| case report Ceramic implants: an alternative or a primary choice? Clinical aspects and operating procedures Dr Riccardo Scaringi, Dario Viera & Dr Michele Nannelli, Italy Introduction Today, grade 2 titanium is considered the standard mate- rial for prosthetic implant rehabilitation in all situations that may arise in the dental field. The excellent bone integra- tion, good tissue biocompatibility, resistance to corrosion and biomechanical stress mean that titanium implants are an optimal clinical solution, including with regard to the standardisation of surgical protocols that have made it possible to obtain solutions with an acceptable result even in the hands of less experienced practitioners.1 In light of this, one might wonder: what is the reason for us- ing zirconia implants and in what circumstances could they be a primary choice compared to titanium implants? Since the introduction of titanium replacement materials, there has been an evolution in ceramic materials, cul- minating in zirconia, due to its mechanical properties associated with the characteristic biological responses resulting in high biocompatibility and low affinity to bac- terial plaque. Zirconia also offers excellent tissue mime- sis thanks to its whitish colour that simulates the colour of teeth.2 In 1969, Sandhaus was the first to make aluminium oxide (Al2O3) implants;3 in 1974, the Tubingen implant, made of polycrystalline alpha-alumina, was introduced and clini- cally tested.4 Despite the excellent bone integration re- sults, there was the drawback of implant fracture due to factors related to the mechanical properties of alu- mina itself, as it has low bending strength. This problem is largely resolved with the use of zirconia, a material which replaces the values of titanium.5 Long-term success not only requires osseointegration but, above all, an excel- lent response to soft tissue by creating a mucous barrier around the implants in order to develop a kind of seal be- tween the marginal bone and oral cavity. It is well-known that, after implant insertion, the formation of soft tissue around the implant collar is characterised by the gradual transition from a clot to granulation tissue and conse- quently the formation of an epithelial barrier that turns into the maturation of connective tissue.6 Any gaps that may remain between the implant and connective tissue could promote bacterial growth. The epithelial barrier contains Langerhans cells and local immune defence cells.7 The peri-implant epithelium adheres to the implant through hemidesmosomes and internal basal lamina of the lower region of the interface between epithelium and implant, with poor adhesion to the titanium surface.8 The rapid epithelial growth at the expense of the connective tissue generates gaps where the seal is not guaranteed, with consequent bacterial colonisation. In addition, if epithelial growth were to occur along the implant axis during heal- ing, osseointegration would not be adequate, resulting in consequent bone resorption.9 Additional studies were conducted to determine appro- priate surface treatment with regard to implant shape and the possibility of having one-piece or two-piece implants that could obtain comparable data to that obtained for ti- tanium implants.10 The demand for aesthetics in the an- terior regions of single and multiple restorations highlights the disadvantage of having submucosal areas with grey- ish shades that emphasise the need to combine zirco- nia abutments and crowns, allowing greater translucency compared to titanium with metal-ceramic.11, 12 The low ad- hesion of oral cavity bacteria to ceramic surfaces makes their use beneficial, also enhancing the use of zirconia coronal insert implants.13 Yttria-stabilisation of tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) has made it possible to ob- tain an endosseous implant able to withstand breaking loads sometimes higher than titanium.14 One-piece im- plants were the first to be introduced in clinical practice because of their optimal biological and functional integra- tion and, despite the prosthetic limitations, they are still recommended in implant sections reduced to less than 4.0 mm. Their prosthetic peculiarity means that they are suitable for partial edentulism, even in aesthetic frontal regions and thin biotypes, and in areas where the mas- ticatory load is at its maximum. The strong prosthetic limitation is an important element, especially in cases of interconnection where the disparallelism could generate difficulties in the construction of the primary structure. In fact, the abutments, which are usually represented by a conoid-like geometry or similar, are difficult to treat with diamond drills in the oral cavity because the polycrystal- line structure could undergo stress due to modification of 30 implants 2 2020