The Survival Rate of Zirconia Versus Titanium Dental Implants: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this systematic review is to compare the survival rates of zirconia and titanium dental implants, by evaluating the most recent scientific evidence, in order to comprehend the behaviour of zirconia implants as an alternative to titanium, due to the latter’s biological properties. Methods: An electronic search was performed on the Pubmed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases in November 2023 to identify clinical trials that investigated zirconia and titanium implants’ behaviour with a follow-up of at least 5 years. The primary outcome was the implant survival rate—defined as the maintenance of the implant in situ during the period of study. The secondary outcome was the implant success rate, which is associated with the values of the peri-implant variables—the probing depth, marginal bone loss, gingival recession, bleeding on probing, plaque index, and aesthetics scores. Results: A total of 17 articles were selected from the search, resulting in a sample of 364 studies. A total of 15 articles fulfilled the selection criteria. Zirconia implants showed satisfactory results. Due to the lack of data available with follow-up times of more than five years, it is not possible to conclusively describe the benefits of zirconia in comparison with titanium implants. Conclusions: While zirconia implants show promise as a future alternative to metal implants, more research is needed to understand their long-term benefits and peri-implant behaviour.

Keywords

• dental implants
• zirconia implants
• titanium implants
• dental prosthesis
• osseointegration
• dental materials