Suitability of titanium alloys as dental implant material - a review

Industrial Engineering Department Stellenbosch University, South Africa

^* Corresponding author: steed@sun.ac.za

Abstract

Achieving success in dental implants hinges on selecting suitable materials with optimal functional properties. Over the decades, scientists have made significant efforts in testing various biomaterials; however, an ideal material for dental implants remains elusive. This paper reviews common dental implant materials. By identifying the key factors determining material suitability and translating them into constraints using designed material suitability scorecard, the study pinpoints materials warrant higher priority for further exploration and development. Researchers should prioritize minimizing cytotoxicity in titanium alloys and achieving an elastic modulus like the jawbone. Low moduli metastable beta titanium alloys such as Ti-36Nb-2Ta-3Zr-0.3O and innocuous binary titanium alloys such TiZr should be explored for dentistry applications.