Quick: When you hear the word “ceramic,” what comes to mind? It’s probably something like tiles, or a vase or flowerpot—not dental implants. But specially formulated ceramic materials are now being used in dental implants. Patients will often get these implants when they have a damaged or missing tooth to restore their ability to chew their food or for aesthetic reasons.
So what are ceramic dental implants made of? Ceramic dental implants are non-metal implants that contain the elements Zirconia, Alumina and Yttria.
Let’s take a closer look. Zirconia, also known as zirconium dioxide, is found naturally in the mineral baddeleyite. Products made of Zirconia are known for both attractive mechanical properties, stability at high temperatures, strong thermal and corrosion resistance, being chemically inert and delivering quality that is consistent. Dental implants made of Zirconia are natural looking, making them ideal for the front teeth.
Alumina and Yttria are ceramic oxides of metal. They exist in a glass phase, so there is no trace of metal in the implants. Although the names sound similar, alumina is different from aluminum. Alumina is a natural, safe component of earth and clays. There is also alumina in our bones, giving our skeletal structure strength and elasticity.
Ceramic dental implants are inert. However, that doesn’t mean every patient can use every type of ceramic dental implant. Because of biochemical individuality, some patients may not be biocompatible with every brand. There may be added materials, for instance, that their system reacts to.
Thanks to all of the progress in the field of dental implants, there are now several major brands of ceramic implants available. Although not all patients can wear all brands, we find that many of our patients are biocompatible with at least one.
How do you know for sure which type of ceramic dental implant is right for you? We test our patients using biodynamic testing to make sure we select ceramic dental implant materials that are safe for them. That’s the best way to ensure that once we do an implant, it will be the right one for the patient, so it lasts a lifetime.
