In the present retrospective study, dental implants of reduced length (7 mm) that were placed in the posterior maxilla to avoid sinus augmentation procedure were clinically and radiologically followed up after a mean loading period of 5 years. The clinical and radiological results demonstrate successful midterm results regarding implant survival and peri-implant hard and soft tissue health. Low levels of bleeding on probing and the probing pocket depths indicate the absence of acute or chronical peri-implantitis and are therefore in accordance with the low values of peri-implant bone loss observed. Furthermore, the obtained favorable clinical and radiological results seemed to be independent of the applied prosthetic rehabilitation, as both, fixed and removable and splinted and un-splinted prosthetics, did not show any difference in clinical and radiological results.

Although bone augmentation procedures, such as sinus augmentation procedures, are frequently performed and well researched, patient demands tend to indicate minimally invasive treatments and reduced treatment periods [11]. The technical progress in implant materials and design over the past decades led to an expansion of the available implant diameters and lengths and, consequently, increased the ability to replace missing teeth, even in patients with reduced alveolar ridge dimensions. However, the acceptance of implants with reduced length, and, therefore, often an increased implant-crown ratio and associated adverse loading forces, is still reduced compared to standard-length implants. Research of the literature shows that most of these concerns are unfounded. Randomized clinical trials as well as systematic reviews show comparable clinical mid- and even partial long-term results when comparing “short implants” and conventional implants placed in combination with augmentative procedures. In a randomized multicenter study, the efficacy of short (5 or 6 mm long) dental implants compared to 10 mm or longer implants placed in crestally lifted sinuses indicated no significant differences regarding prosthesis and implant failures, complications, and radiographic peri-implant marginal bone level changes after a follow-up period of 3 years [12].