Zirconium Implants
Zirconium is used in many areas in dentistry. In anterior group teeth, where aesthetics is at the forefront, zirconium-based implants give the closest appearance to nature, as they do not reflect metal on the gingival edge, as in titanium implants.
Today, implant applications in tooth deficiencies have also become one of the routine treatment methods.
The implants used until today were produced from pure titanium. In terms of biological structure with titanium bone, loads on it, tissue compatibility; It is a material that has been studied many times and has proven its reliability.
The biggest disadvantage of titanium is the reflection of its gray color under the mucosa. . For this reason, it has led to the development of non-metal implants or hybrid implants in order to eliminate aesthetic concerns, especially in anterior group tooth loss. In the studies carried out; showed that ceramics can combine with bone just like titanium. Among ceramic materials, zirconium has come to the fore. Zirconium has started to be used as an implant material due to its resistance to tensile tensile forces, mass production and no problem in terms of tissue compatibility.
Zirconium implants are generally produced with CAD CAM system by sintering under pressure and high temperature. They are resistant to 1250 Mpa (+/-120) pressure. All these features have made zirconium an ideal implant material. Again, in studies conducted in terms of compatibility with gingiva; It has been shown that zirconium retains less plaque than titanium, and its compatibility with the gingiva is better than titanium. Due to the fact that acid etching cannot be performed, studies on long-term bone bonding are insufficient to compare with titanium. Long series studies are needed.Considering this situation, the companies have started to produce two-piece implants (hybrid implants) and offered them to the use of physicians.
The biggest problems in zirconiumsometimes one of breaksshown as. The biggest reason for this is that when the zirconium is exposed to a temperature above body temperature and starts to work, there are ruptures due to the water molecules entering here and expanding due to the water absorption feature of the zirconium.Manufacturers have tried to find solutions to this problem during the production phase.
Conclusion: One-piece zirconium implants are reliable implants that can be used instead of incisors and premolars. However, since roughening cannot be done with hydrofluoric acid and aluminum oxide, more research is needed on what it can show in terms of its long-term relationship with bone. At this point, the part facing the bone is titanium; Hybrid implants with zirconium facing the gingiva are considered more advantageous in terms of use in anterior group tooth loss because they allow for long-term use, eliminating aesthetic concerns, and allowing their biological connections with bone to be placed with a more reliable and single-stage surgery.
Best regards
Dr. Suhan SUNGUR
