Mandibular distraction osteogenesis for endosseous dental implants.

Patients with complete or partial edentulism who have insufficient bone for endosseous dental implant treatment present a challenge for the dental practitioner. Alveolar distraction osteogenesis is a technique for creating bone and soft tissue, without the need for bone grafting and its potential complications. In this article, alveolar distraction osteogenesis is compared with traditional bone grafting techniques. A case is presented to illustrate successful bilateral mandibular vertical distraction osteogenesis with creation of adequate bone volume for endosseous implant-supported dental restoration.