As a former TV investigative reporter who recently had several dental "adventures" involving implants, I could not help but notice a "war" going on between dentists as to which base material to recommend? And I also noticed that, for fear of offending anyone in the dental profession, no one is talking much about this issue either.
So here I go:
1. My background? Born in the early 1950s when dinosaurs roamed. Sugar was considered a food group. Dental drills ran on multiple hi-speed belts and looked like a complex power tool. Water cooling had yet to be invented so, when you had a filling, you could actually enjoy the burning smell of the tooth as it was being vaporized.
2. My dental situation? Thousands of dollars and dozens of procedures (including 11 root canals) had failed to produce the "teeth for life" result that many dentists promise. Periodontal infections had required the removal of almost all the teeth from my upper right quadrant. Given a medical history that included colitis and other opportunistic autoimmune conditions, my team of dentists, endodentists, and periodentists (several of whom I had actually out-lived) told me never, under any conditions, to even try an implant.
3. My predicament? Great advice, but that did not solve my problem. I did a ton of online research and found that ceramic or so-called "zirconia" implants, although they cost more, were more bio-compatible, and more likely to produce a "good result" (doctor talk for "not kill you") than the traditional titanium implants.
4. So, ignoring the advice of all my dental professionals -- including two I had actually outlived -- I found a local dentist specializing in ceramic implants (trained in Europe) and tried one. IT WORKED GREAT! It worked so well that my other dentists (the ones I had not outlived) would notice it in my x-rays and say things like "Wow, great implant, who did that?" A year after the first one, I had a second one done. I now have teeth once again in what used to be a part of my mouth that most resembled a vacant lot, and this post is my way of sharing that. Happy, happy, joy, joy. Insert mental image of my victory dance here.
5. I also learned a bunch of stuff which you may find useful either now or as you age. And, believe me, you will age!
In no particular order:
6. Yes, these perky new implanted teeth (including the crowns) are expensive. BUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT. And no, I do not have any fast advice to help you save $$$ except for marrying a dentist. (Seriously. The savings would be substantial if you did that. You should not dismiss such a suggestion out of hand. If you are already married, there may still be a workaround if you live in Utah.)
7. If you need implants, go ceramic. That's my advice. There are a handful of cases where ceramic does not work well. (If, for example, you are replacing a mouthful of teeth at time.) But overall it statistically provides the best overall result with the least likely chance of discoloration or corrosion. (Google "titanium implants discoloration" and you will be shocked).
8. Find a specialist based on material. Not all dentists are created equal. Nor can you assume a skilled dentist can work with either or both. Those trained in titanium will try to down-sell you from ceramic. Not because they believe titanium is better. Because their skills are based on working with titanium, not ceramic.
9. In the U.S and Canada, there many times more dentists working with titanium than ceramic. So if this post catches your fancy, you will have to investigate. One top ceramic brand (with lots of hard data from Europe where, oddly, they do not like titanium at all) is CERAROOT and they have a website with referrals. No, I have no financial connection with these people but if they want to throw money or a weekend in Vegas at me, we can talk.
10. Whatever choice you make, I wish you well. If you are like me, eating has become an addiction.
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