Comparative outcomes between zirconia and titanium dental implants

: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature

Abstract

Introduction: In a world where the concept of "Metal Free" is becoming increasingly widespread, there is an observed rise in titanium allergies and hypersensitivity reactions related to titanium particles around implants. Consequently, the use of zirconia implants is being promoted. Despite titanium remaining the gold standard, there are clinical situations that require a different approach. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess whether there were clinically relevant differences in the treatment of edentulous areas between Zr dental implants and the established use of Ti dental implants. Materials and methods: This review work was registered on the PROSPERO platform, and its development was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement. The electronic search process was conducted on three databases (PubMed/Scopus/Web of Science), including randomized clinical trials from the past 10 years (up to April 2024). Identified articles were analyzed and included/excluded based on pre-defined selection and exclusion criteria. Results: Six randomized clinical trials with a follow-up of at least 3 months (152 patients and 448 implants) were selected. Significant differences were found in values related to survival rate and marginal bone loss at 12 months between Zr and Ti implants, necessitating further improvements in Zr implants and appropriate selection based on the prosthetic protocol. Conclusion: After careful analysis of the results obtained and within the limitations of this systematic review, it was possible to conclude that Ti dental implants have a better survival rate and inferior marginal bone loss when compared with Zr dental implants. Further randomized clinical studies comparing these two different implant materials with a long-term follow-up evaluation are needed.

Date of Award	16 Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Tiago Borges (Supervisor) & Bruno Almeida (Co-Supervisor)