Holistic Zirconia Dental Implants vs. Titanium Implants

Most dental implants are made from titanium, which is a greyish-colored metal. But today, there’s a more holistic alternative: Zirconia dental implants.

What is zirconia? Zirconia is a tooth-colored dental material that is frequently used for durable cosmetic dental crowns, dental implants, and All-on-4 restorations. Surprisingly, this type of ceramic material can also be used to design tooth-shaped dental implants as an alternative to traditional titanium metals.

Is zirconia a metal? Zirconia dental implants are ceramic. However, the ceramic structure does contain some metallic atoms. It is just as safe, durable, and predictable for our patients to replace missing teeth with zirconia implants as it is in more conventional designs.

Zirconia is extremely lightweight, which is why it’s frequently preferred for full-arch restorations like All-on-4. Essentially it weighs about the same amount as natural teeth; when you rehabilitate your smile, you shouldn’t be able to tell any difference in how hard you have to bite or chew. It’s also stronger than other types of ceramic materials frequently used in dentistry, which is what makes it successful for implant therapy.

Best Cosmetic Dental Implant Option

If you are someone with thin bone or soft tissues, these are just some of the many factors that impact how dental implants look when you smile. Especially when replacing front teeth. Since titanium implants are a grey metal, there is always a potential chance that the titanium base will create a shadow along or through the gum line. As long as there is enough tissue to encircle titanium implants, there’s not a major concern. But if someone is replacing front teeth or a tooth that’s visible when they smile, titanium implants can potentially cause aesthetic concerns due to the dark grey or bluish hue through the gums.

With zirconia dental implants, the physical dental implant “root” is tooth-colored, just like the crown on top of it. Zirconia dental implants are consistently white from top to bottom, so even if there’s a chance the dental implant materials are slightly visible, you won’t have any added aesthetic concerns. They look more like a natural tooth than titanium versions do.

Ceramic implant options offer optimal cosmetic results, especially for people with missing teeth in their smile zone.

Sensitive Skin Alternative to Titanium Dental Implants

Most modern dental implants systems are made of titanium since it is a biocompatible metal. While it’s extremely rare for someone to have a titanium allergy, some dental implant patients with metal sensitivity or allergies prefer to err on the side of caution. When that’s the case, titanium implant systems are typically substituted with tooth colored zirconia implants, especially if they’re searching for a metal-free alternative.

Zirconia offers ceramic implants designs without any visible metals or metal alloys. The holistic alternative is an ideal implant material for individuals who may have experienced allergic reactions to surgical procedures like joint replacement or even wearing certain types of jewelry. Or maybe have an autoimmune disease. Again, titanium allergies rarely occur (even for someone with extremely rare metal allergies), but an allergic reaction could potentially cause failure of these otherwise FDA approved devices.

As a ceramic, zirconia does not corrode inside of the body. When it integrates with your bone, and soft tissue adhesions develop around it, the implants become a permanent fixture in your smile. Their lifelike hue and sheen provide you with both durability and confidence when you are replacing missing teeth.

Holistic Dental Implants

Titanium and ceramic zirconia implants are both safe, and FDA approved. However, many individuals worry about titanium implant materials leaching into their body because of the metal alloys that are used. Are zirconia dental implants safe? Absolutely. And they offer a holistic implant dentistry alternative for people who want something that looks and feels like a natural tooth.

No Need to Worry About Adverse Reactions

Ceramic implants are a two-piece implant system that offers primary stability for single-tooth replacement. Many patients prefer this holistic alternative because it eliminates the risk of metallic atoms. In clinical studies, most patients find zirconia abutments to be safe for gum tissue and bone loss, with or without a bone graft. There is no need to run a blood test to check for metal or other materials leaching into the body.

Clinical research shows that the small diameter of zirconia implant designs is still resistant to micro-cracks during everyday function. Although most implants have a removable abutment, ceramic options essentially look like one-piece implants when pieced together. The dental cement that is used is similar to that of crowns bonded to a natural tooth or titanium dental implants. Even with thin bone or gum tissue, zirconium implants provide the best cosmetic dentistry results.

Which Dental Materials are Best?

When it comes to zirconia vs. titanium implants, both play vital roles in restoring missing teeth. But for some of our patients, using ceramic material provides the best replacement tooth, especially when holistic treatments and aesthetics are a priority. Most successful medical devices, such as joint replacements, are still made from titanium metals. Titanium helps combat bone loss. Each holds specific roles in smile reconstruction, which is why our dentist recommends specific choices for individual patients.

In documented cases, both are proven, successful medical devices. Titanium and ceramic both offer fracture resistance and are unlikely to experience implant failure (assuming there is no gum disease.) Ultimately, our recommendations are guided by the concerns and priorities of our individual clients, which is why we offer both titanium and zirconia implant designs for you to choose from.

Traditional and Cosmetic Implants in Brentwood, CA

At the CENTER for Advanced Periodontal and Implant Therapy, our Southern CA implant specialists are experts when it comes to the different types of implant treatments. We offer both traditional implant dentistry as well as holistic ceramic options for safe, attractive results.

If you need missing teeth replaced, it’s best to work with an implant specialist like Dr. Aalam and Dr. Krivitsky, who has seen many patients over the years with numerous documented cases of successful procedures. For holistic zirconia implants near you, contact us today!

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