Zirconia dental implants : An overview (original) (raw)

Zirconium dioxide (ZrO 2), or zirconia as it is more commonly known, was discovered in 1789 by the German chemist M. H. Klaproth. This material was introduced into dentistry only a few decades ago. Zirconia became an attractive alternative material in dentistry because of its high aesthetic potential and comparable strength to the conventionally used metals. In the field of implant dentistry, titanium has been the mainstay in implant manufacturing. However, zirconia became a viable option because it possesses superior properties, including a higher tensile strength, compressive strength and modulus of elasticity compared with either titanium alloy or commercially pure titanium (Table 1). Manufacturing zirconia The zirconia used in dentistry today is not merely the zirconium dioxide discovered in the eighteenth century. The commercial-grade zirconia has several modifications that enhance its properties. In its pure phase, zirconia has a low shear strength and is very brittle, essentially making it useless as a dental material. The addition of small amounts of aluminium oxide and yttrium oxide increases the modulus of elasticity and helps to stabilise the material. This combination of oxides is mixed in the powder state and placed in a sintering oven to produce a monoclinic crystalline structure, with equally spaced,

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