Background: The advent of osseointegration and advances in biomaterials and techniques have contributed to increased application of dental implants in the restoration of partial and completely edentulous patients. Often, in these patients, soft and hard tissue defects result from a variety of causes, such as infection, trauma, and tooth loss. These create an anatomically less favorable foundation for ideal implant placement. For prosthetic‐driven dental implant therapy, reconstruction of the alveolar bone through a variety of regenerative surgical procedures has become predictable; it may be necessary prior to implant placement or simultaneously at the time of implant surgery to provide a restoration with a good long‐term prognosis. Regenerative procedures are used for socket preservation, sinus augmentation, and horizontal and vertical ridge augmentation.Methods: A broad overview of the published findings in the English literature related to various bone augmentation techniques is outlined. A comprehensive computer‐based search was performed using various databases that include Medline and PubMed. A total of 267 papers were considered, with non‐peer‐reviewed articles eliminated as much as possible.Results: The techniques for reconstruction of bony defects that are reviewed in this paper include the use of particulate bone grafts and bone graft substitutes, barrier membranes for guided bone regeneration, autogenous and allogenic block grafts, and the application of distraction osteogenesis.Conclusions: Many different techniques exist for effective bone augmentation. The approach is largely dependent on the extent of the defect and specific procedures to be performed for the implant reconstruction. It is most appropriate to use an evidenced‐based approach when a treatment plan is being developed for bone augmentation cases.

The high percentage of vital bone content, after a relatively short healing phase, may encourage a more rapid initiation of implant placement or restoration when a cellular grafting approach is considered.

The squamous odontogenic tumor (SOT) is a rare, benign, locally infiltrative neoplasm of the jaws that appears to originate from the rests of Malassez. It has been confused with other pathologic entities such as ameloblastomas, carcinomas, and fibromas and clinically may resemble localized periodontal disease. The tumor is often asymptomatic, although it can present with symptoms of pain and tooth mobility. A characteristic radiographic appearance is that of a triangular-shaped or semi-circular lucency associated with the roots of erupted teeth. Histologically, the tumor is characterized by the formation of variably sized nests and cords of uniform, benign-appearing, squamous epithelium with occasional vacuolization and keratinization. Treatment of SOT by conservative surgical excision is normally curative with rare episodes of recurrence reported. Since the clinical presentation of SOT may mimic more common pathologic entities, this case report reinforces the need for careful histologic evaluation of all lesions found in the periodontium.

This technique will be particularly valuable when previous attempts for root coverage with soft tissue autografts have resulted in residual recession defects on adjacent teeth and in a thicker-tissue biotype that would be amenable to partial-thickness dissection. An adequate thickness of tissue that will allow a partial-thickness flap dissection is required to avoid tooth or alveolar bone fenestrations. This technique provides better control over flap repositioning than previously described semilunar coronally advanced flaps.

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