Hope Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry

Archives for November 2019

Titanium or Zirconia Dental Implants

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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.

Shouldn’t My Dentist Pay for My Bone Grafting?

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About twelve years ago I lost a couple of teeth. I used a removable partial denture but m ready to get some dental implants now. My dentist said because the teeth have been out for so long I’ll need an additional procedure known as bone grafting. As I was reading up on everything I learned he could have preserved the socket when the teeth were first removed. He never even offered that. Should he pay for my bone grafting now?

Katherine

Katherine,

Illustration of dental implants in three parts

Your body recognizes when you no longer have a tooth in your jawbone. Because of its desire to be as efficient as possible, it resorbs the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere. This is why you need bone grafting now.

There is a procedure which preserves sockets. It is called an alveolar ridge preservation. A decade ago, this was a fairly new procedure. Not only were the materials expensive, but there wasn’t any real long-term studies on it’s usefulness in the long-term. Most dentists didn’t offer the procedure. Even now, some don’t.

The procedure is pretty much just a bone grafting procedure. So, you’d be paying for it either way. It will likely cost you less now as the materials are not as expensive as they were in the beginning.

This important thing is not to put off getting your dental implants. The bone will continue to resorb. If you’re worried about cost, most dentists don’t make you pay for the entire procedure up front. Because it is done in stages, the standard is to pay for the surgical portion first. Then, there is a healing time when the bone ingrates with the new implant. When that’s done, you’d pay for the crown portion.

Cosmetic Considerations with Dental Implants and Crowns

A good cosmetic dentist can match your dental crowns exactly to your teeth. However, you should be aware that your porcelain crowns will not whiten after they are placed. If you are happy with the color of your teeth, that is great and you don’t need to do anything else.

If, however, you were hoping for a whiter smile at some point. I am going to recommend you get your teeth whitened before the porcelain crown is made. This will allow your dentist to make the crown for the new whiter color. If you whiten after it is made, your teeth will whiten but the crowns will not.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

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