Titanium vs. Zirconia Tooth Implants: Which One Is Better Choice?

The two main materials used in modern dental implants are titanium and zirconia. Each of these have benefits and risks, so is either one better than the other?

Titanium Dental Implants

Titanium is a type of metal often used in dental implants because its properties are known to fuse well with human bone. It has been used for decades, and it's so strong and lightweight that surgeons use it for hip and knee replacements.

However, titanium has both pros and cons.

Benefits Of Titanium Dental Implants

The benefits of titanium implants are clear - that's why most implants are made of titanium. Here is a quick look at the pros of titanium dental implants:

• 95% success rate

• Long-lasting (30 years or more)

• Strong and durable yet lightweight

Downsides To Titanium Dental Implants

On the flipside, using titanium for dental implants has potential risks and side effects. These are the main potential problems involved with them:

• Interference with autoimmune disease

• Galvanic toxicity (metal taste, sensation of electrical charge when near other metals, chronic insomnia)

• Allergic reaction to titanium

A Word About Titanium Allergy

Although it's rare, it's possible to have a reaction to titanium while there are no documented cases of this happening with zirconia. The people who have had allergic reactions to titanium really have an allergy to Nickel, a type of metal included in titanium alloy.

Zirconia Dental Implants

Although zirconia has not been used in implant dentistry as much as titanium, it still a viable option. It hasn't been used enough to tell what its long-term effects are. The dental industry in the United States has been using them only since 2007 and in Europe since the 1980s.

Zirconia, which is a metal-free crystal material, is usually a one-piece implant that's inserted into your jawbone, as opposed to titanium implants, which usually have three parts.

Benefits Of Zirconia Dental Implants

Even though zirconia is the underdog in the dental implant world, it still has plenty of benefits. Here are a few:

• No chance of a metal allergy

• Shorter surgery thanks to it being one piece instead of multiple

• Very aesthetically pleasing