CHICAGO (February 27, 2015)–The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) has released the official proceedings from its June 2014 workshop on regenerative therapies for periodontal disease. Systematic reviews and consensus reports from the “Enhancing Periodontal Health through Regenerative Approaches” workshop are published in a supplement to the February 2015 edition of the Journal of Periodontology. Practical application reports, intended to guide dental professionals in the application of periodontal regeneration in the clinical setting, are available in the February 2015 issue Clinical Advances in Periodontics.

"The workshop was an amazing collaborative effort that provides the most current consensus of therapies and technologies in regenerative treatment,” says AAP president Joan Otomo-Corgel, DDS, MPH. “We’re thrilled to share the results of the these dynamic discussions. This pioneering information will provide tremendous benefit to the periodontal specialty, the dental community, and the patients we treat.”

Fifty-two workshop participants met in Chicago last summer to conduct a systematic review of existing literature, culminating in the development of consensus reports and practical applications to aid practitioners in the clinical environment. Topics of the workshop included the following:

·       Periodontal Soft Tissue Root Coverage Procedures: Managing gingival recession based on current evidence with a primary outcome goal of complete root coverage

·       Periodontal Soft Tissue Non-Root Coverage Procedures: Assessing the need for gingival augmentation procedures (non-root coverage) around natural teeth

·       Intrabony Defects: Periodontal regenerative strategies for the management of intrabony periodontal defects

·       Furcation Defects: How periodontal furcation defects should be managed via periodontal regenerative therapy and what parameters should be used for treatment selection

·       Emerging Regenerative Approaches for Periodontal Reconstruction: Can emerging technologies for periodontal regeneration become clinical reality?

The practical application reports provide the unique component of the workshop. Each practical application paper describes a specific clinical situation, different approaches that may be considered in its management, and how to make treatment decisions based on the provided evidence. Clinical Advances in Periodontics also offers illustrative images and videos that further detail the clinical situation, how it was managed, and its expected treatment outcomes.

The workshop was spearheaded by an AAP-designated organizing committee, co-chaired by William Giannobile, DDS, MS, DMSc, and Pamela McClain, DDS. The American Academy of Periodontology Foundation, Geistlich Pharma North America, Colgate-Palmolive, and the Osteology Foundation partnered with the AAP to provide support of the workshop’s programming.

The AAP regularly organizes consensus workshops on issues surrounding the science and practice of periodontics. Past sessions include the 2010 Workshop on Inflammation and a 2012 joint session with the European Federation of Periodontology on periodontal disease and systemic diseases.