What is bone regeneration?
Periodontal bone regeneration is a surgical procedure that regrows attachment around teeth with bone defects from periodontal disease. After cleaning the defect, bone graft material is placed along with a biologic (such as enamel matrix derivative or growth factors), often covered by a resorbable membrane to maintain space during healing. It works best for vertical (intrabony) defects with two or three intact walls, with new attachment forming over 6–12 months.
When regeneration is possible
Regeneration works best when the bone defect has multiple intact walls remaining — a contained pocket the body can rebuild within. Vertical (intrabony) defects with two or three walls intact are ideal. Wide horizontal bone loss is less amenable to regeneration; for those sites, pocket reduction is usually the right approach.
We assess the defect anatomy with both clinical probing and high-resolution imaging before recommending a regenerative approach.
How it works
After surgical access to the root surface, we thoroughly clean the defect. We then place a bone graft material (allograft is most common) into the defect along with a biologic such as enamel matrix derivative (Emdogain) or growth factors that signal your body to lay down new attachment.
A resorbable membrane often covers the site to keep the gum tissue from collapsing into the defect during early healing. The gum is sutured carefully to maintain primary closure over the regenerative complex.
What to expect
Mild discomfort for a few days. The site needs to be left undisturbed during early healing — that means very gentle hygiene around the area for 4–6 weeks. New attachment forms slowly over 6–12 months and we re-evaluate at that point with probing and imaging to document the gain.
Common questions
Does it really regrow bone?
In well-selected cases, yes — predictable gains of clinical attachment and bone fill have been demonstrated in many studies. The right defect, technique, and post-op care are essential.
How is this different from socket grafting?
Socket grafting fills an extraction site to preserve ridge dimensions. Periodontal regeneration regrows attachment around an existing tooth that has bone loss from disease.