Practical Bone Manipulation in Oral Implantology

We developed and have been performing bone manipulation techniques for over 50 years. This includes ridge expansion, inter-positional augmentation techniques and of course the sinus augmentation procedure, which we also introduced. We also introduced onlay bone augmentation into implantology 49 years ago, but realize that, when possible, bone manipulation is safer, simpler, more predictable and less expensive.

I realised early on in my implant career that the body is a wonderful organism that is programmed to heal. So surgical techniques need to respect the body and work with it not against it. This means excellent surgical technique, delicate soft tissue handling and maintaining a blood supply to the surgical site.

Respect these principles and the body will heal and create the outcomes we desire. Bone manipulation techniques are a skillset that requires patience, skill and dedication to master but once this is achieved are of lifelong benefit to the practitioner.

I am passionate that the field of dental implantology should be led by clinicians who have their patients’ interests to the fore and not by companies whose primary interest is the sale of graft products and profits.

I have been teaching all my clinical life and in the early 1990’s came to work in the United Kingdom where, amongst others I met and worked with Azhar, Sam and Mukesh who were my friends, colleagues but also my students. I worked with them for approximately a quarter of a century.

From an early juncture it was evident that they would develop to be leaders in the field of implant dentistry in the UK and abroad. It gives me great pleasure to have played a part in their formative years and career development.

I am so proud that they are passing on their skills and knowledge to their professional colleagues so that the body of evidence-based knowledge is enriched for the benefit of patients and practitioners. It is important to make dental implantology accessible to all in the dental profession and therefore patients safe in the knowledge that they are obtaining a service that will improve the quality of their life.

“I am delighted that Azhar, Sam and Mukesh are continuing to espouse the principals that they developed with me. I am proud to endorse and commend their Bone Manipulation course to another generation of colleagues and know that under their talented and passionate tutelage you will benefit greatly”.

I wish all that attend good luck and great success in their dental implant career.
Professor Hilt Tatum
USA and France