Piezosurgical Mandibular Ridge Expansion for Immediate Implant Placement

Abstract

Edentulism of a long standing nature leading to severe alveolar ridge atrophy with a resultant thin ridge often pose a great challenge to the clinicians for rendering implant supported prosthesis in that region. The ideal treatment in such a scenario will be the ridge expansion procedure for achieving an increase in the available bone volume at the implantation site. The space thus created between the bony walls renders an ideal regenerative and implant-integrating condition. The use of a piezosurgical device for performing a piezoelectric alveolar ridge expansion procedure permits a precise and tactile controlled osteotomy facilitating implant placement in anatomic situations previously impossible in a single stage surgical procedure. This case report demonstrates the ease of mandibular ridge splitting with the use of piezosurgical principle facilitating immediate implant placement in a severely resorbed thin edentulous alveolar ridge.