Case ReportAppositional bone graft tunneled: Technical note

•The tunnel technique for onlay bone grafting is a simple and easy to perform technique.•We had no implant loss with the tunnel technique in the onlay bone graft.•The fact that the periosteum is kept intact, is a crucial element for the survival and viability of the graft block.

IntroductionA satisfactory positioning of the dental implants is very important in the cosmetic and functional outcome in this treatment for edentulous. Insertion of an endosseous implant in the correct positioning requires sufficient bone volume. Therefore, bone-grafting procedures are becoming increasingly common, especially for the augmentation of horizontally deficient ridges. PRESENTATION OF CASE: Many patients have been treated with this technique of appositional Bone Graft Tunneled at our clinic since 2005. The method will be completed through the technical note of a surgical procedure involving a dental implant used for edentulous space rehabilitation in the jaws and the tunnel technique with an appositional bone graft, using the mandibular arch as the donor area.DiscussionThe substitution of screws to stabilize the bone graft for the tunnel technique allowed the surgery to be performed in a shorter time. The advantages were as follows: the absence of complications associated with conventional titanium screws, the preservation of the integrity of the periosteum, and the fact that there was no need to remove the screws through relaxing incisions in the gingival mucosa before placing the implant.ConclusionThe tunnel technique for onlay bone grafting is a simple and easy to perform technique, which is completed with less surgical time and at a lower cost and has presented highly predictable results and high success rates.