Guided periodontal tissue regeneration (GPTR): an update.

Periodontal therapy has three primary objectives--elimination of etiologic factors, repair or regeneration of the lost attachment apparatus, and prevention of further periodontal breakdown. Significant progress has occurred in the area of surgical periodontal therapy during the last two decades. Periodontal regeneration has become a viable treatment option utilizing the principles of guided tissue regeneration. The learning objective of this article is to review the biologic rationale, the various barrier materials currently available, and the surgical techniques for guided periodontal tissue regeneration procedures using nonresorbable and resorbable barriers, with and without bone grafting materials.