Splinted wide-short implants in the posterior region of an atrophic mandible opposed by an edentulous maxilla: immediate loading and 1-year follow-up.

ABSTRACT

The generally recommended treatment for patients with mandibular bone atrophy involves extensive bone reconstruction to enable the use of standard dental implants. In posterior areas with limited height and thickness, a combination of wide-short dental implants and long implants has also been recommended. This alternative treatment improves the biomechanical resistance to stress from occlusal forces during mastication and has achieved success rates comparable to those of standard implants. In most cases, this treatment option allows immediate loading, simplifying the oral rehabilitation and decreasing the morbidity rate. The purpose of this case report is to discuss clinical treatment of a patient with bilateral bone atrophy in the posterior regions of the mandible. Two wide-short implants splinted to 1 standard implant were used for rehabilitation on the right side. The mandibular left hemiarch had a greater amount of bone, and 3 standard implants were placed on the right side. One year after implant placement, the treatment outcomes were found to be similar on both sides. In this patient, the use of wide-short implants splinted to a standard implant improved mandibular occlusal stability in an area of reduced bone height.