Frequently Asked Questions

That is a great question. As previously stated, it is a “give and take”, or Yin Yang ☯. It is difficult to really say if Zirconia is better than Titanium because it depends on what the application is and what your personal priorities are. Titanium has been around much longer, has more investigations and clinical studies, and decades of evidence proving it as a reliable and successful biomaterial for dental implants. Titanium alloys have improved since their inception. The greater the grade of the alloy, the less impurities and more biocompatible the titanium is. Grade 5 titanium is now offered as a dental implant.

On the other hand, Zirconia has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional titanium-based implant systems. Zirconia is reported to have superior soft tissue “gum” response in the mouth, is extremely biocompatible, and produce more natural esthetics than titanium implants.

Zirconia, otherwise known as Zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), is a ceramic consisting of the elements Zirconium and Oxygen (1 atom of Zirconium & 2 atoms of Oxygen). Zirconium is the 17^th rarest element on Earth, exists as a silver-grey malleable metal, its ductile in nature, corrosion resistant, has an atomic number of 40 making it a transitional metal or Metal Halide and resides just below Titanium on the periodic table of elements. Therefore, Zirconia implants contain metallic atoms of Zirconium, but are not considered a metal due to its metal oxide structure (ZrO₂). The addition of the oxide chemically changes the composition structure, behavior, and name.

Zirconia dental implants are typically marketed as a non-metal alternative to titanium implants. Zirconia is a ceramic material that is white in color. For many, it comes as a surprise that ceramics contain both metals and non-metals.

A ceramic is a solid material comprising an inorganic compound of metal or metalloid and non-metal with ionic or covalent bonds.

Actually, there is no difference! Zirconia is a specific type of ceramic. All ceramic implants are made from zirconia; so in-so-far as zirconia/ceramic relates to dental implants they are synonymous. Ceramic is a more familiar word for most people, so it has been used more in the past. Now that Zirconia as a terminology is developing into more of a household name, you are more likely to hear about “Zirconia” implants because “Ceramic” makes people think of pottery or tiles rather than dental implants!

To know what zirconia implants are, let’s discuss the beginnings of dental implants. The first dental implant was made from titanium alloy and was placed in a human volunteer in 1965, by a Swedish medical orthopedic surgeon, Dr.Per-Ingvar Brånemark. While researching bone healing, he discovered that bone tissue would fuse to the metal titanium in a process called osseointegration. The success of the first titanium dental implant quickly led to significant improvement in the techniques used for tooth replacement. Since its inception, titanium implants have been the dental implant industry standard. With many decades of great clinical success and innovation, titanium implants have become one of the most successful medical devices in all of medicine with long-term success rates between 94-97%. Zirconia implants are the “Metal Free” alternative to titanium implants. Zirconia, or Zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), is a ceramic material first created in 1975 by a British physicist named Ron Garvie. Zirconia was found to be a highly biocompatible material, used in Europe as a dental implant in 1987. By 2011, the company CeraRoot had the first FDA approved zirconia dental implant here in the United States. Zirconia implants have recently gained much attention with the Biomimetic and holistic-minded dental patients looking for metal free tooth replacement.

Yes. During the outpatient surgical procedure a small amount of your own blood is drawn out via a small butterfly needlee, the same way it is done when your medical doctor orders a blood test. This blood is then placed in the PRF centrifuge machine and spun down. In less than fifteen minutes, the PRF is formed and ready to use.

Not always. In some cases, there is no need for PRF. However, in the majority of cases, application of PRF to the graft will increase the final amount of bone present in addtion to making the wound heal faster and more efficiently.

Unfortunately no. Insurance companies worry about their own financial bottom line, not your welfare. Our office will do everything we can to get your maximum reimbursement of your other procedures associated with your specific treatment though!

A resounding "YES"! PRF can be used alone or in some situations can be mixed with either the patient's own bone, a bone substitute material such as demineralized, freeze-dried bone, or a synthetic bone-product.

Very few. Obviously, patients with bleeding disorders or hematologic diseases may not qualify for this in-office procedure.

We have 2 locations, one in Williston Park on Long Island and the other is in NYC.

• Williston Park: 245 Hillside Ave, Williston Park, NY 11596
• New York City: 120 E 56th St, Manhattan, NY 10022

Hours on Long Island (245 Hillside Ave, Williston Park, NY):

• Mon: 8am – 5pm
• Tues: 8am – 7pm
• Wed: 8am – 7pm
• Thurs: 8am – 5pm (by appointment)
• Fri: Closed
• Sat: 10am – 3pm

Hours (NYC location: 120 E 56th St:

• Thurs: 8am – 7pm