This presentation will focus on the concept of using new innovative treatment approaches as well as unconventional surgical manipulations dealing with atrophic ridge. The new concept of “osseodensification” will be presented enabling the clinician to preserve existing bone and enhance the outcome through a minimally invasive approach. Osseodensification is a novel, bio-mechanical, non-excavation osteotomy preparation method. Unlike traditional bone drilling technologies, osseodensification does not excavate bone tissue. Rather, it preserves bone bulk, so bone tissue is simultaneously compacted and autografted in an outwardly expanding direction for the osteotomy. It is accomplished by using proprietary densifying burs. When the densifying bur is rotated at high speed in a reversed, non-cutting direction with steady external irrigation (Densifying Mode), a dense compacted layer of bone tissue is formed along the walls and base of the osteotomy. Recent studies, showed that osseodensification was demonstrated to be able to increase the %BV (ridge width and bone volume percentage) around dental implants inserted in low-density bone in respect to conventional implant drilling techniques, which may play a role in enhancing implant stability and reduce micromotion. The presentation will show step-by-step procedures of this minimally invasive, innovative technique for ridge expansion as well as subcrestal sinus augmentation with long-term follow-ups of both clinical and CBCT radiographs. It will highlight the benefits of this treatment modality compared to the existing techniques.

Learning Objectives: At completion of this presentation, participants should be able to:
1. Understand the scientific principle of osseodensification
2. Discuss the biomechanical validation of osseodensification
3. Review the clinical and the histological evidence of osseodensiftication
4. Optimize the atrophic ridge site for predictable outcome