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Zirconium oxide is a powdered material that has been around for
many years, in use in some of the most demanding technical environments
known to man, including the space shuttle, replacement hip joints, and
other industrial and medical applications.
Zirconia implants offer function, esthetics, longevity, and
gingival health. Experience indicates single piece Zirconia implants
to be as safe as Titanium implants, but they have the huge advantages of being white, translucent and metal free.
One piece Zirconia ceramic porcelain crowns and bridges
offer reduced exposure to bacterial problems, resulting from microgap
structures found in Ti implants. Also, a single stage implant is
perfect to avoid bone loss - no micro gap, no movement. Experience has
shown that soft tissue is healthy and even grows along the ZrO2 implant head. Professionals report that the aesthetic is ideal in the anterior region.
The zirconium implant is metal free. Some patients prefer
not to put any metals, like titanium, into their bodies. It has been
reported that titanium particles have been found to *leach off* from
some titanium implants, and titanium particles have been discovered in
nearby tissues. The potential long term health impact of this
condition is currently unknown.
From the Norwegian Endocrinology Newsletter: "The osseontegration
rate was comparable to publications concerning titanium (98%), the soft
tissue response however far superior. Doppler x-ray as well as
clinical explorative surgeries have furthermore established that the
osseointegrative quality was superior to titanium as well. However the
osseintegration process is different to Titanium, which has an effect
on the clinical procedure. With regards to breakage of the implants we
had 8 fractures in 10k implants."
Another doctor reports: "I have placed 200 custom made zirconia
implants using various designs of root shapes .These have all fulfilled
the criteria used for successful integration in titanium implants -
some have been in place for 3-4 yrs - excellent soft tissue response
and stable bone levels exceeding results obtained with titanium
implants - huge advantage in the aesthetic zone".
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