STUDY OBJECTIVES AND METHODS

This study aimed to prospectively investigate the long -term clinical performance of a commercially available one -piece zirconia dental implant system over 10 years. A multicenter, open -label study was conducted at three clinical centers in Germany. Forty -four patients with s ingle -tooth gaps meeting specific inclusion criteria received 44 yttria -stabilized zirconia (Y -TZP) implants featuring a sandblasted and acid -etched (ZLA) surface. Clinical and radiographic follow -ups were performed at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years to assess implant survival, success, peri -implant bone levels, and esthetic outcomes using Pink Esthetic Score (PES) and White Esthetic Score (WES). 

RESULTS

• At the 10-year follow -up, 35 patients with 35 implants were available for evaluation. 
• The estimated 10 -year survival rate was 97.7% (95% CI: 97.27 -98.13). Three implants (8.6%) showed biological complications, including peri -implant mucositis in 2 implants (5.7%) and peri -implantitis in 1 implant (2.9%), leading to a success rate of 91.4% ( 95% CI: 76.9 - 97.8).
• Peri-implant bone loss was moderate, averaging 1.20 (±0.61) mm over 10 years, with stable bone levels observed after the initial remodeling phase.
• Esthetic outcomes revealed a slight increase in PES (7.4 to 7.8) and a minor decrease in WES (7.0 to 6.7) between years 5 and 10.

CONCLUSIONS

Zirconia implants demonstrated high long -term survival and success rates, moderate bone loss, and favorable esthetic outcomes. These findings support their use as a clinically reliable and esthetically acceptable long -term alternative to titanium implants. However, the limited sample size highlights the need for further confirmation in larger cohorts. Adapted from S Roehling et al., J Prosthet Dent. 2025 May 3:S0022 -3913(25)00358-0, for more info about this publication, click HERE.

This review is part of the Straumann "Scientific Highlights Newsletter 1/26".