“Are zirconia implants better than titanium?”
I am a 50 year old male. I want to know are zirconia implants better than titanium?
5 Answers
I have no experience with them. Can’t answer you with any great deal of authority but I do know they are not used nearly as much as the tried and true titanium implants.
I, personally, have 6new implants in my mouth, placed in December. I chose titanium for mine...
Whether zirconia implants are better than titanium depends on the unique clinical situation as well as your personal preferences.
Zirconia is a ceramic while titanium is a metal. Ceramic is considered to be more bio-compatible and less reactive than metal. Studies have shown that zirconia is better than titanium at reducing bacterial adhesion. Most reputable titanium implant manufacturers produce uniform products, however, there is a concern with 'knock off' implants containing impurities like nickel that may illicit an immune response.
Recent studies show similar soft and hard tissue integration capacity for both zirconia and titanium implants, however, titanium has been shown to demonstrate faster initial osseointegration. Titanium also has a longer and more tested track record that dates back to the 1980's with a success rate around 97%.
I believe zirconia implants have greater applications in the anterior esthetic zone simply because they are white and easier to mask than a titanium implant.
Unlike titanium implants which come in multiple parts with the ability to customize abutments to correct for angulation, zirconia implants are typically manufactured as a single unit. This means they have the abutment already attached and this piece will stick out of the periodontia and needs to be protected while the implant is healing/integrating.
In the end, your doctor will have a discussion with you to determine the best material choice for your case.
Zirconia is a ceramic while titanium is a metal. Ceramic is considered to be more bio-compatible and less reactive than metal. Studies have shown that zirconia is better than titanium at reducing bacterial adhesion. Most reputable titanium implant manufacturers produce uniform products, however, there is a concern with 'knock off' implants containing impurities like nickel that may illicit an immune response.
Recent studies show similar soft and hard tissue integration capacity for both zirconia and titanium implants, however, titanium has been shown to demonstrate faster initial osseointegration. Titanium also has a longer and more tested track record that dates back to the 1980's with a success rate around 97%.
I believe zirconia implants have greater applications in the anterior esthetic zone simply because they are white and easier to mask than a titanium implant.
Unlike titanium implants which come in multiple parts with the ability to customize abutments to correct for angulation, zirconia implants are typically manufactured as a single unit. This means they have the abutment already attached and this piece will stick out of the periodontia and needs to be protected while the implant is healing/integrating.
In the end, your doctor will have a discussion with you to determine the best material choice for your case.
In my opinion, there are cons and pros for zirconia as for titanium implants. Zirconia implants are esthetically prefereable over titanium in a thin biotype gum or bone. The titanium will transparent the gray color through the thin biotype. In other hand, titanium is more resistant to micro fracture due to it's flexibility compare to zirconia. However, they both are FDA approved, strong and biocompatible. The zirconia is a crystal after the metal zirconium stabilized, treated and converted to ceramic so zirconium oxide, it is no longer a metal, and it is marketed as metal free. If you are trying to get a single crown or prosthesis the zircoia implant will be okay, but for full arch rehab or snap on denture ( over denture) it is better to get titanium implant there success rate is above 95% and they can able to last 30 and more years. However, the zircoia implants there is still not enough study to support their success rate and longevity.
I prefer Titanium
