Short dental implants in reduced alveolar bone height

Reduced alveolar bone height is very common in the posterior jaws. The current treatment modality to replace the missing teeth with an implant-retained fixed partial denture includes sinus bone grafting in the maxilla and onlay bone graft in the mandible. These procedures are invasive and require more time and cost. Short dental implants are used as an alternative treatment modality to bone grafting procedures. To enhance success rate, certain principles should apply. Short implants could provide comparable results to those of longer implants. This article reviews the current literature on the use of short implants, discusses the biomechanical considerations when utilizing short implants, and presents a case. (Quintessence Int 2010;41:575-579)