INTEGRATED GUIDED-TISSUE-REGENERATION BARRIER FOR ROOT-FORM DENTAL IMPLANTS

摘要

An integral guided tissue regeneration barrier for root form dental implants is herein described. The barrier is meant to facilitate osseointegration of implants placed with trans-mucosal healing elements immediately into tooth extraction sites. The barrier comprises an absorbable circumferential membrane arranged to exclude epithelial cells but not osteoblasts from the tooth extraction socket in which the implant is placed. As a result of this arrangement, the implant becomes osseointegrated into the jaw of the patient. If an increase in bone volume around the implant is required, the membrane may be supplemented by a sheet membrane of titanium mesh or foil or absorbable material such as bovine or porcine collagen or synthetic polymer. That is, both the integral guided tissue regeneration barrier and the supplementary sheet membrane are composed of materials that do not need to be removed, thereby reducing to one the number of surgeries required to progress from a dentulous site to a site with a loaded implant.