Titanium Is a strong and low-density metal. In dentistry it is often used (either the pure metal, or in an alloyed form) to form the root during a dental implant procedure. Titanium and dentistry provide an alternative form of prosthodontic treatment, which in many cases can be the superior choice for materials for crowns, bridges or dentures.
Titanium is a strong, low-density and corrosion resistant transition metal. When alloyed with other metals it forms lightweight and strong alloys, which are especially useful in aerospace applications, and in medical and dental work.
For example titanium plates and screws are regularly used in bone fracture clinics. Dental implants use titanium screws to replace the missing “root” of the tooth. Often pure titanium is used, or an alloy with small amounts of vanadium and aluminum.
Titanium alloys can also offer better tensile strength and fracture resistance than the pure metal, while still benefiting from high osseointegration levels. Osseointegration describes the process where the bone of the jaw regrows right up to the implant without any intervening soft tissue.
Combined with titanium’s ability to withstand corrosive environments, titanium makes the implant resemble the feel of a natural tooth without the worry of the body rejecting the titanium or reacting poorly to the material of the false tooth.
One case that might indicate the need for a dental implant, is where a single tooth is missing between two completely healthy neighboring teeth.
To use a crown or a bridge the dentist would have to grind the neighboring teeth, which of course is not desirable here, as the neighboring teeth are in good health. Implants can also fill gaps where two or three teeth are missing, and can be used when the last tooth in a row is missing (which obviously cannot be treated by a bridge).
Implants can also be used in cases where many teeth are not present. Here the alternative treatment is dentures. Some patients can be intolerant to the dentures due to their gag reflex, or due to an allergy to the materials used in the manufacture of dentures.
Titanium and dentistry provide an alternative form of prosthodontic treatment that is superior to traditional treatments such as dentures, crowns and bridges that many patients need.