Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR)

GTR is a technique used to repair periodontal defects so that a tooth or set of teeth has more support and stability. Periodontal disease, or periodontitis, is a process where bacteria trapped under the gums leads to a chronic infection and subsequent breakdown of the hard and soft tissues supporting the teeth. In certain cases, the destruction leads to gaps that form between the teeth and bone. These gaps, or bony defects often require a separate specialized procedure known as a bone graft. This is where a bone graft is placed into the defect to promote new bone growth. GTR uses a resorbable or non-resorbable artificial membranes to keep soft tissue from growing into these defective sites. This membrane is crucial because it blocks the faster migrating soft tissue cells from growing into the site, while allowing the slower migrating bone-producing cells to populate and grow there instead.