Dental implants offer permanent fixed replacement set of teeth and single tooth replacement for patients suffering from losing teeth. If you have missing teeth and want a functional and beautiful solution that replicates the structure, look, and feel of natural teeth, then dental implants are likely the optimal solution.
There are many types of dental implant available, and your choice of dental treatment will often depend on your circumstances as well as your preferences. Titanium implants traditionally have many uses for most types of treatment. However, zirconia implants are the newcomer on the block and are also available to patients suffering from teeth loss.
Zirconia implants are a relatively new alternative to the popular titanium implants, which have been the popular choice since their inception in the 1970s. They are a type implant made from zirconium oxide, a chemical which is close to titanium in the periodic table, and which happens to fuse to the bone and provide a strong and secure base for replacement teeth.
Many people look to alternatives because they do not want metal such as titanium in their mouth, or because they seek a more aesthetically pleasing dental implant. Zirconia is light weight, durable, and resistant to erosion from chemicals and fractures. It is also a similar color to natural teeth, and many people choose it because of its aesthetic advantages.
WHAT IS ZIRCONIA?
Previous uses of zirconia include aerospace engineering and hip-replacements, suggesting both its durability and its biocompatibility when used in surgery. In its raw form it is a metalloid that much resembles titanium, but when heated it becomes lattice-like ceramic dental implants. One of these lattice structures produces an opaque white zirconia which is hard, tough, and chemical resistant. This form of zirconia is the best for use as dental implants and the one that most resembles natural teeth.