussed in this article, in the experience of the author are as follows: a) There is good predictability with immediate implant placement in extraction sockets. b) There is fairly good predictability regenerating localized osseous ridge deformities prior to implant placement. c) There is fairly good predictability regenerating new bone at dehiscences and/or fenestration defects that are associated around initial implant placements. d) There is poorer predictability regenerating new bone i.e. "re-osseointegration" around "ailing" i.e. contaminated implants.