To augment a horizontally resorbed ridge with insufficient facial/lingual width, a special technique, called the ridge split operation, can be performed. The thinned inner and outer layers of alveolar bone is separated by the piezosurgery and the gap between the bone plates is filled by bone particles called bone grafts.

The implant placement may be staged or simultaneous, depending on the flexibility and volume of the bone. With the piezosurgery, the procedure can be performed even in excessively resorbed bones. From single tooth gap to full arch reconstructions are possible with the ridge split operation.