Success Rate of Two-Piece Zirconia Implants: A Retrospective Statistical Analysis

Area of Science:

• Dental implantology
• Biomaterials science
• Orthopedic surgery

Background:

• One-piece zirconia implants emerged approximately a decade ago.
• Zirconia implants offer a metal-free alternative in dental restorations.
• Assessing long-term clinical performance is crucial for material adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical success and osseointegration of two-piece zirconia implants.
• To analyze warranty replacement data as an indicator of implant failure.
• To compare the success rates across different generations of zirconia implant products.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of warranty replacement data for 15,255 sold Zeramex implants.
• Data collection spanned a 4-year period (2010-2014).
• Evaluations were conducted in a blinded manner to ensure objectivity.

Main Results:

• A total of 347 implants (2.2%) were returned due to non-osseointegration.
• Success rates: Zeramex T (96.7%), Zeralock (98.5%), and Zeramex Plus (99.4%).
• Sensitivity analysis indicated minimal impact on success rates even with estimated unreturned failures.

Conclusions:

• Two-piece zirconia implants exhibit competitive clinical success rates.
• Success rates have shown improvement across three product generations, exceeding 98.5%.
• Zirconia implants represent a reliable option for dental osseointegration.