Veneer Grafting: A Technique for Augmentation of the Resorbed Alveolus Prior to Implant Placement. A Clinical Report

Sixty-three patients with inadequate topography of the edentulous ridge were treated with mandibular ramus/body grafts to allow for the placement of endosseous implants. After 4 months of osseous healing, 187 implants were placed in the grafted sites. The mandibular ramus/body grafts remained viable regardless of the age or the extent of alveolar resorption in the patients treated. The ease of harvesting this graft in the office setting, its long-term resistance to resorption, and minimal postoperative morbidity makes this a viable intraoral donor site for horizontal alveolar augmentation. Keywords: alveolar ridge augmentation, autogenous bone grafts, endosseous dental implantation, preprosthetic oral surgical procedures