10/17/2026
ANTERIOR RIDGE AUGMENTATION: BUILDING THE FOUNDATION
This patient was ready to move forward with anterior implant rehabilitation after years of postponing treatment. An existing implant had remained unrestored for approximately a decade.
Her CBCT showed adequate bone height but insufficient ridge width. We removed the existing implant and performed staged guided bone regeneration to develop the horizontal dimension before additional implant placement.
The focus was on creating and protecting a stable regenerative space:
GRAFT CONTOUR AND CONTAINMENT
Particulate bone graft was carefully adapted to reconstruct the deficient facial ridge beneath a Geistlich Bio-Gide collagen membrane.
STABILITY
Membrane fixation tacks and subperiosteal mattress sutures secured the graft–membrane complex. Graft immobilization is critical for neovascularization and predictable bone regeneration.
PRIMARY CLOSURE
A two-step closure combined vertical mattress sutures to distribute tension with interrupted sutures for precise wound-edge approximation. Careful flap mobilization allowed coverage without relying on the sutures to pull the tissues together.
The objective is to develop sufficient ridge width for implant placement guided by the planned restoration. Healing and graft consolidation will determine the next stage.
For colleagues managing patients with deficient implant sites, we welcome collaboration on ridge reconstruction and staged implant care.
