Zirconium is not a particularly rare element but because its most common mineral, zircon, is highly resistant to weatering it is only slightly mobile in the environment.
Among all dental ceramics, zirconia is in evidence as a dental biomaterial and it is the material of choice in contemporary restorative dentistry. Zirconia has been applied as structural material for dental bridges, crowns, inserts, and implants, mostly because of its biocompatibility, high fracture toughness, and radiopacity. However, the clinical success of restorative dentistry has to consider the adhesion to different substrates, which has offered a great challenge to dental zirconia research and development.
Implants are traditionally made of titanium, but ceramic implants, such as zirconia, have been developed as alternative options
- Compatible with human tissues.
- Implants have low bacterial attraction.
- They have high strength and decent fracture resistance.
- They hold up against wear and corrosion relatively well.
- The material can be easily colored to match the patient’s natural tooth, they have excellent aesthetics