Titanium Dental Implants

Now more than ever, dental patients are more concerned and more educated about the materials being put in their bodies and the impact this can have on their health. With regards to dental implants, it is important to use biocompatible materials and to consider clinical success.

Titanium Dental Implants

Titanium implants have been used for over fifty years and are clinically proven to be safe and effective. Similar to materials used in orthopedics, titanium implants are used for their favorable mechanical

properties. They have great long-term success and low risk of complications.

The treatment of the titanium surface allows for osseointegration of the implant. However, corrosion of implants has been identified as one of the mechanisms that result in the failure of dental implants (Gittens et al. 2017).

This occurs when the titanium metal reacts electrically with other metals in the mouth. The long term effects of titanium corrosion remain unclear. Titanium implants remain the standard used in the dental industry. They have a long-term success rate of 94-97%.

Which is better?

Studies have shown that both implant materials have very similar bone to implant contact (Manzano et al. 2014). Both materials are biocompatible and do not cause local inflammation and are not rejected by the body. Titanium implants are the industry standard and have a lower risk of complication. They are more versatile than zirconia implants because we can customize them for the restoration.

Our office uses guided surgery to place both types of implants. Contact our office today to speak to our doctors and see which one would be best for your case.

Zirconia Dental Implants

Zirconia implants are an alternative to titanium implants. They were released in 1987 and have been marketed as a non-metal, ceramic material that has similar advantages to traditional titanium implants. Zirconia implants are white, which means that no dark metal color will show through the gums (which can happen in some cases).

Zirconia has very little metal component and has no corrosive properties as seen in titanium. However, Zirconia has a higher risk of fracture due to the properties of the material. Zirconia implants are favored for people who have titanium allergies. However, true titanium allergies are extremely rare with a prevalence as low as 0.6% (Sicilia et al. 2008).

Zirconia implants come in a single abutment system. This means that implant components that connect the implant to the tooth is the same component that is located in the bone (whereas they are separate in the titanium systems). This means they must have cemented crowns. Custom abutments and screw retained implant restorations are often necessary for full mouth implant treatments, which eliminates the possibility of zirconia implants in these cases.