A novel mineralization-inducing membrane for promoting periodontal attachment

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Periodontal diseases are high-prevalence gum infections that affect over 120 million North American adults. In periodontitis, bacterial invasion destroys the seal between the gums and tooth root that is normally present in healthy teeth. This leads to destruction of the ligament that attaches the tooth root to the jawbone, and eventual loss of the tooth. Despite the high prevalence and significant economic burden of periodontal infections, there remain major obstacles to effective and longlasting treatment. The principal obstacle is the reattachment of the gums to the tooth after it has been cleaned of bacterial deposits. Without reforming this seal, the tissues underneath cannot heal properly. We have developed a novel membrane that is able to achieve this seal. Our objective in this project is to optimize the membrane design and test it in a small animal model, as a critical step towards bringing this new technology to clinical practice.