A Decision Tree for Bone Augmentation

Abstract: There are several techniques and biomaterials available for implant site development. The choice may depend on a number of factors including osseous morphology, size of the defect, costs and surgeon or patient preferences. The trend today is to reduce patient morbidity but still provide predictable outcomes. This lecture will focus on decision trees based on bone gains required to place dental implants supported by clinical studies. The presentation will discuss the use of various methods for hard tissue augmentation including GBR, block grafting, ridge expansion, mesh grafting, distraction osteogenesis and interpositional grafting. The a biological bases for the selection of various materials for bone augmentation will also be presented.

Learning Objectives:
1). To understand the factors that determine the selection of a bone augmentation technique and materials.
2). To understand when autogenous bone is needed for specific cases of bone augmentation.
3). To understand how bone volume gains influence the decision to use particular techniques and materials for bone augmentation.