Decisions regarding to restorative and cosmetic dental procedures are not to be taken lightly.  There are long term implications with regard to health, functionality, finance and aesthetic.  This is probably most true when the choices relate to dental implants.  It’s imperative to get as much up to date information as possible when considering your implant options.

Patients coming in for implant consultations have been known to raise concerns about having heard that ceramic dental implants are more susceptible to fracture.  While this concern is essentially unfounded today, it does have some basis in fact.

Much of the data and research for ceramic dental implants has come out of Europe, where use of zirconia dental implants has a far more extensive and varied history.  Commercial use of zirconia implant materials in Europe began in 1987.  While zirconia immediately proved its worth as an implant material from the perspectives of osseointegration with the jaw bone and biocompatibility with gum tissue, it did in fact experience much higher rates of failure due to fracture.

Adjustments were made to the molecular composition of the ceramic.  The potential strength of a zirconium based ceramic was never in doubt.  The material is employed in the construction of spacecraft and nuclear reactors due to its exceptional fracture resistance.  The latest studies show that the strength of zirconia implants equals or exceeds that of titanium implants in virtually all applications,  and success rates in the latest generation of ceramic implants have been as high as 98%.

The newer, stronger generation of zirconia dental implants have now been in use across Europe for nearly 20 years, and almost 10 years in the U.S.  Patient enthusiasm along with endorsement from renowned experts such as Dr. Noumbissi have led to a continuous increase in zirconia use as a dental implant material, and this trend seems sure to continue into the foreseeable future.