Zirconia Dental Implants
Dental implants have revolutionized the replacement of missing teeth. Since the 1960s, titanium implants have been the industry standard, but growing concerns over the biocompatibility and autoimmune potential of titanium in susceptible individuals has caused an increased demand for nonmetal implant materials.Ceramic tooth implants, specifically known as zirconia dental implants, are one of the newer forms of dental implants that provide a metal free option for replacing missing teeth. Zirconia implants first became approved for use in Europe in 2008 and then in Canada in 2013. They are proving to be a very suitable alternative to titanium implants because of their biocompatibility, tooth coloured esthetics, strength, and resistance to bacterial plaque build-up.
Although there is a much longer history with titanium implants, studies have shown that zirconia implants form a solid connection to bone that is equivalent to titanium implants (Manzano et al. 2014), resulting in similar success rates. Straumann, the world’s leading dental implant manufacturer, has recently developed a novel two-piece zirconia implant that mitigates the shortcomings of the original “one-piece” zirconia implant systems.
For more information about zirconia implants or to see if you are a candidate for implant dentistry, please contact Health First Dental to schedule a consultation with Dr. Freiberg
