Different Types of Dental Implants: Titanium and Zirconia
If you’ve lost one or more teeth or have a tooth that can’t be restored, the MN Center for Dental Care can help you. Dr. Paul Sheils combines the latest advances in micro-dentistry and periodontal craftsmanship – dental implants – the strongest and most permanent solution for missing teeth.
Dental implants are similar in shape and size to a natural tooth root and are typically made of titanium or zirconia, both types of dental implants provide strength and the ability to fuse to bone over time. The process of the bone fusing to the implant’s surface is called osseointegration. The bone cells attach themselves to the implant during a period of healing. Both types of dental implants are ideal for patients who have missing or compromised teeth due to periodontal disease, decay, injury, or those who have congenitally missing teeth. Both types of dental implants can be used to replace a single tooth, multiple teeth, or an entire upper and lower jaw of teeth.
Titanium or Zirconia
There are advantages to using either type of dental implant — titanium or zirconia implants.
Titanium implants:
- Metal-based
- Biocompatible
- Coated to prevent corrosion
- Post coated with hydroxyapatite
Zirconia implants:
- Non-metal based
- Help to discourage the buildup of plaque and tartar around the implant
- Lower the risk of gum disease
- Cosmetically pleasing result due to the natural white tooth color of the material
The Advantages of Hybridge Implants
If you’ve lost one or more teeth or have a tooth that can’t be restored, the MN Center for Dental Care can help you. We offer Hybridge Dental Implants that allow you to eat, smile, and feel confident about your teeth once and for all. Like we say on our website page, Hybridge Implants give you the dazzling smile you deserve and allow you to experience life-changing comfort, renewed confidence, and easy dental maintenance.
The benefits of Hybridge implants are endless, but five key reasons that you should seriously consider them are:
- Leave with new, natural-looking teeth the same day
- Permanently fixed and function like real teeth
- Cost-effective solution with durable, biocompatible titanium construction
- The success rate is 95% for healthy, functioning implants that last 10+ years
- Final definitive restoration is achieved in as little as 3-6 months
What Are Zirconia Implants?
Since the 1960s, titanium implants have been the industry standard and the main type of dental implant for replacing missing teeth. With decades of success, titanium implants have become one of the most successful medical devices in all of medicine, with long-term success rates between 94-97%.
Zirconia implants are an alternative to titanium. They date as far back as the late 1980s but have gained popularity with the increasing demand for biometric and holistic dentistry.
Zirconia dental implants are a non-metal alternative to titanium implants. Zirconia is a ceramic material that is white in color. Zirconia, also known as Zirconium dioxide, is not considered metal due to its metal oxide structure. The addition of oxide changes its composition structure, behavior, and name.
Advantages of Zirconia Implants
Zirconia dental implants are among the most recent types of dental implants that have been released in the market over the years. Dental implants are commonly used to replace missing teeth to restore a person’s smile, protect their jaw, and to restore teeth functionality.
Zirconia implants have been on the market for just over a decade and they are becoming more and more popular due to their stability and compatibility.
The most significant advantage that Zirconia implants offer is that they are entirely metal-free. For those who are allergic to metals, Zirconia implants are the ideal type of dental implant. Zirconia is also a great option when it comes to maintaining excellent oral health, specifically gum health. Zirconia is much less susceptible to plaque buildup than other materials. In terms of durability, Zirconia is far better than other materials such as porcelain and ceramic, allowing the implants to last for a considerably longer time.
Zirconia also offers maximum contact between the teeth and the jawbone, allowing an effective and efficient fusing process – basically, they will stay in place more effectively. Zirconia offers excellent durability and great aesthetics and eliminates the need for metal.
Which is the Better Type of Dental Implant?
We would hesitate to say that one of the types of dental implants is better than the other. The answer lies in what the patient might prioritize. Titanium implants have been around longer, so they have more clinical studies and decades of evidence proving it as a successful material for dental implants. Zirconia has emerged as a great alternative to titanium implants. Zirconia implants are proving to have superior soft-tissue response, biocompatibility, and esthetics to titanium implants.
Another factor to consider when choosing between titanium and zirconia implants is the location in the mouth where the implant will go. If you need to replace a front tooth, a zirconia dental implant might be a better option, as the natural white color of zirconia would be more suitable in a specific situation like this where aesthetics would be critical.
Dr. Sheils likes to begin every dental implant process with a comprehensive exam and cleaning. These two steps are important to the treatment-plan process to ensure the overall success of the implant procedure. With this analysis, Dr. Sheils can give you an informed opinion on which type of dental implant might work better for your specific case.