What is Regenerative Therapy?
Regenerative Therapy can be additional part of Pocket Reduction Surgery. One of the effects of periodontal disease is bone loss. Regenerative Therapy gains back lost alveolar bone. There are specific situations that must be present. Typically, 40 to 80% of lost alveolar bone is regenerated. Treatment outcomes are often dependent on individual healing abilities. Regenerative Therapy can include one or more of the following:
Bone (Osseous) Grafting: The sources of the bone grafts are three fold; autogenous (your own bone from another part of the mouth, allograft (sterilized human donor bone from a nationally accredited tissue bank), or a xenograft graft (bovine derived). It turns out that no matter the source, the healing events are the same. The body resorbs the graft during healing and you regenerate your own alveolar bone, it is not a matter of the graft taking or not. The Doctors will recommend the best choice for your particular circumstance.
Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR): Prior to closing the surgical site a thin dissolvable membrane can be placed over the bone graft and covered by the gingiva. The membrane allows for a better healing environment.
Accelerating Healing Medications: Medications are sometimes used during surgery to enhance gingival and bone healing. Remarkable healing results can be achieved.
Emdogain (Enamel Matrix Derivative) is porcine derived, extensively studied (especially in Europe) and completely safe.
PDGF (Platelet Derived Growth Factor) is derived from gene altered microbial cultures. PDGF is naturally occurring and present in all human healing sites. As a medication, it is a high concentration, and promotes enhanced wound healing.
You will be instructed on how to keep the treated area clean after surgery. It is extremely important that you follow these instructions exactly. After surgery, you will have to return for follow up visits. We will advise you when and how many times. The final choice of treatment is yours. You can give your teeth a second chance.
Post-Operative Instructions For Guided Tissue Regeneration
The following special instructions pertain to the tooth or teeth which have been treated by Guided Tissue Regeneration. All other teeth should be maintained according to standard enclosed post-operative instructions.
- Proper oral hygiene is important to assure good tissue health before, as well as after surgery. Gently brush the teeth, not the gum tissue with a soft bristle toothbrush. In addition, rinse with the Peridex/Periguard rinse twice daily.
- It is important to avoid disruption of the material. Therefore, do not disturb the sutures with your tongue, and do not use dental floss around any teeth treated by GTR.
- If a periodontal dressing is used, you may receive special instructions from the doctors or their team.
- Post-operative office visits will be scheduled for you. It is important that you follow this schedule. This will enable us to check the healing of the surgical site.
Tooth/teeth misalignment is not an uncommon consequence of periodontal disease. Missing/ malposed teeth can allow other teeth to migrate/shift causing bite collapse, mastication (chewing) difficulties, accelerated occlusal wear and contributing TMJ pathology. Correcting misalignment has functional and esthetic benefits. In some instances orthodontic treatment is an important factor in periodontal treatment success and long-term prognosis. The benefits of periodontal/orthodontic treatment include:
- Correct Crowding
- Improve oral hygiene
- Change bacterial flora
- Diminish vertical bone loss
- Preserve alveolar ridge
- Gain bone around teeth
- Decrease tooth mobility
- Proper spacing for implants and bridges
- Even/level bite
- Improve chewing
- Greater TMJ support
- Close tooth gaps
- Gain gingival between teeth