Mineralized bone allograft-plug socket augmentation: rationale and technique

Socket augmentation allows clinicians to preserve alveolar bone height. This, in turn, could maintain adjacent soft tissue (papillae) height to promote optimal implant esthetics. A new regimen for the socket augmentation technique (the mineralized bone allograft-plug technique) is introduced. It uses solvent-preserved mineralized cancellous allografts to fill the sockets up to 1-2 mm below the bone crest. This is covered with a bioabsorbable collagen wound dressing (CollaPlug; Zimmer Dental, Carlsbad, CA). Illustrations to demonstrate the technique are introduced. A case treated with this approach is presented. This technique is easy to perform with minimal trauma. Both clinical observation and histological results showed excellent bone formation. Our clinical experience, as well as histologic data, suggest that the mineralized bone allograft-plug is a suitable technique for socket augmentation.