Biology of tooth-cell adhesion.

Guided tissue regeneration appears to be a very promising approach to achieve the regeneration of periodontal tissue. Several important questions remain, such as the role of bone-derived cells, the length of time the physical barriers should be left in place, and whether anatomic factors, such as the morphology of periodontal defects, affect the outcome of the procedure. Potential applications of this procedure include combining bone grafting techniques with guided tissue regeneration, the use of growth factors to enhance periodontal tissue regeneration, and the repairing of bone defects around endosseous implants. Future research in this area is needed to address some of the present concerns and to improve the predictability of this procedure.