Guided Tissue Bone Regeneration (GTR):

Guided tissue bone regeneration (also called Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR) or Guided Periodontal Regeneration (GPR)) regenerates the previously lost bone tissue.

This procedure is usually combined with osseous surgery. Most techniques utilize membranes that are inserted over the bone defects. Some of these membranes are bio-absorbable (dissolvable) and some require removal (nondissolvable). If a bone graft is used, the membrane acts like a blanket and protects the bone graft while it heals. Other regenerative procedures involve the use of bioactive gels or biomaterials to help regrow the destroyed bone and soft tissues (Gem 21).

As the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) can regrow bone without a bone graft, GTR and bone grafting are usually no longer necessary when LANAP is used to treat periodontal disease.