Patients are increasingly concerned about the materials that come into contact with their bodies and the impact this can have on their overall health and safety. When choosing dental implants in Dubai, the ideal is to use the least reactive and least toxic material. It is also important to assess strength, clinical success, manufacturer quality, and other factors related to the material and design of the implant.
Over the years, the trend has been to avoid using metals in our bodies. Zirconium is an alternative material to titanium for dental implants. Health conscious patients often ask, “Are zirconium dental implants better than titanium?” The answer to this question is not easy, as it is important to understand the potential benefits, limitations, risks, and current status of zirconium oxide dental implant options.
What are Zirconia implants?
Dental implants are medical devices. Titanium implants have been the industry standard since the 1960s. With decades of innovation and clinical success, titanium implants have become one of the most successful medical devices in all of medicine, with long-term success rates of 94-97%. Zirconium implants are an alternative to titanium implants.
What are zirconium implants made of?
Zirconium dental implants are generally marketed as a non-metallic alternative to titanium implants. Zirconia is a white ceramic material. It comes as a surprise to many that ceramics contain both metals and non-metals.
Zirconium oxide, also known as zirconium dioxide, is a ceramic composed of the elements zirconium and oxygen (1 atom of zirconium and 2 atoms of oxygen). Zirconium has an atomic number of 40, making it a transition metal. Therefore, zirconia implants contain zirconium metal atoms, but are not considered metal due to their metal oxide (ZrO2) structure. Adding the oxide changes its composition, structure, behavior, and name.
Are Zirconium Dental Implants Better Than Titanium?
It’s hard to say as it depends on what you prioritize. Titanium has been around longer, with more research and clinical studies and decades of evidence showing it to be a reliable and effective biomaterial for dental implants.
On the other hand, zirconium oxide appears to be a promising alternative to conventional titanium-based implant systems. Zirconia has superior soft tissue response, biocompatibility and esthetics compared to titanium implants.
Furthermore, studies have shown that titanium and zirconia implants have very similar bone-to-implant contact or osseointegration (Manzano et al. 2014). This is a very important consideration for the success of the implant and determines the stability of the implant in the mouth and during function. Consider the following pros and cons of zirconia implants below:
Advantages of zirconia dental implants over titanium
- Aesthetics: Due to their tooth-like color, zirconium implants do not show a dark color through the gums. This can be very beneficial in the esthetic zone, where titanium implants in some situations pose a risk of tissue discoloration or graying through the gingiva (gums).
- Titanium Allergy or Metal Allergy: Allergy to titanium or other metals found in titanium implants is one of the main reasons patients seek treatment with metal-free zirconia implants. While most implants are 89-99% titanium, there are varying amounts of other metals. The precise composition of titanium alloys varies by implant and manufacturer. In a study that analyzed 5 different implants, the following metals were present in addition to titanium: iron, manganese, chromium, tin, vanadium, molybdenum, zirconium, niobium, zinc, tungsten and nickel (Chauby et al., 2019).
- Less Plaque Formation Around Implants – Some studies have suggested less plaque formation and infection around zirconia implants.
- Zirconium oxide has excellent corrosion resistance.
- It is a poor electrical and thermal conductor. There are no concerns about galvanic or battery effects with zirconia implants.
Disadvantages of zirconia dental implants compared to titanium
- Limited variety of components and designs – Zirconia implants are still at a relatively early stage in their development cycle. There are limited options for zirconia implant designs and parts compared to titanium. In difficult cases, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results because of this limitation. This is especially true when multiple or multiple teeth are replaced. However, this is not a major problem for routine single tooth replacement under ideal conditions.
- Long-Term Success: Titanium implants have undergone many years of design improvements and innovations that have contributed to their 94-97% long-term success rate. There are concerns about the long-term survival of zirconium implants and their possible complications.
- Fracture Strength and Toughness: Zirconia is more brittle than titanium and has lower fracture toughness and flexural strength. It resists compression but is more likely than titanium to break under forces that cause bending or bending (flexural strength). Zirconia has a higher risk of fractures and long-term complications.
- Small diameter zirconia implants are prone to fracture: Small diameter zirconia implants have proven to be problematic. In implantology, the dentist often has to use a small diameter implant between 3.0mm and 3.75mm due to the thin bone or small gaps between the teeth. A research study showed that any implant less than 4mm in diameter had catastrophic rupture (Clinical Oral Implant Research, Thoma et al 2015).
- It is not practical for complex oral restorations or implant-supported dentures.
- Zirconium implants are not ideal for treating patients who have lost all of their teeth or who need to replace all of their teeth with implant-supported dentures. This type of treatment requires a lot of planning as well as a variety of component options. Titanium implant systems typically have a wider variety of component options that vary in angulation, size, purpose, and even solutions to difficult situations. Zirconia implants, in comparison, have limited options and versatility.
Are zirconium dental implants safe?
As we have seen in this article, zirconia has many advantages, but it is far from perfect, and zirconia implants have many significant disadvantages. Zirconia is a safe and worthwhile alternative to titanium implants, although there are many reasons to stick with titanium implants. It’s important to understand the potential benefits and limitations. Your risks and other factors related to zirconia implants before proceeding with treatment.
