Medical Insider–Dr Rhoda entero
All That You Need to Know About Dental Implants
Part 4
We are still on the topic about Dental Implants. Today let’s discuss Titanium Implants.
Titanium Implants
Bacterial Risk: A titanium implant’s margin is at the bone level, which means bacteria could seep into places where your toothbrush couldn’t reach. It can’t go any lower for cleanup.
Poor Gum Aesthetics: The metal appearance of titanium requires the placement of the post deep into the gum to hide the gray color of the metal. It’s also done to avoid gum discoloration and poor aesthetics.
Corrosion and Infection Issues: Bacteria can accumulate much faster in metal surfaces. Also, metals are more difficult to clean. Oxidation and corrosion is an unavoidable reality of metal as well.
Two-Piece Design: Standard titanium implants can end up with bacteria and liquids like pus to penetrate between the two parts, resulting in infection and halitosis (bad breath).
Receding and Inflamed Gums: You can end up with bleeding, inflamed, or even receding gums by going the titanium implants route. You’re likelier to have gums bleed due to these implants versus zirconia ones.
The main differences between zirconia implants and titanium implants root from the facts that titanium is metal and vulnerable to corrosion while zirconia is a bio-inert ceramic material that isn’t likely to cause allergies or infections. It also comes in one piece to keep the material from gathering food pieces that rot and feed bacteria, which in turn will cause gum inflammation, gingivitis, or even outright periodontal disease of the surrounding teeth.
The Dangers of Corrosion from Metal Implants:
Corrosion is the gradual degradation of materials like metal by electrochemical attack. It’s the primary concern that patients and dentists have of using metal implants, even when military-grade titanium metal is used for it. Any metallic implant can corrode when placed in a hostile electrolytic environment offered by the human body, specifically the mouth. Corrosion is also defined by the interactive process between a chemical environment and a solid material.
The solid material corrodes or losses substance from its material as it undergoes changes in its structural properties. Its structural integrity can also be compromised due to its interaction with the electrolytic environment. There are real consequences to be had from a metal implant corroding and wearing down, particularly on the surrounding gum and bone tissue. At worst, your corroded titanium implant could outright cause periprosthetic bone loss.
There are even authors reporting increased concentrations of systemic and local trace metal associated with having metal implants. That’s why there’s been a shift in using metal implants to ceramic ones like zirconia implants. Those implants are simply safer and healthier in the long run.