The development of guided regeneration: making the impossible possible and the unpredictable predictable.

Using their perspectives as early participants in guided regeneration development, the authors review the history of guided regeneration: from the precursive studies leading to the development of guided tissue regeneration for periodontium, through the development of guided bone regeneration for implants, to the long-term performance studies validating effectiveness. Landmark publications, original patents, and reviews are used to trace the therapy's development. By examining key studies and the scientists and clinicians who conducted them, the authors present clinical and biomaterials lessons learned and discuss developments that could shape the next guided regeneration developments.

Tony Melcher's contributions to the regeneration of the periodontium.

The impact of Tony Melcher's scientific work on periodontal regeneration is discussed in light of his interests in cellular domains and bone healing, the physiology of the periodontal ligament, and his development of organ and cell culture methods. Collectively, his scientific accomplishments have pointed us in new directions for approaching periodontal regeneration and have helped to create new research opportunities, many of which were previously unrecognized. Tony's scientific ideas are insightful, numerous, and compelling; his ability to make these ideas come alive and relevant to clinical problems has been a major influence in shaping our current thinking on the biology of the periodontium and on periodontal regeneration.