A Craft to Graft : Bone grafting procedures in Oral Implantology

Through better understanding of the biology of bone healing, bone regeneration and bone remodeling in combination with grafting procedures, it is possible today to treat almost every patient with implant supported restoration. We are able to rebuild a functional alveolar crest, permitting adequate implant insertion even in cases with extreme bone atrophy and bone height less than a few millimeters, and to get similar long-term results as for implantation in non-grafted bone. There are several possibilities for augmentation of bone volume. Depending on the situation, indication and adequate diagnosis, the treatment options can be extended, from minimally invasive procedures with locally harvested bone grafts in local anesthesia, to very sophisticated grafting techniques for 3D bone reconstruction with extra oral harvested bone grafts in combination with orthognathic surgery procedures.