Trends in techniques to avoid bone augmentation surgery: Application of short implants, narrow-diameter implants and guided surgery

Abstract

Introduction: Minimally invasive implantology using reduced implant dimensions as well as virtual treatment planning and CAD/CAM stereolithographic templates has gained popularity in recent years. The aim of the present investigation was to analyze prevailing trends in clinical utilization of these graftless therapeutic options.

Material and methods: A total of 12.865 dental implants were placed in 5.365 patients at the Academy for Oral Implantology in Vienna, of which 5.5% were short (length < 10 mm), 19.5% narrow (diameter < 3.75 mm) and 10.6% template-guided. Application trends were analyzed using linear regression and compared between jaw location and dentition subgroups.

Results: Use of short implants and guided surgery increased significantly in all subgroups. Narrow-diameter implants were most frequent in single-tooth gaps (24.1%), however, upward trends could only be observed in partially and completely edentulous patients. Short implants were predominantly used in the mandible (9.9% vs. 2.5%, P < 0.001) while guided surgery was favored in the maxilla (14.2% vs. 5.4%, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Short implants (most frequent in partial edentulism) and guided implant surgery (most frequent in complete edentulism) represent uprising and promising surgical approaches to avoid patient morbidity associated with bone graft surgery.

Keywords: Bone augmentation; Dental implants; Flapless surgery; Guided implant placement; Implant diameter; Implant length.