Ridge Augmentation (Bone Widening)
When the ridge is too narrow to hold an implant, the honest fix is to rebuild it — not to force it.
After a tooth is lost, the bone that held it begins to narrow and flatten. Wait long enough and the ridge that should anchor an implant becomes too thin to hold one safely. Ridge augmentation rebuilds that width so the implant sits in bone on every side — which is what keeps it there for decades.
It is not a procedure everyone needs. A three-dimensional CBCT scan measures the ridge first, and when the anatomy is already sufficient, you will be told exactly that.
Cases here are planned by Dr. Rafael Cortés Álvarez and Dr. Jorge Maytorena — a two-surgeon implant team, so the surgical call is never a single opinion.
Who performs the augmentation
Dr. Rafael Cortés Álvarez, Director of Makeover Dental Studio, is a pioneer of guided implant surgery in Baja: in 2006 he placed the region’s first All-on-6 case using NobelGuide 3D technology, and he has worked with Nobel Biocare for the nineteen uninterrupted years since. He graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and holds a diploma from Loma Linda University. His work carries the imprint of two lineages: the direct mentorship of Professor Dr. Alan Kleiman, a pioneer in modern implant research, and the advanced protocols of Dr. Sascha Jovanovic’s continuing-education system, which he keeps refining alongside faculty from the world’s leading implant programs. That is what mentorship passes down, case by case — and it is the method behind the plan presented to you. Cédula profesional 5933630.
He was the first in the region to work with NobelGuide, at a point when computer-planned surgery was unfamiliar territory for most of the profession. Position, angle and depth are decided on the scan and transferred to your mouth with a custom guide.
Expertise on every implant case
Dr. Jorge Maytorena is a leading surgeon on the dental team. He works closely with the DASS protocol (Digitally Assisted Soft tissue Sculpturing) — the digital workflow developed by Dr. Alessandro Pozzi and taught alongside Dr. Lorenzo Arcuri. This cutting-edge technique maps the bone and gum interface on screen before surgery, so the arch placed that same day is shaped to guide how the tissue heals; this allows a finished full-arch case to read as teeth, rather than as pink acrylic. His practice in Baja California focuses on this advanced implantology and complex oral rehabilitation, with an emphasis on precise clinical planning and a comprehensive approach developed during his specialized training at Instituto Alzaga. He completed his foundational studies as a Dental Surgeon at CEUS Universidad, and all implant surgeries are carried out jointly, ensuring that critical decisions always benefit from collaborative professional expertise (Cédula profesional 13741153).
How the ridge is rebuilt
Measured before anything else
A CBCT scan maps the width, height and density of the ridge in three dimensions. The decision to graft — and how much — comes from those measurements, not from a look.
Grafting with documented biomaterials
The ridge is widened with regenerative biomaterials from the same families we use across the practice — documented systems, never generic material of unknown origin.
Healing, then the implant
The graft needs time to consolidate before it can hold an implant. Your timeline is written out from the start, so you know what happens in each visit and why the sequence cannot be rushed.
Do I really need a graft before my implant?
Only your scan can say. Some patients hear they need grafting everywhere they ask; others are told to skip it when the bone cannot support that choice. Here the measurement decides: if the ridge can take the implant safely, no graft is proposed — and if it cannot, you will see the image that shows why.
Can this be combined with the implant in one surgery?
Sometimes. When the defect is small, grafting and implant placement can share a session. When the ridge needs substantial rebuilding, splitting the phases protects the result. Which case is yours is a CBCT scan answer, and you will hear the reasoning either way.
Before & After
Augmentation cases are documented from the first scan through the final restoration, so the record shows the ridge before, the rebuilt width and the implant it made possible.
What patients say
“From the moment I first reached out by email, my experience with Makeover Dental Studio has exceeded every expectation. The clinic itself is state-of-the-art, but what truly sets it apart is the incredible team behind it.”
“I went in there as a walk in and came out a happy customer. Great service and beautiful facility.”
“Very pleased and impressed with the professional service and attention given at this clinic. All of the staff is very attentive. Dr. Erika answered all my questions and concerns, she explained in detail the whole process of my braces…”
“Thank you so much for saving the day. I don’t remember the last time I had such a painful toothache. My wisdom teeth were definitely not helping. Thank you for taking me in last second…”
Quoted exactly as written. All 479 reviews on Google →
Frequently asked
What patients ask before they book. If yours is not here, the fastest answer is a call.
- Your case planned in 3D before treatment begins
- A treatment plan written in English
- A direct line to the clinic once you are home
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, with sedation options for longer or more delicate cases. Post-operative discomfort is generally mild and manageable with the medication we prescribe.
It depends on the size of the graft and your own biology; your written plan includes the expected window. Placing an implant before the graft has consolidated is how grafts fail, so the timeline is respected.
Documented regenerative biomaterials from established manufacturers — the same standard we apply to the implants themselves. Nothing generic, nothing unbranded. They come in different presentations — gel, block and particulate — and which one is right depends on your case, decided from the studies and your CT scan rather than by eye: Dr. Rafael Cortés or Dr. Jorge Maytorena explain the reasoning before anything is decided. Like the graft material itself, membranes can be of human, animal or synthetic origin, and some are titanium-reinforced to hold space in larger defects. Cytoplast high-density membranes protect the site while it heals, and the graft material and the membrane are chosen together — how the site is protected decides how well it consolidates.
An implant in insufficient bone is an implant at risk: thread exposure, recession and early failure. If the scan says the ridge is too narrow, placing anyway is not an option we offer.
Yes. CBCT imaging is taken in-house, the same day as your evaluation.
Explore other treatments
A narrow ridge is a solvable problem.
Get the scan, see the measurements, and hear exactly what your bone needs — and what it does not.
Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm
Sat 9:00am – 4:00pm
Request your consultation
If you have imaging from another clinic, bring it. If not, the CBCT scan is taken here on the day of your evaluation.
US: +1 (619) 202-0423
MX: +52 (664) 634-2023
makeoverdentalstudio@outlook.com
Frida Kahlo 10410, Torre Quatro, 1st floor, office 106
Zona Urbana Rio, Tijuana, B.C. 22010
Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm | Sat 9:00am – 4:00pm
