What are dental restorations made of?

Dental implants have revolutionized the way patients can improve their oral health, offering full functionality, along with a natural-looking and long-lasting smile. It’s important to know the materials of the prosthesis, as they contribute to your overall satisfaction and smile restoration success.

Two Types of Full-Arch Dental Implant Materials

When exploring an upper, lower or full mouth smile restoration, the material of the prosthesis is either Zirconia or PMMA, and Hybridge offers both.

Zirconia

Zirconia is a ceramic material derived from zirconium oxide.  Zirconia, a highly durable ceramic material, its exceptional strength often makes it favored by some dentists for full arch restorations. 

The zirconia arch is typically manufactured using a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) process. A digital impression of the patient's mouth is taken, and our Hybridge dental laboratory uses this information to design the zirconia arch. The design is then milled from a block of zirconia using advanced milling machines.

Advantages

• Exceptional Strength: Designed for its dependability, exceptional quality and unmatched long-term durability.
• Excellent Aesthetic Appeal: Looks like natural teeth

Disadvantages:

• Limited adjustment ability: The material is not able to be adjusted without risk to its structural integrity. This makes it challenging to adjust the shape of the bite after placement.
• The feel of teeth are thicker and bulker than natural teeth, it may be heavy and clunky feeling in the mouth.  This often creates phonetic and comfort issues.
• Prone to fractures and chipping, especially in areas subject to high stress.
• Limited range of color options for teeth and gums

PMMA

The iconic Hybridge Gen 5 offers a unique fusion of materials combined specifically to provide core strength, ample adjustability and patient comfort. Its milled chrome cobalt substructure supports an outer layer of PMMA that provides a superior combination for most patients.

Advantages:

• Excellent Strength:  Unique fusion of materials combined specifically to provide core strength, and patient comfort.
• Excellent Aesthetic Appeal: Looks like natural teeth.
• Long-term durability and strength.
• Very adjustable for perfect fit.

Disadvantages:

• Similar to natural teeth, the artificial teeth can wear down on the biting edges.

Caring for Dental Implants

Protecting your dental implants is essential for their long-term function and durability. Although they’re engineered to mimic natural teeth, they still demand consistent and intentional care. Overlooking daily maintenance can lead to complications that threaten both your implant and your overall oral health. If you’ve invested in dental implants, make sure you’re maintaining them the right way.

Daily Hygiene for Dental Implants

Your everyday oral care routine remains the cornerstone of implant maintenance. Treat your implants with the same diligence you give your natural teeth, if not more.

• Brushing: Brush at least twice a day with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Skip abrasive toothpaste, which can wear down implant surfaces over time. Choose a gentle, non-abrasive formula, often marketed for sensitive teeth or implant care to avoid unnecessary damage.
• Flossing: Flossing keeps the areas around your implants free of plaque and trapped debris. Standard floss isn’t always ideal because implants differ in shape and contour compared to natural teeth. Consider using implant-specific floss, threaders, or interdental brushes designed to clean around implant posts and bridgework more thoroughly.
• Routine Professional Maintenance: Home care is critical, but professional cleanings are equally important.