Long-term Outcomes of Immediate Loading of Short Implants: A Controlled Retrospective Cohort Study

Purpose: Short implants (≤ 8.5 mm in length) have presented predictable outcomes. However, there is paucity in the long-term evaluation of immediate loading of short implants. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of the immediate loading of short implants on treatment outcomes. Materials and Methods: Patients having short implants inserted before December 2010 that were immediately loaded were selected. A database was then created to include the patient's data as well as implant- and prostheses-related outcomes. Long implants inserted at the same surgery and immediately loaded by the same prosthesis formed the control group. The proximal bone loss and the survival rates of implants and prostheses were assessed. Results: Forty-nine short and 38 long implants were placed in 30 patients. The mean follow-up time was 5.2 ± 0.8 years after loading, and three implants (two short and one long) failed. The differences in marginal bone loss and implant survival between short and long implants were not statistically significant. Three prosthetic complications occurred. Two prostheses failed, and the survival rate was 95.8%. Conclusion: The immediate loading of short implants is not a risk factor for treatment success. This could be related to the good bone quality and the achievement of adequate primary stability. Keywords: dental prosthesis, immediate loading, implant survival, marginal bone loss, short dental implants