Are Zirconia Implants Better Than Titanium Implants?
Posted on 10/10/2022 by Dr. David Wanserski
Determining whether zirconia implants outplay titanium is something tricky. It is not simple to say that zirconia is better than titanium. Before you choose one over the other, you need to understand their potential benefits, the limitation and risks for each material, and the current state of these new implant materials. Researchers are actively investigating the new implants and clinical research is ongoing. Of course, we expect rapid improvements in their design and use.
Is Zirconia Better?
Although it is difficult to say that zirconia is superior to titanium, there are a number of things that dentists and researchers agree on. In most cases, the decision as to whether zirconia is better often depends on the things you prioritize. For one, titanium has been used for a long time and more clinical studies and investigations have been done. There are decades of evidence that prove titanium to be a reliable and successful dental implant biomaterial.
What we Know About Zirconia and Titanium
Zirconia is emerging as a viable option for traditional titanium-based implants. The implant material has been reported to have a great soft-tissue response as well as biocompatibility. It also offers greater esthetics compared to titanium implants. Besides, studies indicate that zirconia and titanium have almost similar bone-to-implant contact, also known as osseointegration.
One of the reasons why people choose zirconia over titanium implants is the tendency for them to have titanium or metal allergy. However, it is extremely rare for titanium allergy to occur. Although most implants contain 89 to 99 percent of titanium, there are also varying quantities of other metals present in the implants such as iron, chromium, zinc, tin, and manganese.
Additionally, zirconia tends to have lower plaque accumulation and infection around the implants. Zirconia also has excellent resistance to corrosion.
There are also downsides to zirconia, for example, it is more brittle compared to titanium. Also, zirconia has lower fracture strength. Although it is strong in terms of compression, it is likely to fracture much easier under forces that bring about flexing and bending or flexural strength. Contact us if you want more information about zirconia and titanium implants.
Dental Blog | Wausau, WI | Wanserski Dental Center for Complex Dentistry Dr. David Wanserski, DDS, from Wanserski Dental Center for Complex Dentistry, has created this informative blog to help educate the community. Learn more. Wanserski Dental Center for Complex Dentistry, 550 N. 17th Ave. Wausau, WI 54401 ^ (715) 848-2435 ^ wanserskidental.com ^ 9/11/2024 ^ Page Keywords: dental implants Wausau WI ^
Determining whether zirconia implants outplay titanium is something tricky. It is not simple to say that zirconia is better than titanium. Before you choose one over the other, you need to understand their potential benefits, the limitation and risks for each material, and the current state of these new implant materials. Researchers are actively investigating the new implants and clinical research is ongoing. Of course, we expect rapid improvements in their design and use.