The popularity of cosmetic dental implants is growing each day as people become more aware of its benefits. Although dental health around the world is being taken more seriously by people from all age groups, it is also leading to more dental clinic visits and more cosmetic dental treatments to get the perfect smile.
Dental implant treatments also let you enjoy your favorite food items without worrying about your teeth. But what exactly are dental implants?
Dental implants are surgical components that are artificially designed and inserted into or on the jawbone to support the insertion and setting of dental prosthetics like crowns, bridge, dentures etc. and act as an anchor to keep them in place.
What are the commonly used materials in dental implants?
Titanium Implants:
Advantages: A majority of implants for teeth are made from titanium as it is a material with proven compatibility with our body. Titanium forms great integration with our bone structure and allows bone to grow on the surface of titanium dental implants. This makes them more robust and immovable.
The material has a success rate of over 95 percent and does not cause any allergic reactions in our body. While pure titanium was used for dental implants initially, dentists switched over to an alloy that offered superior strength than the softer original titanium metal. Titanium implants in dental clinics are versatile and offer great flexibility since they are fabricated as one- or two-piece systems only.
Disadvantages: In rare cases, some people might develop allergies to metals other than titanium that are present in the dental implants in small quantity.
Zirconium Implants:
Advantages: For people who do not wish to have implants made of metal in their body, zirconium was developed as an alternative material. It is made up of ceramic, although there is still presence of metals like hafnium and yttrium in very small quantities to improve the overall structure of these implants. Zirconium also acts as a strong base for positioning other dental prosthetics onto it and is biocompatible in nature. Zirconium implants are non-corrosive in nature due to their resistance to thermal conduction. This makes them the perfect long-term solution.
Disadvantages: Unlike titanium, zirconium dental implants are comparatively newer and its success rates in the long term are not available. Placement of zirconium implants also offers little room for error as they are fabricated from a single piece and must be cemented in place.
