What Dental Implant Prosthesis Material is the Best?
What Dental Implant Materials are the Best?
Dental bridges have long been used as a replacement for teeth that have been lost or extracted due to decay or damage. There are two main material options in which your bridge can be made from, Acrylic (resin/plastic) or Ceramic. The dental implants serve the same function for both types of solutions, but the difference in the materials used to make the bridge significantly affect its final look, feel, and performance.
As Aria Dental’s registered specialist Prosthodontist, my focus is on advanced dental rehabilitation. For this reason, when replacing your teeth I favour the utilisation of ceramic bridges rather than acrylic reinforced with metal bridges or a traditional bridge. Ceramic zirconia bridges currently offer the highest level of quality in tooth replacement.
Ceramic restorative materials are superior to ‘all on 4’ acrylic bridges and are favoured by Dental Specialists because:
Aesthetic Customisation
The tooth shapes and contours are customised by a ceramist. The colours of a gum set ceramic bridges are designed to give variation and create individuality. The ceramist has the ability to be creative, so the teeth match your facial features and personality. Patients can have more input into the final design of the teeth to ensure the product they receive is what they want. Patients can choose to have a Hollywood bleach super white smile or a set of teeth that a more natural with small defects and imperfections. Acrylic teeth that are used in an ‘all on 4’ bridge are premade and will always look like ‘denture teeth’.
Strength
The physical and structural properties of ceramic as the most superior when compared to the acrylic and metal alternative and are most suitable to endure the harsh environment of the oral cavity. There is no prosthetic material on the market available at the moment that replaces the intricately beautiful physical properties of enamel and dentine. Ceramic materials are the closest we have to offer. The material is best we can offer.
Longevity
All prosthetic materials have a very long but not unlimited life span. It is impossible to determine exactly how long a prosthesis will last for. A reasonable life span of a dental reconstruction is agreed to be ten years. The materials can often last longer than this period if they are properly maintained. Risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, poor plaque control and a genetic vulnerability to periodontal disease can reduce the longevity of any form of tooth replacement. Eliminating such factors is the key to success.
Cleansibility
Ceramic is easy to clean because the plaque does not stick to the material as easy as it does to acrylic. Patients that may find it difficult to clean their bridges may be more suited to a ceramic bridge. Ceramic bridges do not accumulate stains as does acrylic and will look the same after ten years of service compared to the acrylic teeth material which most definitely will look deteriorated, worn and discoloured.
A ceramic bridge is glazed and has an extremely low surface roughness. This is makes feel super smooth and provides the patient the feel of having a very clean prosthesis. Acrylic will lose its glaze over a short period and is inherently rougher microscopically than ceramic making it easier for plaque to attach and feel rough.
Preservation of Bone
The limitation with an ‘all on 4’ acrylic technique is that the technique often requires the surgeon to remove bone to make room for acrylic! The critical benefit of ceramic restorative materials is that the surgeon aims not to remove any bone at all in most situations. The ceramic is strongest when a minimum of 2mm of thickness is achieved whereas acrylic a minimum of 12 to 15mm. This allows reconstructions and teeth replacement without any bone removal at all to achieve the most aesthetic and natural set of teeth possible.
Biocompatibility
Ceramic materials are very biocompatible. The gum tissue above the implant seals better to unglazed ceramic material compared to acrylic. A tight seal of the gum tissue to the ceramic is the first line of defence against bone loss and implant inflection. The risk of allergy to ceramic is negligible compared to acrylic materials.
How can we help you?
Dental implant surgery is one of our specialty services at Aria Dental. We are a leading Perth dental implant surgery clinic, and we also provide ‘before and after’ advice and patient care. We offer a complimentary dental implant consultation to allow you get the best understanding on what treatment/s you require.
The team at Aria Dental is led by Dr Michael Zaninovich, a Specialist Prosthodontist who spends his entire clinical time devoted only to dental implants, oral surgery and full-mouth rehabilitation. As a Fellow of the Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, Dr Zaninovich has received professional recognition both in Australia and Internationally for his skills and accomplishments in implantology. Dr Zaninovich and his Aria Dental team have a diverse range of selected skills and backgrounds, allowing Aria Dental to provide a full range of dental services from general dentistry to specialist dentistry in Perth.
Contact us at our Hay Street clinic in the Perth CBD to find out more about your dental implant materials options.