Using soft vinyl stents to facilitate augmentation of maxillary anterior atrophic ridges with hydroxyapatite.

A technique has been described for fabrication of a surgical template made of soft vinyl mouthguard material. Use of this stent at the time of surgery can be of great value to the oral surgeon and the prosthodontist. The risk of excessive augmentation and migration of the particulate hydroxyapatite to an undesired area will be minimized if the stent is used as a matrix. Uniform results in size and form of the ridge can be obtained from the surgical procedure when the stent is used. The denture-bearing area of the maxillary anterior ridge will improve significantly, enabling the dentist to make a maxillary complete denture.