Success rate of short dental implants supporting single crowns and fixed bridges

OBJECTIVE: Bone grafts (sinus lift and/or ridge augmentation) may become an obstacle for some patients who desire implant treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the success of six- and eight-millimeters rough surface design short dental implants, for up to 2 years in function, when compared to conventional length (11 mm) implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 25.6-, 20.8- and 35.11-mm length implants were placed and restored in 30 subjects (11 males, 19 females) between the age of 22 and 80, following a standard protocol. Implant mobility, crestal bone loss as well as periodontal parameters were evaluated immediately after restoration placement, at 6, 12 and 24 months. RESULTS: There was one failure of one 6-mm implant during the healing phase and one restorative failure. The median crestal bone loss at 24 months was 0.45 mm for the 6-mm implants, 0.55 mm for the 8 mm implants and 0.65 mm for the 11-mm implants. The success rate for 6-mm implants was 97% and for 8-mm and 11-mm implants 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this preliminary data, we conclude that rough surface design short dental implants (6 and 8 mm in length) have similar success rate when compared to 11-mm implants. Long-term data with larger number of implants and subjects are needed to confirm these results.