PERIODONTAL HEALING FOLLOWING RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY - EFFECT OF GUIDED TISSUE REGENERATION

Clinical healing following guided tissue regeneration (GTR) in deep in trabony pockets was compared to healing following gingival flap surger y alone (GFS). 15 patients received the GTR treatment including an exp anded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. 13 other patients received the control treatment GFS. A postsurgery protocol emphasizing wound stabi lity and infection control was used. Treatment effects were evaluated 6 months postsurgery. Mean presurgery probing depth for the GTR and co ntrol treatments was 7.5+/-1.0 and 7.7+/-1.5 mm, respectively. Signifi cant probing depth reduction (3.8+/-1.2 and 2.9+/-1.1 mm), attachment level improvement (2.4+/-2.1 and 2.2+/-1.2 mm) and bone fill (2.0+/-2. 0 and 2.4+/-0.9 mm) followed the GTP and control protocols, respective ly (p<0.01). Significant differences between GTR and control treatment s were observed in probing depth reduction (p<0.01) and in gingival re cession increase (1.7+/-1.5 and 0.7+/-0.9 mm, respectively; p<0.05). T he results suggest that GTR procedures compared to GFS have similar cl inical potential in intrabony pockets, under the present protocol.