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Review
. 2015 Mar 5;8(3):932-958.
doi: 10.3390/ma8030932.

A Critical Review of Dental Implant Materials with an Emphasis on Titanium versus Zirconia

Reham B Osman  1   2 , Michael V Swain  3
Affiliations
Review

A Critical Review of Dental Implant Materials with an Emphasis on Titanium versus Zirconia

Reham B Osman et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

The goal of the current publication is to provide a comprehensive literature review on the topic of dental implant materials. The following paper focuses on conventional titanium implants and more recently introduced and increasingly popular zirconia implants. Major subtopics include the material science and the clinical considerations involving both implant materials and the influence of their physical properties on the treatment outcome. Titanium remains the gold standard for the fabrication of oral implants, even though sensitivity does occur, though its clinical relevance is not yet clear. Zirconia implants may prove to be promising in the future; however, further in vitro and well-designed in vivo clinical studies are needed before such a recommendation can be made. Special considerations and technical experience are needed when dealing with zirconia implants to minimize the incidence of mechanical failure.

Keywords: dental implants; implant materials; oral implants; titanium; zirconia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Low magnification (×25) SEM image of fractured titanium implant. The crack in this instance was initiated on the lower left edge of the implant (lower straight arrow) and extended around the thread, finally breaking when the cracks overlapped on the upper right-hand side; (b) higher magnification (×500) view of the rectangular outlined area of the fractured surface in Figure 1a showing fatigue striations in a vertical pattern that mark the crack position as it progressed.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Clinical examples of fractured zirconia implants: (a,b) implants fractured during surgery; (c) implants fractured after prosthodontic loading.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Clinical examples of fractured zirconia implants: (a,b) implants fractured during surgery; (c) implants fractured after prosthodontic loading.
Figure 3
Figure 3
SEM images at different magnifications of various fractured zirconia implants showing porosities (white arrows) pointed out as the cause of implant fracture: (a) magnification factor: ×250; (b) magnification factor: ×500; (c) magnification factor: ×800.
Figure 3
Figure 3
SEM images at different magnifications of various fractured zirconia implants showing porosities (white arrows) pointed out as the cause of implant fracture: (a) magnification factor: ×250; (b) magnification factor: ×500; (c) magnification factor: ×800.
Figure 4
Figure 4
SEM image of failed retrieved zirconia implant showing the vulnerability of deep, thin, sharp thread edges easily fractured with a trephine bur.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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