Zirconia implants and all-ceramic restorations for the esthetic replacement of the maxillary central incisors

Ceramics have been used in dentistry and medicine for many years. Today, one of the most popular ceramics is zirconia because of its outstanding mechanical properties, which make it suitable for many indications formerly reserved for metals. Zirconia-based ceramics have been used for many years as the core for single crowns and long-span fixed prostheses. Zirconia-based ceramics have also been used as implants for hip replacements and finger, toe, and wrist joints. Recently, some articles in the dental literature suggest the possible use of zirconia implants for tooth replacement. The present case report illustrates the results that can be achieved using rough-surface zirconia implants in an esthetically demanding case. The 28-year-old male patient required replacement of the maxillary central incisors. Two rough-surface zirconia implants (CeraRoot) were used to immediately replace the extracted teeth. Immediate provisional restorations were placed for a period of 3 months until the final all-ceramic restorations were cemented. Zirconia implants may be a good alternative for tooth replacement, especially in esthetically demanding cases. More studies are needed to evaluate the long-term results of zirconia dental implants with different surfaces.