Healing after treatment of periodontal intraosseous defects

Abstract

The present study was performed to determine whether the healing of periodontal intraosseous defects could be improved through the combined use of citric acid conditioning of the root surfaces and grafting of autogenous intraoral cancellous bone. Proximal defects (28) in 19 patients were treated surgically including acid conditioning of the root surfaces. Another 25 defects in these patients were treated wtih acid conditioning combined with osseous grafts using the maxillary tuberosity areas as donor sites. Both therapies, e.g., citric acid conditioning alone and acid conditioning combined with osseous grafting resulted in approximately 1 mm gains of probing attachment and probing bone levels. Within the parameters of this study, osseous grafting did not enhance the effect of citric acid conditioning alone. Limited improvement of the treated defects of the present study was obtained in spite of the use of supplementary regenerative techniques.