Why missing teeth matter
If you are missing teeth, it is important to replace them. Without all of your teeth, chewing and eating can destabilize your bite and cause discomfort, and your mouth can shift over time. An implant replaces the missing root with a small post, topped with a tooth-colored crown that looks and functions like your natural tooth. At Agape Dental, we offer both the traditional titanium implant and the Nobel Biocare Pearl, a ceramic implant made without any metal at all.
Titanium implants, and a metal-free alternative
Most dental implants are made from titanium, a strong, well-studied metal that has anchored replacement teeth for decades, including the model shown here. The Nobel Biocare Pearl takes a different approach: it's a two-piece ceramic implant made from zirconia, one of the hardest materials used in dentistry, held together with a carbon-fiber screw instead of a metal one. There is no titanium, and no metal of any kind, anywhere in the implant.
More than a single tooth
In addition to replacing a single tooth, implants can anchor dentures, especially lower dentures that tend to shift when you talk or chew, and can help patients with removable partial dentures achieve a more natural-looking smile.
The biological case for going metal-free
Zirconia is highly biocompatible, meaning your body accepts it without the low-grade reactivity some patients experience around metal, and it carries a lower affinity for plaque than titanium. Its ivory color also means there's no gray or dark shadow showing through thin gum tissue, even in visible spots at the front of your smile. Ceramic implants tend to be a great fit for patients who want a completely metal-free mouth, who are sensitive to metals, or who are simply drawn to a more holistic approach to their care.
A whole-health approach to implants
We talk through your options, including whether a titanium or ceramic implant is the better fit for your bone, your bite, and your goals, before treatment ever begins, and we coordinate with your other health providers when it helps your care.
"As a Naturopathic Doctor, I know how profoundly dental health can affect your overall health and I promote Biological Dentistry to my patients. My professional opinion is that they offer much better solutions for dental problems. I became a patient of Dr. Sipes earlier this year and have enjoyed working with him and his staff. I feel like he does a more thorough checkup than other dentists that I have visited. They offer more natural, chemical free products as part of their treatments. Highly recommend"
