Which Is Better: Titanium or Ceramic Dental Implants?

Improvements in ceramic dental implant technology are making ceramics an increasingly popular choice.

If you are missing one or more teeth, dental implants are simply the best possible option for replacing them. Dental implants provide a permanent solution that is very strong, natural-looking, and requires no special care beyond brushing and flossing. Plus, only dental implants replace both the tooth and its root. This is very important for preventing bone loss in the jaw in the area of the missing tooth, which would otherwise eventually destabilize neighboring teeth and perhaps make them susceptible to tooth loss as well.

Considering all the benefits of dental implants, you might be eager to get this treatment for your missing teeth. But before you can get dental implants, you and your dentist will need to decide what type of implants is best: titanium or ceramic?

Pros & Cons of Titanium Implant Pegs

Titanium implant pegs are the traditional choice for dental implants, because of a unique property of titanium that facilitates osseointegration. In other words, titanium actually encourages the bone in your jaw to grow over and bond with it, creating an extremely stable foundation for your implant crown.

For many patients, this is the best option. However, if you show a lot of gums when you smile, and your gum tissue seems thin or translucent, you may be worried about the dark metal showing through. Or, if you eventually suffer from receding gums, you may also have issues with the gray metal showing.

Pros & Cons of Ceramic Implant Pegs

Ceramic implant pegs are bone-colored, meaning there is no possibility of an issue with a dark metal peg showing at the gum line. This makes ceramic implants a more reliably natural looking choice. Additionally, ceramic implants have the advantage of being metal-free which can be beneficial for patients with concerns about metal allergies.

Previously, ceramic implant pegs were problematic because they were prone to fracturing and sometimes did not bond well with bone. However, recent improvements in the ceramic materials used for dental implants have helped address these issues. Today’s ceramic implants are much stronger and also feature new surface treatments to make them more biocompatible so that bone can grow over them better.

Ask Your Dentist for More Information

Ultimately, it is impossible to say whether titanium or ceramic dental implants are always best. It depends on your specific needs and concerns. The best option is to make an appointment with your implant dentist and discuss the matter together.