Tag Archives: Zirconia

Dental implants are essentially are new tooth roots that are placed in the bone and then new teeth can be attached to them. Titanium implants have been the standard since the 1960s and have a very good success rate, but over the last 60 years our understanding of how dental implants and the body interact has significantly grown. 

Zirconia (ceramic) dental implants are now an alternative to titanium implants. They are FDA approved and offer many advances, being a “metal-free” implant. Gums love ceramic! The soft tissue and bone responds very favorably to the ceramic giving an excellent healing result. While titanium has been available and used for over 55 years, ceramic implants have been in Europe for close to 20 years and have recently been cleared by the FDA for use in the US. While not for everyone, zirconia dental implants are an aesthetically pleasing option as they are the same color as your natural teeth. Metal-free ZERAMEX® ceramic implants excel in terms of function, health and aesthetics.

Esthetics can be challenging under normal circumstances around natural teeth. When teeth are to be replaced with implants, especially in the esthetic zone, gingival tissue can complicate the desired results.

It is a mistake to assume that because the body builds bone around dental implants, titanium is actually biocompatible. If it were truly biocompatible, gum tissue would respond as well to titanium as the bone does, but it doesn’t — getting gum tissue to grow up to and surround titanium implants can be a challenge.

Zirconia is known for its likeness to diamonds. It is a crystal material that is altered slightly when used in implant dentistry to give it a tooth colour and appearance.  Zirconia is the crystal form of the transitional metal Zirconium and Zirconia implants are thus considered “metal free”. Due to the rise of concerns over Mercury used in dental fillings, many patients are more comfortable with the idea of keeping metal completely out of their mouths and Zirconia Implants enable them to do this.

Dental implants in NYC can be made from titanium or zirconium. We use the highest quality medical grade titanium or titanium alloy dental implants, the same materials used for other bone implants and orthopedic joint replacements.

Dental implants have quickly become one of the most popular restorative procedures in the world of adult dentistry. This is because implants are a permanent, attractive, comfortable solution to missing teeth. Our Naperville implant dentist, Dr. Anthony LaVacca, has been a leader in prosthodontics and stays at the forefront of the latest advances in the field. One of these advances is the zirconia dental implant, which we offer at Naperville Dental Specialists. When it comes to zirconia vs. titanium implants, patients are often curios as to what the difference is. We’ll be covering what sets zirconia implants apart and how they can transform your smile.