Pros And Cons Of The Different Dental Implant Materials
Dental implants offer relatively stable tooth replacement thanks to an implanted metal root. The root is typically implanted into the jawbone for stability and the bone and gum tissue in the area heal back around the implant. A post is attached to that root then an artificial tooth is hooked onto the post
There are different types of implant roots available and two primary materials used to make those roots. The differences between higher-end pure titanium and titanium alloy aren't huge for most patients, but special circumstances might make the root material an important subject to discuss with your dentist.
Commercially Pure Titanium
The "pure" titanium roots aren't actually 100% titanium, but are considered close enough to be considered commercially pure. There are actually four different grades of commercially pure titanium starting with grade I and ending with grade IV. The grades are listed in ascending order of strength – meaning, grade IV is the strongest of the bunch. The weaker grades are cheaper, but also more rarely used.
There aren't any significant differences between the grades in terms of how well the material fuses to the jawbone. So the primary concern would be the strength.
In a stronger root structure such as the screw-shaped root, the grade of titanium won't make a significant difference. That's because the root screw is twisted into a custom-drilled groove within the bone to add extra stability.
But for weaker root structures such as the blade shape, which is wide and thin, the stability of the root will come into play and grade IV might be the best choice of the commercially pure options. This principle also holds true for small screw-shaped roots implanted in narrower or shorter jawbones.
Titanium Alloy
A titanium alloy root structure is similar in strength to the highest-grade commercially pure titanium. So the alloy can be used fairly interchangeably with grade IV commercially pure titanium.
There are two primary types of titanium alloy used. One of these types involves the use of nickel, and that can become an issue for people with an allergy to that metal. So it's important to discuss the type of root metal your dentist plans to use. You might also want to see an allergist to test for a nickel allergy if you have a range of allergies but are uncertain about nickel.
It's important to discuss all of your implant options with the dentist before your procedure. While commonly performed, implants are still a medical investment in both time and money. Know as much as you can about the procedure before implant day for peace of mind.
Talk to experts like Pine Ridge Dental Group for more information.
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