Purpose: This study aimed to assess the survival rate, marginal bone levels, and prosthetic success of short implants when placed in posterior areas of severely reabsorbed mandibles.
Materials and Methods: A systematic review was performed of all randomized controlled trials with at least 10 patients with a control group where bone augmentations were performed that were published between January 2015 and February 2020. From 77 pertinent studies, 14 full-text publications were studied, and 6 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria.
Results: The implant survival rates of short dental implants ranged from 92% to 96.9% with a follow-up from 1 to 5 years, and the prosthetic success rate ranged from 90% to 100% during the same follow-up. The mean marginal bone level values of involved short implants ranged from –0.51 to –2.30 mm.
Conclusion: The obtained data showed that short dental implants are a valid therapeutic choice to rehabilitate severe mandibular atrophy in the medium to long term.