Chapter 4 – Dental Implants

Titanium and titanium alloys are considered standard materials for dental implants with very well documented, high rates of success and survival. Potential immunologic and aesthetic drawbacks associated with titanium implants have resulted in the development of alternatives like zirconia-based dental implants. Zirconia seems to be a suitable implant material because of its tooth-like color, mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and low plaque affinity. However, the use of zirconia in clinical implant dentistry is still controversial. The aim of this chapter is to review clinical and research articles conducted on zirconia dental implants, and to provide information on zirconia dental implant osseointegration, mechanical strength, and microbiology. Compared to titanium-based dental implants zirconia implants show promising results in clinical studies. However, there are a limited number of long-term studies on the outcome of zirconia implants and additional clinical research needs to be done to fully appraise zirconia-based dental implants.