Dental implants should be placed in an ideal position for proper function (chewing) and cosmetics (smile). Occasionally the patient may require a Edentulous Ridge Augmentation procedure to increase the amount of alveolar bone available for proper placement of a dental implant. Bone grafting and use of a resorbable membrane is used to stimulate the patient's osteoblasts (bone producing cells) to develop additional alveolar bone mass. This procedure is done about 3-4 months prior to placement of dental implants.