Increasing Lateral Ridge Width for Implant Placement Using Calcium Sulphate Bone Cement Technique

Dental implant practitioners are often faced with a presentation of a narrow crest, making it difficult or impossible for implant placement and requiring modification of the ridge to allow implants to be utilized. Many different factors need to be considered when choosing the technique to expand the ridge laterally. Ideally, the technique should facilitate the goal of ridge width increase while reducing inflammation and postoperative pain for the patient. In this study, patients were treated for lateral ridge augmentation to improve ridge width using a calcium sulphate-based bone cement with a protocol that does not require membrane placement at the time of grafting. This minimally invasive, relatively economical surgical technique is aimed at improving postoperative comfort for patients while permitting widening of the lateral ridge.