Titanium Dental Implants

When you lose your teeth and seek permanent teeth replacement, you may be confused by the different options.

Dental implants are the first choice for both dentists and patients for replacing missing teeth, especially titanium ones, which are strongly associated with a high success rate.

Titanium dental implants are safe and widely used in most treatment plans. In this article, we will answer the question: why is this option preferable compared to other types like zirconia dental implants?. Helping you to choose the right type with conviction. 

Types of Titanium Dental Implants 

Titanium dental implants are available in different forms with slight differences in characteristics. They are available in the following forms: 

1. Commercially Pure Titanium (cp-Ti): the most common type used in dental or orthopedic applications, made from a pure titanium material (about 98-99.6% titanium). Grade 4 is the gold standard for everyday reliability and biocompatibility, providing the highest mechanical strength among them. 
2. Titanium Alloys: other elements are added to enhance their mechanical and physical properties 
   • Ti-6Al-4V; it’s Grade 5 Titanium in the market, the most commonly used in dental appliances, offering high strength, corrosion resistance, and low density, and it’s ideal for areas of the mouth that endure the heaviest chewing forces (like the back molars).
   • Ti-5 Al-2.5 Fe, a vanadium-free alloy, is developed to overcome the potential toxicity of vanadium, composed of 5% aluminum and 2.5% iron, providing higher strength.
   • Ti- Zr (Roxolid by Straumann) is a new type of titanium alloy, composed of 83–87% titanium and 13–17% zirconium. Roxolid is a gray metal alloy. It does not inherently improve esthetics in the way a pure white Zirconia implants. Instead, its massive advantage is that its extreme strength enables the creation of narrow-diameter implants (mini-implants) and accelerates osseointegration. This helps patients avoid invasive dental bone grafting surgeries if they have narrow jawbones.

Why is titanium most used for dental implant fabrication? 

Titanium dental implants are widely used due to their multiple advantages, such as: 

1. High durability: titanium implants have been used for decades and have proven their long life span. It can last for more than 40 years with good maintenance. 
2. Good bone preservation: implants fused well with bone, like natural roots. That preserves facial bone level and prevents any further bone loss. 
3. High ability for safe osseointegration: titanium strongly bonds to the surrounding bone structure within 3-6 months. Offering superior function, which enhances chewing and speech ability. 
4. High success rate: since titanium implants have been used since the 1960s, they have undergone many research studies and improvements that confirm their success rate is more than 95% in patients who undergo tooth replacement with dental implants from long-term longitudinal studies.
5. Exceptional strength: titanium dental implants are characterised by high fracture resistance, which helps maintain implant health and avoid further complications. 
6. Flexible design: titanium dental implants are available in different designs that allow dentists to use them in different or complex cases in overdentures, fixed dentures with mini-implants, implant-supported bridges, full-mouth implants with all-on-4 and all-on-6/8 dental implants for full-mouth crowns.
7. Biocompatibility: Titanium is considered a bioinert material, which doesn’t cause any inflammatory or adverse immune reactions in oral tissue. It is also safe with CT and MRI imaging, as titanium is non-ferromagnetic, meaning it won’t be pulled by the magnet.
8. High corrosion resistance: due to its high reactivity with the surrounding air, forming a stable titanium oxide layer (Tio2), which preserves the properties of titanium and protects it from corrosion. 
9. Reasonable cost: titanium implants are more affordable compared to zirconia implants, which need special techniques in manufacturing, with a massive ecosystem of “abutments” and parts available. This makes it much more affordable dental implants to have than ceramic systems.
10. Load Distribution (Biomechanics): Titanium has a “Modulus of Elasticity” that is closer to human bone than many other metals. This helps distribute chewing forces more evenly to the jawbone, reducing the risk of bone stress.

Surface Treatment of Dental Implants 

The most characteristic features of modern implant they undergo advanced microscopic texturing, such as sandblasting or acid-etching, which is called implant surface treatment with materials such as SLA (Sandblasted, Large-grit, Acid-etched) or anodization.
This micro-roughened exterior acts as a biological scaffold, actively encouraging the jawbone to grow into and fuse with the metal (osseointegration).

For patients, these advanced surface technologies mean significantly faster healing times, enhanced implant stability, and reduced waiting period between the implant surgery and the placement of the final crown, and a more predictable, long-lasting smile.

Top titanium implant brands used in Suave Clinic 

At Suave dental clinic, you can get all the international best dental implant brands in the UK or the USA at a competitive cost. Here are some of the implant brands we use in the clinic: 

1. Straumann implant: One of the oldest brands in dental implants, made in Switzerland. Known for its premium quality and excellent osseointegration. The price per implant starts from 1200$.
2. Hi ossen implants: an American-South Korean system, offering proper performance and special designs that enhance stability. All of these features you can get at an affordable cost of  350$.
3. Dxl implant: an economic brand with German technology. Designed with advanced surface technology to enhance the osseointegration. It’s a cost-effective solution without compromising the quality. It’s about 450$.
4. Nobel implants: another Swiss product, with a unique surface to enhance osseointegration and decrease healing time. The price per implant is about 650$.

In addition to other international brands, you can get them at our clinic. A variety that meets the needs of every patient.

Potential side effects of Titanium Implants 

Titanium implants have been used for many years and have undergone many research studies that prove their functionality and durability. Despite this, there are some possible titanium dental implant problems, like: 

1. Infection at the implant position, perimplantitis, may happen, especially in patients with a history of gum disease, diabetes, or smoking, and cause long-term failure.
2. Nerve damage during implant placement, resulting in numbness 
3. Blood vessel or tooth injury causing pain or bleeding. 
4. Aesthetic issues: if patients have thin gum tissue or have a history of receding gums, it may show a gray line.
5. Improper osseointegration in some cases, such as alcoholism, diabetes, smoking, or cancer.
6. Sinus problems, especially in implant placement in the upper jaw, can result in headache and pain for a temporary period.
7. Metal allergic reaction due to nickel in titanium. This is rare, as High-quality titanium implants (Grade 4 and Grade 5) are generally nickel-free.

How to Prevent Titanium Implant Side Effects?

Preventing titanium implant side effects starts from searching well to select a trusted dental clinic with some criteria, including: 

1. Licensed and well-equipped dental clinic, which follows the global standards of safety, sterilisation, and patient care. In addition, using advanced technology ensures accurate treatment planning, with qualified and trusted dentists, reviewing proven success results, such as before and after photos, can also help ensure credibility.
2. Use of FDA-approved implants, which are made from a known biocompatible material that has proven its safety through research.

The last one, but as important as the first, is to stick to the dentist’s instructions for dental implants’ aftercare, including the following steps: 

• Good oral hygiene before and after surgery, including brushing at least twice daily combined with flossing after meals. Maintain good oral hygiene, as you have natural teeth.
• Regular dental visits allow the dentist to make a professional cleaning and identify any problems as early as possible. 
• Stop smoking and any bad habits that can affect the fusion of implants in the bone.

While risks exist, Suave Clinic has the technology to avoid them as the best implant clinic in Turkey:

Risk	How we prevent it;
Nerve/Vessel Damage	We use of 3D CBCT Scans and Digital Guided Surgery to map the exact path of nerves before the first incision.
Sinus Issues	We use 3D CBCT Scans and Digital Guided Surgery to map the exact path of nerves before the first incision.
Aesthetic Gray Lines	Using Zirconia (ceramic) Abutments or custom-shaded crowns to mask the metal under thin gums.
Osseointegration Failure	Strict Patient Screening and tobacco cessation programs before surgery.

How much do titanium implants cost? 

Titanium implant cost is considered an affordable option compared to other implant types. Cost is changeable from one place to another, depending on multiple factors, like clinic location, dentist education and qualifications, advanced technology used, case needs, and type and brand of implant itself. 

Generally, titanium dental implant prices

In the UK or the USA, starting from $1000 to $5000 per implant. While dental implant costs in Turkey are more affordable, you can still receive premium quality titanium dental implants using the same international brands at an average cost of around $650 for a single implant.

At Suave dental clinic in Turkey, you can get all-inclusive dental packages at an affordable cost. This covers the treatment plan from the consultation, the X-ray used, implants with abutments, and also air transfers and hotel accommodation. 

Getting titanium implants is an important step. You not only restore your teeth or smile, but you also restore your oral health and quality of life.

FAQs

Titanium Dental Implants FAQs

Can I Get Dental Implants If I Have Bone Loss?

Actually, bone health is recommended but not mandatory. The dentists can enhance bone quality through various techniques like bone grafting, sinus lifting, or even using mini implants. 

Are Titanium Implants MRI Safe?

Generally, titanium implants are safe for MRI, as titanium is a paramagnetic material that is not affected by magnetic fields; it can only cause image artefacts. 

Will Titanium Dental Implants Trigger Metal Alarms?

No, titanium dental implants don’t cause any metal trigger alarms. As titanium is a biocompatible and non-magnetic material 

Is titanium good for your teeth?

Of course, yes. Titanium dental implants are known for their high biocompatibility and also a success rate up to 98.8%, which proves their good effect on teeth. 

Do implants ever need removal?

No, they are permanent restorations that are meant to have long-lasting function inside the mouth. In some cases, implants need to be removed, like in cases of infection, defective osseointegration, wrong placement, or even implant fracture.