I recently read an online article which suggests titanium causes adverse neurological effects. I have two of those traditional dental implants. Should I switch them out for the zirconia implants?
Greg
Dear Greg,
I do not think you need to switch. When you’re talking about an online article you need to make sure it is from a legitimate science or medical journal. I’m sure you can find an article online which will say that just about anything causes neurological problems. That doesn’t mean it is true. Without verifying the study, for all you know it could be written by someone who sits by his window wearing an aluminum foil hat to keep the government from reading his thoughts.
While I’m not opposed to the zirconia implants, I still recommend the titanium dental implants for one simple reason. We have decades of data which shows their safety and longevity. Zirconia is still fairly new in its dental uses in this capacity. While it may have the same longevity, we just don’t have the data to show it…yet.
There is another reason not to switch your dental implants unnecessarily. Removing the implants will also remove the necessary bone structure necessary to keep your new implants in place. Because of that, you’ll have to add another procedure in order to get the new implants. You’ll need bone grafting done.
There is an exception to my advice above. People with titanium allergies would benefit from switching. These allergies are extraordinarily rare. Even people with other metal sensitivities do fine with titanium. It’s very biocompatible and has been used in procedures like hip replacements for many years with no problems.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.
