Regenerative Treatment
In certain situations, your periodontist may recommend treatment to regenerate the bone and attachment that was lost as a result of periodontal disease. Growth factors (proteins that encourage regeneration) can be applied to the exposed surface of the tooth root to promote regeneration1. A commonly used product is EmdogainTM which is porcine in origin. Sometimes, a natural or synthetic bone substitute is used to provide a scaffold or support for the regenerating bone. In this example, the image on the left side shows a lower second molar which has lost more than half the bone support on the back of the tooth (white arrow). One year after regenerative treatment using EmdogainTM the bone has almost completely regenerated, as can be seen on the right image with the arrow indicating the top of the newly regenerated bone. Periodontal regeneration can reverse the bone loss caused by periodontal disease and improve the long-term prognosis of an affected tooth. Your periodontist will discuss if regenerative treatment is suitable for you.
References:
1. Kalpidis, C. D. R. (2002) Treatment of Intrabony Periodontal Defects With Enamel Matrix Derivative: A Literature Review. J Periodontol 73, 1360-1376 doi; 10.1902/jop.2002.73.11.1360