There is ongoing debate regarding which of the many commercially available bone graft materials is best suited for clinical use. Even though bone grafts have been used in implant dentistry for almost 50 years, it is still challenging to identify a single gold standard material or technique due to anatomical variances, affordable treatment alternatives, a variety of clinical scenarios, and technical advancements.

The systemic general condition, the surgery site, and the socioeconomic circumstances would all influence the choice of the best kind of bone graft material. It seems that the surgeon's inclination and experience in particular play a big role. For instance, the most widely used technique, guided bone regeneration (GBR), may be the technical choice for any periodontal problem.

However, the surgeon may have different preferences when it comes to the type of material used, including autograft, allograft, xenograft, and alloplast. It would be challenging to provide a "gold standard" for each situation as a result. Rather, each doctor follows a "standard protocol" that incorporates their unique background and expertise. It is intriguing that despite the different approaches, positive outcomes are achieved.

This is why on October 7, 2018, four Korean doctors were invited by the Korean Academy of Implant Dentistry (KAID) to attend a seminar on "Bone grafts for implant dentistry." They talked about and recommended their preferred graft materials and standard procedure. This consensus paper provides an overview of the lecture material and supplements the theoretical basis by reviewing the research on graft materials used in implant dentistry in the past, present, and future.