I currently have two titanium dental implants already placed. I need another implant. Recently, I read that the titanium ones can cause neurological problems in the long term. Is this correct? If so, should I remove the other implants and get all zirconia? I keep hearing dental implants are the best but maybe it is dangerous to have metal in your body.
Raz
Dear Raz,
I would be interested to see where you read that titanium can cause neurological problems. I only know of one “source” and that was a natural news site that had zero data to back up the claim. Just the opinion piece. On the flip side of things, we have decades of data where titanium has been used in the body and is very biocompatible.
Metal is a natural and essential part of our body. Think about how much iron you need in your blood to survive. Of course, not all metals are a good idea. For instance, I completely understand why patients would not want silver amalgam fillings, which contain a majority of mercury. Titanium is different. We know it to be safe.
As to what type of dental implants to get, my opinion is you can do either titanium or zirconia. More dentists use titanium, but that is simply because they have been around longer and we have studies that back up their longevity. Zirconia is a much more recent development, so we do not have data on how long they last. They are strong enough. Even if you get the zirconia implant for your new one, I would not switch out the old ones.
When you take out old dental implants, bone follows with it. That will mean that you will not just be able to replace old implants with new ones. You will have to have a bone grafting procedure done. That is an unnecessary expense and risk for dental implants that are working just fine.
This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.