Dr. Kaufman explains what are dental implants made of?
Hello, and welcome to a New York Dental Minute. I am Dr. Zev Kaufman
Dental implants have come a long way since the original commercially pure titanium implants of the early eighties. Titanium is a metal that is inert to the body and bone attaches itself to it by special body glue that it secretes around it. However, the early implants were also softer and breakage of implants under load was common. As science advanced, we have found that a titanium alloy, which incorporates other ingredients, and is treated on its surface, allows bone to attach itself to it faster, and the bond is stronger. Today, the strongest implants are made of a Titanium/Zirconium alloy. We can place thinner implants in reduced bone volume, where we could not place implants before, and the implants are considerably stronger and allow us to fabricate much more durable restorations. At the same time, the Titanium/Zirconium alloy is inert and does not produce any adverse reactions within the human body.
Lately, several implant manufacturers have introduced ceramic implants to the market with promising results, however, long term studies are still needed to evaluate their efficacy and durability and ease of use.
In short, dental implants are made from titanium alloys and allow us to replace missing teeth with comfort and confidence. So now you know,
From Prosthodontics & Implant Surgery of Manhattan, where people come in with missing teeth and leave with winning smiles, I am Dr. Zev Kaufman
