Dental implants can replace your missing teeth. There are two main types of implants in modern dentistry,
- Titanium Dental Implants
- Ceramic/Zirconia Implants
Although more than 95% of dental implants are made of titanium you can have a ceramic implant if recommended by your dentist.
Metal-free
Ceramic implants are much superior to titanium implants mainly because they are metal-free whereas most titanium dental implants have metal alloys.
Due to the presence of metal alloys in titanium implants, they may corrode over time in your mouth which could be leading to meta toxicity and medical conditions such as hypersensitivity allergic reactions and many other autoimmune disorders.
Corrosion resistant
Unlike titanium implants, ceramic implants are corrosion-resistant and hypo-allergenic. This is why ceramic implants are known to be holistic and highly bio-compatible dentistry whereas titanium implants are only bio-tolerable by some patients.
Zero taste disturbances
The metallic composition of the titanium implants can rarely cause a metal taste in patients while ceramic implants don’t cause any taste disturbance as they are metal free.
Easy plaque control
We can expect less plaque accumulation with ceramic implants as they are not as rough as titanium implants. They have a low affinity for attracting and retaining plaque and less bacterial adhesion than titanium. The incidence of periodontal diseases with ceramic implants is low with good oral hygiene maintenance. So, ceramic implants are more soft tissue-friendly.
High esthetics
Titanium implants are dark grey and ceramic implants are white. So, titanium implants could show a visible metal appearance around the gum line. Ceramic implants look like natural teeth. Therefore, as far as esthetics is concerned especially in patients with thin or delicate soft tissues, ceramic implants would be the best option as they provide a highly appealing appearance. Unlike titanium implants, they cause less mucosal discolouration.
Zero galvanic shock
Titanium implants are mostly made of two pieces; the implant body and the implant abutment which are held together by a screw. These parts are mostly made of different titanium alloys that could cause galvanic shock or battery effect to your body and brain, especially during chewing and swallowing your saliva.
Ceramic implants are mostly one piece but recently a few companies are making them in two pieces. Regardless of whether one or two-piece zirconia are metal-free and they do not cause a galvanic shock at all.
High strength
As evidence shows, both titanium and ceramic implants are equally strong enough to bear occlusal loads.
However, some people believe that ceramic implants break faster than titanium implants.
The hardness and tensile strength of the new generation of ceramic implants has been shown to equally or higher than titanium implants. Although fracture is a minor issue with any type of dental implants, the reality is that any broken implant could be replaced but metal toxicity from titanium implants in the jawbone is seems to be more of an irreversible phenomenon.
However, as with any other treatment, ceramic implants also have a few drawbacks. The complex industrial process of manufacturing ceramic implants makes a huge impact on price making them more expensive. The laboratory procedures are also technically more demanding. As well as the titanium implants, ceramic implants have more and more clinical indications.
If you are facing any dental implant complication or dental implant failure, please contact London Specialist Dentist to get advice from one of our top implant dentists in London.
