An overview of guided bone regeneration.

TGuided bone regeneration (GBR) is a surgical procedure whose purpose is to obtain, new bone, new cementum and a new periodontal attachment around a periodontally compromised tooth. In this work, an overview of the literature was performed to analyze the state of the art concerning GBR in order to draw useful conclusions for clinical practice. Twenty-nine articles regarding GBR procedures were identified through scientific archives and analyzed. The biological rationale, the graft materials and the predictive factors were identified to help the clinicians in their practice. GBR is an effective treatment to prevent tooth loss if performed in adequate bone defects and it is also important to keep in mind predictive factors.