By Dr Scott Froum, DDS – Board-Certified Periodontist, New York City
For decades, dentistry has been defined by mechanical repair: filling, replacing, and rebuilding what disease or decay destroyed.
But a new era of regenerative dentistry is shifting that paradigm. Instead of replacing what has been lost, we are learning how to stimulate the body to rebuild it.
As a periodontist, my goal has always been to save natural teeth whenever possible. Today, biologic and laser technologies are allowing us to do just that by regenerating bone, gum, and connective tissue once considered permanently lost.
This evolution represents one of the most exciting frontiers in modern healthcare: harnessing the body’s own healing capacity to restore form and function.
From Repair to Regeneration
Traditional periodontal and restorative dentistry has long focused on repair, removing diseased tissue and substituting it with artificial materials like titanium implants or prosthetics.
While these treatments remain essential, they cannot replicate the complex biological relationship between natural teeth, bone, and gum tissue.
Regenerative dentistry takes a different approach. It uses biologic cues such as growth factors, stem cells, and signaling molecules to reactivate the body’s natural healing systems.
When paired with advances in laser therapy and biomaterials, this approach allows us to rebuild the supporting structures of teeth with greater precision and long-term success than ever before.
The Power of Growth Factors and Biologic Materials
Among the most significant breakthroughs in this field are autologous biologics, materials derived from the patient’s own blood.
Two of the most widely used are Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) and Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF).
Here is how they work.
Blood is drawn from the patient and spun in a centrifuge to separate its components.
The concentrated platelets release natural growth factors that signal stem cells to migrate, multiply, and form new tissue. In periodontal therapy, this means new bone, new ligament fibers, and healthier gum attachment, which together create the foundation for a stable natural tooth.
PDGF has been called nature’s wound healer. It plays a vital role in cell regeneration, new blood vessel formation, and tissue remodeling.
When combined with bone graft materials, it accelerates healing and increases the success of regeneration.
PRF, a more recent evolution, takes this a step further. Because it is composed of a fibrin matrix rich in platelets and white blood cells, PRF releases growth factors over a longer period while also supporting immune function and faster tissue repair.
When these biologics are used with advanced bone grafts such as xenografts or allografts that serve as scaffolds for new bone growth, the results can be extraordinary.
We are now able to stabilise and even regrow bone around teeth that were once considered hopeless.
The Role of Lasers in Regenerative Healing
Another major advancement is laser-assisted regeneration. Modern dental lasers, including Nd:YAG and Er:YAG systems, have revolutionised how we treat periodontal disease.
In the past, treatment relied on mechanical scaling and surgery to remove infection. While effective, those procedures could be invasive and required significant healing time.
Today, laser energy can selectively remove diseased tissue and bacteria while preserving healthy cells, a key factor in regeneration.
Equally important, lasers can activate stem cells within the gum and bone, enhancing the body’s regenerative response.
Dr Scott Froum
They stimulate fibroblast activity, encourage new collagen formation, and improve local blood flow, all with far less trauma than traditional surgery.
In my clinical experience, combining laser therapy with biologic materials creates a powerful synergy.
The laser cleans and stimulates the site, while the biologics provide the building blocks and signaling molecules necessary for tissue regrowth.
The result is faster healing, less discomfort, and, most importantly, the ability to save teeth that once would have been extracted.
Beyond Dentistry: A Reflection of Broader Medical Trends
Regenerative dentistry is part of a larger movement across medicine that is redefining how we think about healing.
Orthopedics uses similar growth factors to rebuild joints. Dermatology uses platelet-rich plasma to rejuvenate skin. Even cardiac research is exploring biologic materials to repair damaged heart tissue.
All these disciplines share a shift from replacement to regeneration, from treating symptoms to restoring biology.
Dentistry may be one of the best examples because the mouth offers a controlled environment where regenerative science can be observed, measured, and refined in real time.
Preserving Natural Teeth: The Biologic Advantage
One of the misconceptions I encounter regularly is that dental implants are automatically superior to natural teeth.
While implants have transformed modern dentistry, they are not immune to complications such as infection, bone loss, or mechanical failure.
Natural teeth, on the other hand, are biologically alive. They are connected to the jaw by the periodontal ligament, rich in sensory nerves and blood supply.
When we preserve a natural tooth through regenerative methods, we maintain this living interface. The result is greater long-term stability, better bite awareness, and a healthier mouth overall.
In many cases, teeth previously deemed unsalvageable can now be saved.
By rebuilding lost bone and gum tissue through guided tissue regeneration, growth factors, and laser therapy, we are giving patients the opportunity to keep their own teeth for life.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Regenerative Dentistry
We are only at the beginning of what is possible.
Researchers are already exploring stem cell–based tooth engineering, where entire dental structures could one day be regenerated.
Advances in nanotechnology, 3D-printed scaffolds, and AI-guided imaging will allow even more precise control over the regenerative process.
In clinical practice, the next frontier lies in predictive diagnostics, using genetic, microbial, and immunologic data to tailor regenerative treatments to each patient’s biology.
Imagine analysing a patient’s saliva to determine their exact risk for bone loss, then applying a biologic therapy specifically designed to stimulate their unique healing pathways.
That is the future we are heading toward, and it is coming faster than most people realise.
Regeneration as a Philosophy of Care
At its core, regenerative dentistry is not just a collection of technologies. It is a philosophy.
It is about respecting the body’s innate capacity to heal and designing treatments that work in harmony with biology, not against it.
As clinicians, our responsibility is to embrace innovation responsibly, grounding every breakthrough in science, ethics, and patient-centered care.
The ability to save natural teeth using the body’s own biology is not just a technological achievement. It is a testament to how far modern dentistry has come.
In the near future, repair may no longer be our goal. Regeneration will be.
About the Author
Dr. Scott H Froum, DDS is a board-certified periodontist and the founder of a leading private practice in Midtown Manhattan specialising in tooth-saving procedures, regenerative periodontal therapy, and implant complication management.
He serves as Clinical Associate Professor at SUNY Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine and Chief Editor of Perio-Implant Advisory.
A recognised thought leader in biologic and functional dentistry, Dr Froum lectures nationally and internationally on regenerative techniques, laser technology, and the future of evidence-based periodontal care.
