One of the principal problems in dental implantation is the lack of sufficient bone height or width. In the case of the alveolar ridge, a very effective technique for resolving this problem is distraction osteogenesis, introduced in this context about a decade ago. This technique is based on the gradual separation of a mobile but fully vascularized bone segment from the basal bone, leading to the formation of an intervening soft callus which gradually transforms to mature bone. A key researcher in the development of this technique was the Russian traumatologist Ilizarov. The present article reviews alveolar ridge distraction procedures and their clinical application. Alveolar ridge distraction may often be preferable to bone grafting or guided bone regeneration for increasing ridge height and width prior to implantation.