Osseo-integration potential of zirconia versus titanium implants

TL;DR

This study compares zirconia and titanium dental implants, finding that zirconia supports better long-term cell growth and mineralization.

Contribution

The study introduces new evidence on zirconia's superior long-term osseo-integration potential compared to titanium.

Findings

Zirconia showed better long-term cell proliferation and mineralization than titanium.

Zirconia's mineralized surface growth was better at day 14 compared to titanium.

Early-stage adhesion was higher for titanium, but zirconia outperformed it over time.

Abstract

The success of dental implants depends on osseo-integration because titanium (Ti) maintains good mechanical stability while zirconia
(Zr) prevents bacterial adhesion. The early-stage adhesion of MG-63 osteo-blast-like cells to Ti surfaces reached 78% ± 2.5%
during the initial period (p<0.05). However, Zr demonstrated superior long-term cell proliferation and mineralization throughout the
analysis period (p<0.05). The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels at day 7 remained comparable between Ti (1.25 ± 0.09 U/mL) and
Zr (1.18 ± 0.07 U/mL) while Zr showed better growth of mineralized surface at day 14. Nonetheless, additional testing using
animal subjects are required to confirm Zr as a suitable substitute for Ti implants.