Titanium Dental Implants: Exploring The Materials And Components

Don’t let your teeth hold you back from living life to the fullest. Dental implants take your grin from broken and damaged to strong and healthy in just one appointment – contact Yorkshire Dental Suite today.

Titanium is durable, resistant to corrosion and biocompatible, making it a popular material for dental implants. How exactly is it used then to create this device? And are there any alternative materials available?

What are titanium dental implants?

A titanium implant is a permanent replacement for broken, worn and missing teeth. Used as a last resort, the treatment’s main surgery takes less than seven hours to complete, meaning you will experience a same-day smile transformation, and lasts 20+ years with care.

The different parts of a dental implant

To help you better understand titanium dental implants, let’s go through the different components that make up this restoration treatment. Each component plays an important role in your new smile.

1. Post: The first part of the implant. This component is surgically inserted into the jawbone and encourages osseointegration, where the jawbone and implant successfully fuse together.
2. Abutment: Next is an abutment, which is threaded into the implant post to connect a bridge and/or crown on top.
3. Crown: Resembling your natural tooth, a crown is attached to the abutment using a screw.
4. Bridge: Only applicable if you are having more than one tooth replaced. Screwed onto the abutment, a bridge can actually hold 10 – 14 individually placed crowns.

Please note that the following applies to traditional screw dental implants. If you want to opt for a screwless implant, the crown is attached to the abutment using a strong dental cement instead.

What materials are used for dental implants?

A dental implant isn’t typically made from just one material, like titanium. Dependent on multiple factors, for example if you have a metal allergy, your dental implant may be created using many different materials.

Explaining titanium grades

Yorkshire Dental Suite uses Grade 5 titanium, which is considered to be the gold standard material in implantology. It is extremely durable, meaning your new smile could last 20+ years if well cared for.

Other dental clinics may use lower grades. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are considered to be pure titanium, whereas grade 5 is blended with approximately 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium for added strength.

Titanium implants pros and cons

Every medical treatment comes with advantages and disadvantages. To help you make an informed choice about your smile we have listed them below, all of which your dentist will discuss with you in detail.

Pros:

• Eliminates the everyday pain caused by broken, worn and missing teeth
• Allows you to eat your favourite foods once more
• Lasts 20+ years if well cared for by the patient
• Designed to look and function just like your natural teeth
• Boasts a beautiful appearance, giving you an immeasurable confidence boost
• Completely pain free with your choice of sedation or local anaesthetic
• Main surgery carried out in one day for a same-day transformation
• Helps to prevent bone loss and artificial ageing
• A great replacement/alternative to ill-fitting dentures
• High success rate of 97.2% after five years (1)

Cons:

• One of the most expensive dental treatments
• Very rarely available on the NHS
• Requires careful maintenance to avoid infection or implant failure
• Risk of nerve damage, sinus complications and allergic reactions
• Lengthy healing period of at least 3 – 4 months

Conclusion:

Titanium dental implants are a strong, durable option for your smile transformation. Paired with the expertise of our world-class implantologists and state-of-the-art equipment, this treatment can completely transform your quality of life. Book your consultation today.

References:

(1)   https://www.adi.org.uk/resources/after_care_survival_and_success/