Nontraumatic bone expansion for immediate dental implant placement: an analysis of 21 cases

Ridge bone resorption is a common event that occurs in tooth loss areas and that can happen in different degrees. The harvesting of autogenous bone can significantly increase treatment time and costs, and poses some risks, including postoperative pain, or possibly nerve or arterial injury. The aim of this article is to demonstrate and analyze the use of bone expansion in order to circumvent problems related to bone harvesting. This is done with screws, followed by immediate implant placement. Twenty-one cases are used to define management solutions for this type of technique to enable the later implant rehabilitation of sites affected by poor bone width.