Localized maxillary ridge augmentation with a block allograft for dental implant placement: case reports

Autogenous block bone grafts have been highly successful in treating human periodontal defects, restoring esthetics, and developing adequate bone volume for dental implant placement. Limitations in available donor bone, the need for an added surgical procedure, and other potential complications have made the use of allogenic bone graft materials an important alternative. One patient described in this report presented with fractured root syndrome of the right maxillary incisor with severe resorption of the buccal plate. After atraumatic tooth extraction, a staged treatment approach involving localized ridge augmentation with an allogenic iliac bone block material and dental implant placement was used. The host bone completely incorporated the graft with only minor resorption, which enabled the implant to be placed. The allogenic bone block material used in this study was an effective alternative to harvesting and grafting autogenous bone for implant site development. The cases presented in this article clinically demonstrate the efficacy of using a block allograft in generating effective new bone fill for dental implant placement.