Periodontal regeneration · Barcelona
Periodontal regeneration aims to recover some of the support lost around a natural tooth. For a suitable defect, it can be one part of a plan to preserve the tooth after gum disease has been treated and reassessed.
Care with Dr. Sergi Rivas Frau and Dr. Sahand Shirzadi Maryan. We assess the whole tooth and discuss realistic options before deciding on surgery.
Visits take place at collaborating dental clinics in Barcelona. The location is confirmed when your appointment is arranged.
What supports a natural tooth?
More than bone alone.
The root surface, its fine attachment fibres and the surrounding bone work together. The ligament is shown wider here so you can see it.
Healthy reference anatomy, not an after-treatment result. Original educational cross-section · not to scale. A simplified explanation, not a scan, surgical plan or predicted result.
The shape changes the possibilities
These are different patterns, not inevitable stages. Examination, a periodontal chart and appropriate radiographs help establish what remains. The exact defect may become clearer during surgery.
A defect alongside the root
Some deeper defects extend down alongside the root while bone remains higher nearby. A suitable defect may provide a protected space for regenerative healing.[2]
The remaining walls and their shape matter. This section cannot show the full three-dimensional defect.
A different bone-loss pattern
When the bone level is reduced across a wider area, the geometry is different. Treatment still aims to control disease and make the teeth maintainable; rebuilding the full original height is not a routine expectation.[1]
A lower bone level does not automatically mean that a tooth must be removed.
Where molar roots divide
This is called furcation involvement. Regenerative treatment can help selected defects, particularly certain partially involved sites. Through-and-through involvement and complex upper-molar sites require a different assessment.[3]
The drawing shows the location, not the clinical grade. Cleaning access, root anatomy and the extent of involvement change the plan.
Control disease. Reassess. Choose.
Regeneration is a site-specific option within periodontal care. Good daily plaque control and management of relevant risks, such as smoking and diabetes, are part of the foundation.[1]
01
Understand the diagnosis, improve home cleaning and carry out non-surgical treatment beneath the gum.
02
Check remaining pockets, bleeding, tooth stability and whether a suitable defect still needs treatment.
03
Discuss expected benefit, limitations, alternatives and materials. Choose regeneration only where it is appropriate.
04
Support wound healing, attend reviews and continue personalised periodontal maintenance.
A deep, favourable defect may lead to a discussion about regenerative surgery.
Further cleaning, access surgery or another approach may better address the remaining problem.
Extraction and replacement may be the more appropriate plan. Regeneration cannot rescue every tooth.
Different tools for the healing environment
During surgery, the site is accessed and cleaned. The chosen approach aims to support healing of the tooth’s attachment. These illustrations show options that may be combined, not three compulsory stages.[2]
A biologic approach
A protein-based gel may be placed on the prepared root surface to support the biological processes involved in periodontal healing.
Guided tissue regeneration
A membrane can help separate the healing compartment from rapidly growing gum-surface cells, giving the supporting tissues an opportunity to recover.
Space and scaffold
A bone-derived or substitute material may help support the space and clot. It may be combined with a membrane or enamel matrix derivative when appropriate.
Some materials have animal origins, including enamel matrix derivative; others have human or synthetic sources. Ask about the specific product, alternatives and any personal preferences before consenting. No material guarantees regeneration.[6]
A realistic goal, with continuing care
Studies of selected intrabony defects report improvements in attachment and pocket depth, with benefits that can persist under continuing care. The result varies with the defect, the tooth, healing and long-term risk control.[2][4]
Research has also explored preserving severely affected teeth in carefully selected patients. This supports discussing tooth retention where feasible; it does not make every compromised tooth a suitable candidate.[5]
Possible effects include discomfort, swelling, bleeding, gum recession and sensitivity. Incomplete healing or insufficient improvement can mean further care is needed.
Follow the instructions for cleaning, eating, medication and reviews given for your procedure. Contact the treating team if symptoms worsen or you are concerned. Healing time and the review schedule are agreed for your case.[6]
Preparation and recovery guideBefore you decide
No. The aim is to improve support at a suitable site, not to recreate a perfect original jaw. The amount of clinical improvement varies, and a radiographic change alone does not prove that every supporting tissue has regenerated. Some teeth still need further treatment or may eventually be lost.
No. We first treat the periodontal disease and reassess. The remaining pocket, defect shape, tooth condition, cleaning access and your preferences help determine whether regeneration, further non-surgical care or another surgical approach makes sense.
They have different aims. Periodontal regeneration seeks to recover some of the attachment supporting a natural tooth. A gum graft mainly changes soft-tissue coverage or thickness. Bone augmentation for implants prepares or rebuilds an implant site. Sometimes different procedures are combined in an individual plan.
Sometimes, but looseness alone cannot answer that question. We assess remaining support, inflammation, the bite, root and nerve health, and whether the tooth can be restored and cleaned. Additional treatment or stabilisation may be needed; extraction is appropriate for some teeth.
Allow for assessment, initial periodontal treatment, reassessment, any agreed surgery and postoperative reviews, followed by continuing maintenance. Healing and the appointment sequence vary. If you travel to Barcelona, agree the follow-up arrangements before booking travel.
Tell us what concerns you and whether you already have a periodontal chart or radiographs. We can discuss the assessment needed, options for keeping the tooth and alternatives if it cannot be maintained.
Request a periodontal assessmentThe evidence behind this guide
Sources checked 24 October 2026. Evidence describes study populations and selected defects; it cannot predict your personal result. All drawings on this page are original educational schematics.
Stepwise care, patient selection and recommendations for residual intrabony and furcation defects.
Comparative evidence for regenerative treatment of selected defects around natural teeth.
Evidence and limits for regeneration at defects between molar roots.
A systematic review and network meta-analysis of longer-term clinical outcomes.
Tooth preservation in a selected, closely maintained study population; not a prediction for every tooth.
Patient-facing explanation of surgery, regenerative materials, recovery and possible complications.
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