I have three dental implants. They are the traditional type of implants. I am a little concerned I made a mistake doing that. I’ve recently read that the titanium can lead to neurological problems. Should I have them switched out to the zirconia, metal-free kind?
Pricilla
Dear Pricilla,
I’m not sure where you read the information about titanium and neurological effects, but I seriously doubt it was a medically trustworthy. There are quite a few natural news sites which have a great deal of speculative information.
Titanium is one of the most biocompatible materials around. It’s been used for decades in medical procedures, including knee and hip replacements. There is no evidence it causes any problems.
While I am sure you could find a dentist willing to take your money by replacing your dental implants, I’m not sure it is worth it. Plus, in addition to having to replace the implants with another surgery, you will also need an additional procedure previous to the implants.
When the implants are removed, it will leave a gap in the bone structure of your jaw. This will prevent the implants from being secured and lead to dental implant failure. To deal with that you’ll need a bone grafting procedure to build back up the lost bone. Once that is healed, you will be good to move on to the replacement surgery.
Titanium versus Zirconium Dental Implants
As far as which implant is better, most dentists prefer the titanium unless there is a medical reason not to use them. This isn’t because there is more documentation and experience with the titanium. We know what type of success rate and longevity they have because they’ve been in use for so long.
The zirconia is fairly new. We don’t have as much evidence of their longevity. That doesn’t mean they are inferior, but we just don’t know.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington Dentist Dr. Fred Arnold.