A 7-year life table analysis from a prospective study on ITI implants with special emphasis on the use of short implants. Results from a private practice.

This paper reports on a 7-year life table analysis on ITI titanium plasma-sprayed (TPS) and sandblasted and etched (SLA) implants placed in a private practice and loaded for at least 1 year. In 236 patients, 528 (264 TPS and 264 SLA) implants were placed, 351 (66.5%) implants rehabilitated the posterior region and 71.1% implants were < or =11 mm. In the posterior mandible and maxilla, the mean implant length was 9.90 and 9.74 mm respectively. Implant length was determined through standard radiographs only. Increase of the number of implants or reduction of the width or length of the rehabilitations was no specifically sought for the shorter implants. One hundred and twenty-two SLA implants were loaded within 63 days. All early loaded SLA implants resisted the applied 35 N cm without rotation or pain. Three implants failed, one early and two late failures, all were SLA implants placed in the mandible. Shorter implants did not fail more than longer ones. The cumulative success rate was 99.40%. The predictable use of short implants supporting single crowns and small fixed partial dentures of 2-4 units supported by two to three implants permitted (1) restricting the need for sophisticated and expensive presurgical procedures aimed to determine precisely the available bone height by computerized radiographic methods, (2) the placement of prosthetically driven restoration instead os surgically driven ones, (3) reducing the indications span for complex invasive procedures like sinus lift and bon grafting procedures, (4) facilitating the surgery, without attempting to place the longest implant and (5) avoiding the occurrence of sensation disturbance. The safe use of short implants in a private practice should make implant therapy simpler and accessible to a higher number of patients and practitioners.