In the 100-year history of bone replacement in the human body for different purposes, a wide variety of surgical approaches and materials have been used. The techniques and materials selected significantly affect the outcome of bone replacement procedures in terms of bone formation volume and the quality and amount of vital bone. The choices facing the dental surgeon at the time of extraction, ridge augmentation, or sinus graft are wide-ranging. When choosing a bone graft material the surgeon should consider its ultimate effect on healing patterns in and around the alveolar bone at the endpoint of the procedure. As this article concludes, a better understanding of the materials and the results that can be predictably achieved with them can be valuable to the appropriately trained surgeon when preparing for these procedures.