Short Implants:A New Solution in Rehabilitation

Insufficient alveolar bone height is a common clinical situation encountered more in the posterior jaws. Advanced surgical procedures such as bone grafting, sinus lifting, and nerve repositioning are required to overcome this condition and make implant treatment possible for such patients. Short implants are considered as a viable alternative in patients with reduced alveolar bone height to avoid more invasive surgical procedures. They simplify the implant treatment, reduce patient morbidity, shorten the duration of treatment, and make it less expensive. With the improvements in the surface topography of implants, which increase the bone implant contact, and use of adapted surgical protocols similar survival rates as that of regular implants have been reported even with short implants.