If you’re looking for the best way to replace a missing tooth, chances are dental implants are high on the list. There are very good reasons for that!
Dental implants are sturdy, long-lasting, and give you a natural-looking smile. With their very high 90% success rate, they offer you a reliable tooth replacement option for the long term. All these qualities have made them one of the very best teeth replacement procedures in Australia.
But which is the best material for dental implants? For many years, titanium dental implants reigned supreme. Their winning combination of strength, longevity, and ability to securely bond with your jawbone make them our preferred implant material at Wickham Terrace Dental.
Recently though, ceramic dental implants have appeared as an alternative to titanium implants. But can they match the proven ability of titanium? We asked our principal dentist Dr Andrew Teakle to talk about the different dental implant materials available in Brisbane.
“At Wickham Terrace Dental we confidently use titanium dental implants, which have stood the test of time for more than fifty years now,” Dr Teakle says. “It’s a strong, durable material that has been successfully used in orthopaedics and implantology, with very few complications.”
Stories about titanium allergies have been overstated, Dr Teakle points out. “Sensitivity to titanium really only affects a tiny percentage of people,” he said. “And of this small number, the vast majority of effects are so mild as to be of almost no consequence.”
While zirconium is more expensive, its proponents say it is just as strong and as biocompatible as titanium. On the other hand, there have been cases of zirconium implant abutments (the piece between the implant and the crown) fracturing, resulting in their manufacturers withdrawing them from sale.
“Ceramic dental implants are an exciting development, with some very promising early results,” said Dr Teakle. “We are waiting with great anticipation for the results of longer term studies of ceramic implants, that will hopefully show they’re just as durable as titanium implants under a wide variety of conditions.”
Titanium has been used successfully in orthopaedics, audiology and dental implantology for decades, and we’re confident it will be clinicians’ first choice for a long time yet.
Worldwide, some patients have been living with titanium dental implants that have been functioning successfully for more than 40 years.
While zirconia ceramic implants may show similar success in three decades’ time, at Wickham Terrace Dental we are more than happy to use and recommend proven titanium dental implants until further data becomes available.
To discuss your tooth replacement options and find the right solution for your needs, contact Wickham Terrace Dental or call 3831 3031 today.