For some patients, the jaw isn't wide enough to support dental implants, and a bone graft is needed to alter the height or width of the jawbone. This technique is called a ridge expansion and restores the jawbone to make it wide enough to support conventional dental implants. During a ridge expansion, oral surgeons will use a special saw to carefully divide the jaw along the top ridge, expanding the width of the jaw and creating enough space to insert bone grafts. For some patients, dental implants can be placed immediately following the ridge expansion. In other cases, the bone will need time to heal first. oral surgeons will discuss the specifics of your case with you during your initial consultation.