Horizontal alveolar ridge augmentation: the importance of space maintenance.

At dental implantology's inception, patients seeking tooth or teeth replacement were confronted with the concern of whether they were viable "candidates" for treatment. Largely, this criteria was based on 3-dimensional bone volume present in edentulous sites selected for implant fixture insertion. When surgeons determined this volume as insufficient for implant placement, patients were encouraged to seek alternative restorative therapy. As the ability to regenerate lost tissue, both hard and soft, has evolved, the number of patients now considered "candidates" for implant therapy has increased exponentially. Not only has the ability to regenerate lost hard tissue improved, but it has facilitated prosthetically and mechanically favorable implant positioning. This has led to decreases in mechanical and biologic complications. The efficacy of augmentation techniques has been critically evaluated, and minimizing morbidity while improving outcomes is a goal shared by surgeons and patients alike. This article discusses several methods of hard-tissue augmentation and presents a novel technique of regeneration aimed at improving clinical outcomes while decreasing morbidity associated with older, yet effective modes of ridge augmentation.