Shorter Dental Implants Provide Solutions

When planning the placement of dental implants, one of the first decisions your dental specialist needs to make is whether you have sufficient jawbone to support a replacement tooth.

If there isn’t sufficient support, grafting and augmentation may be required. The surgeon also needs to ensure the implant will be not be in an area where he or she might potentially injure the sinuses or nerves.

Dr. Ovadia Chocron, our newest periodontal specialist, writes about this topic on WebDental. He describes how the use of shorter dental implants could offer a more cost-effective, safer solution in the above-mentioned scenarios.

Longer Dental Implants Vs. Short Implants

Short dental implants are increasingly being seen as an alternative to longer implants. Using short implants is less invasive, so there’s less trauma or potential complications that could be encountered when compared to the use of longer implants (along with traditional bone grafting) in sinus areas or where the jawbone ridge is too short or thin.

Our patients also can achieve faster results with less expense since there are fewer procedures required. This isn’t a new idea—Dr. Ganeles was a co-author on a paper addressing this very topic in 2004. Still, the concept wasn’t widely adopted until recently.

The ”norm” for dental implant post sizes is traditionally 8mm or greater. However, we can sometimes utilize shorter dental implants (usually 6 mm) and save patients time and money by placing these smaller dental implants that take up less space and yet still offer the important support needed.

Expertise Counts

The placement of ANY dental implant should only be undertaken by an expert implant surgeon, one who can first conduct a thorough evaluation using today’s best digital technology, professional skill and detailed treatment planning. If you’ve been advised you don’t have enough bone support required for dental implants, short dental implants could be an easier, less expensive and less invasive solution.

You can read more about short dental implants in “WebDental If you’ve been advised you need bone augmentation or the location placement of a dental implant is precarious, make an appointment with one of our six dental experts for a thorough evaluation to see if your scenario might be addressed with a short dental implant.

Professional referrals are always welcomed but are not required.