Journal of Dental Medicine

The present clinical trial was designed to evaluate the regenerative potential of periodontal tissues in degree II furcation defects at mandibular molars of human using a slow-resorbing collagen membrane and a surgical treatment technique based on the principles of guided tissue regeneration.The patient sampleinclude 8 subjects who had periodontal lessions in right and left mandibular molars regions, including moderate to advance periodonal destruction within the radicular area. Following a baseline examination including recording the clinical measurements (PD, Al, HC, F.G.M) , the furcation- involved molars were randomly assigned in each patient to either a test or a control treatment procedure. Included the evevation of mucoperiosteal flaps, recording measurement from the cemento enamel junction (C.E.J) directly coronal to the furcation area to the alveolar crest and to the base of the defect-Horizontal furcation measurements were also made using a William's probe, finally a collagen membrrane placed on the involved area to cover the entrance of the furcation and adjucent root surfaces as well as a portion of the alveolar bone apical to the crest. The flaps were repositioned and secured with interdental sutures. A procedure identical to the one used at the test teeth was Performed at the control teeth region with the exception of the placement of the collagen membrance. Following surgery all patients were placed on a plaque control regimen. All Patients received normal postsurgical care and at 6 month post-surgery were scheduled for re-entry surgery. Before re-entry surgery all clinical parameters recorded again. The re-entry mucoperiosteal flaps were designed to expose the furcation area for measurements, as describedabove. There was clinical improvement in all measurements made in both the test and control patients (especially in test group) over the 6 month period. The horizontal and vertical furcation measurements did yield a statistically significant imporvement when companing the test patients to the control.