Short Dental Implant

A shorter titanium implant designed for areas where the available bone height is reduced, often allowing treatment without — or with less — bone grafting. It is placed into the jaw under local anaesthetic and restored with a crown once integrated. Short implants can simplify cases in the back of the mouth where the sinus or nerve limits the length of a standard implant, and are planned from CBCT imaging.

Short implants are titanium implants with a reduced length, intended for situations where the height of available bone is limited — most commonly in the posterior upper jaw, where the maxillary sinus sits close to the ridge, or in the lower jaw above the nerve canal. By using a shorter fixture, the clinic can sometimes avoid more extensive bone augmentation or a sinus lift, which can mean a simpler procedure for suitable patients. The surgical principle is the same as for a standard implant: the implant is placed into the bone under local anaesthetic and then left to osseointegrate, fusing with the surrounding bone before a crown or other prosthetic restoration is added. Because the margin for error is smaller when bone is shallow, careful three-dimensional planning matters, and the clinic works from CBCT imaging and intraoral scans taken at the consultation to position the implant safely relative to the sinus and nerve. Short implants are suited to adults who have lost back teeth and have reduced bone height, and who would prefer to limit grafting where the anatomy allows. As with all implant surgery, general health and local bone quality are assessed first, and the restoration and total number of visits are confirmed in the individual treatment plan.