A Critical Review of Dental Implant Materials with an Emphasis on Titanium versus Zirconia

Abstract

Abstract:The goal of the current publication is to provide a comprehensive literature review on the topic of dental implant materials. The following paper focuses on conventional titanium implants and more recently introduced and increasingly popular zirconia implants. Major subtopics include the material science and the clinical considerations involving both implant materials and the influence of their physical properties on the treatment outcome. Titanium remains the gold standard for the fabrication of oral implants, even though sensitivity does occur, though its clinical relevance is not yet clear. Zirconia implants may prove to be promising in the future; however, further in vitro and well-designed in vivo clinical studies are needed before such a recommendation can be made. Special considerations and technical experience are needed when dealing with zirconia implants to minimize the incidence of mechanical failure.

Influence of surface roughness of dental zirconia implants on their mechanical stability, cell behavior and osseointegration

“…It can be further inferred that no other major differences were detected between Ti-SLA and Y-TZP-SS, which demonstrates the promising potential for surface modified Y-TZP ceramics in dental implantology. However, in vivo studies over a healing period of several years ( > 5 years) are needed to recommend rough zirconia materials over titanium for applications in dental implantology [28][29][30].…”

Correlations between fracture load of zirconia implant supported single crowns and mechanical properties of restorative material and cement

“…Implants made from zirconia may be considered as a promising metal free alternative to the well-established titanium implants [1][2][3][4][5][6] . Compared to the natural tooth with its periodontal ligament, the implant-bone interface is rigid.…”

Ca-P spots modified zirconia by liquid precursor infiltration and the effect on osteoblast-like cell responses

“…Since Brånemark et al 1) discovered titanium and bone could be completely integrated, titanium implants have been established as a reliable treatment option for the replacement of missing teeth over forty years 2) . In spite of well-documented biocompatibility and suitability for tooling, it has been reported that titanium can cause unwanted chemical-biological interactions like tissue discoloration 3) and allergic reactions 4) .…”