An estimated 3.5 billion people worldwide live with at least one oral disease. Untreated tooth decay is the most common, while gum disease affects about 10% of all people. Many of these oral health problems can ultimately result in permanent tooth loss.
If you’ve lost one or more of your teeth yourself, it’s time to consider getting dental implants. These oral devices are safe and are the best replacement for lost or missing teeth.
So, what are dental implants made of that make them safe to surgically place into the body?
Keep reading, as that’s exactly what we’ll share with you in this guide.
What Are Dental Implants?
According to periodontist Dr. Suzanne Caudry, implants permanently address lost or missing teeth. That’s because these oral fixtures replace an entire lost tooth, from the surface to the roots.
The implant itself, which can either be a cylindrical screw or a flat blade, replaces lost tooth roots. An oral surgeon surgically places the implant inside or above the jawbone.
A dental abutment, which looks like a small post, then screws into the base implant. The post protrudes through the gums so that the surgeon can attach an artificial tooth to it.
So, What Are Dental Implants Made of Then?
Dental implants and their abutments consist of biocompatible materials. Biocompatibility refers to a material’s property of being compatible with living tissue.
Biocompatible dental implant material is safe and non-toxic. It doesn’t produce adverse bodily responses, either. These are characteristics found in both titanium and zirconia implants.
Titanium (Ti)
Titanium, a metal that occurs in nature, has a Mohs scale hardness rating of 6. It is one of the strongest metals with high impact resistance and tensile strength. That, plus its biocompatibility, has made it the most preferred material for implants.
The dental industry has used titanium to fabricate commercial dental implants since 1981. Up to now, the majority of dental implants fabricated still use pure titanium. Titanium implants boast a 99% success rate at 10 years, but they can last longer with proper care.
Zirconia (Zirconium Dioxide)
Zirconium dioxide (Zr02) is the primary material used for dental implants called zirconia. Zr02 is an extremely durable metal related to titanium. However, the dental industry most often classifies it as a ceramic material.
Zirconia also has an impressive Mohs hardness rating of 8.5, making it harder than titanium. Like Ti, zirconia also displays excellent biocompatibility. For these reasons, zirconia implants are also more expensive than titanium.
Despite zirconia’s advantages over titanium, Ti is still the gold standard in implants. One reason is that zirconia implants appear to have a lower success rate than titanium ones. Some studies have also shown that zirconia implants have a higher fracture rate.
Get Natural-Looking Teeth Implants Today
There you have it, the guide that answers the question, what are dental implants made of? Now, you know that titanium is the gold standard, but you also have the option of going for zirconia implants. The best way to determine which of these two suits you is to seek the advice of a licensed implantologist.
The sooner you pay a visit to a dental implant specialist, the sooner you can get all your lost teeth replaced.
Looking for more wellness tips and tricks to help you live happier and healthier? Be sure to browse our other educational health and fitness guides then!
