The New Gold Standard: Zirconium and Titanium

Although gold was always touted as being very "biocompatible" and used with gold inlays that go subgingival, it should not be used in implant restorations. This is because gold was shown in a 2008 dog study to have an apical shift of the barrier epithelium and marginal bone after being left in place for several weeks. Also, the connective tissue zone for gold alloy abutments showed less collagen and fibroblasts and larger fractions of leukocytes. What this means is that gold causes an inflammatory reaction. Another study showed that gold alloys get no hemidesmosomal attachment to abutments which means that they ultimately have a pocket at all implant restorations. This will eventually cause bone loss on your implant.

Gold 

  • Causes inflammatory reaction

  • Has a pocket at all implant restorations

  • Leads to bone loss

Zirconium Oxide and Titanium Abutments w/ titanium to titanium connections

  • stable tissue dimensions

  • chosen by most clinicians 

By avoiding gold and keeping with biologically sound materials, we can have happy patients and long-lasting implant restorations.

 
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Written by Paramount and Dr. Kyle Stanley, DDS

Dr. Stanley, named as "The Next Generation of Cosmetic Dentistry" by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry in 2015, and one of “The Top 10 Young Educators in Dentistry” in 2017 by Incisal Edge Magazine and the Seattle Study Club graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC and then went on to complete a dental implant residency and dental implant specialty in Florianopolis, Brazil.

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