Ultrashort implant in the upper jaw, an alternative therapeutic procedure after the failure of the sinus lift: a case report

The rehabilitation of the posterior sites of the maxilla with dental implants is a therapeutic procedure often influenced by the atrophy of the maxillary bone, caused by either the loss of dental elements or by the maxillary sinus pneumatization. Bone loss in the upper maxillae which prevents the placement of implant fixture, may be fixed with surgical bone regenerations techniques, such as the sinus lift, or with the placement of zygomatic and/or pterygoid implants. Although the proved effectiveness of these invasive therapeutic approaches, the biological and economic costs may be high. Also, the failure of these procedure, may further prevent the possibility of a second implant rehabilitation. In this scenario, the use of the short and ultra-short implants may be considered a valid minimally invasive alternative for the rehabilitation of the atrophic edentulous crests. Here, we describe a case of a female patient presenting with atrophic posterior maxilla which was rehabilitated with an implant of 3 millimeters in length after the failure of a previous surgical maxillary sinus lift through lateral window approach and with a total follow-up of 36 months.