Advancements in Individual Dental Implants: A State-of-the-Art Review of Materials and Technologies

This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on materials and manufacturing technologies for customized dental implants, highlighting their comparative advantages and limitations.

A structured literature search (December 2024-January 2025) was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Peer-reviewed English-language articles (mainly 2015-2025) addressing implant materials, manufacturing methods, and surface modifications were included. Data were critically analyzed and thematically organized without meta-analysis.

Digital workflows are advancing implantology toward patient-specific solutions. Subtractive manufacturing (SM) ensures high precision and surface quality but is limited by material waste and geometric constraints. In contrast, additive manufacturing (AM) enables complex, porous, and customized designs, though often requires post-processing. Titanium and its alloys remain the gold standard due to strength and biocompatibility, while TiZr and β-type alloys may reduce stress shielding. Zirconia offers aesthetic benefits but is brittle, whereas PEEK shows favorable elasticity but limited bioactivity. Surface modifications enhance osseointegration and long-term performance.

Combining digital workflows with SM and AM supports development of optimized, patient-specific implants. While titanium dominates clinical use, emerging materials offer specific advantages. Further clinical validation and standardization are required.