Ceramic implant abutments- esthetic benefit or clinical risk?
This lecture will present recent clinical data on zirconia abutments and give an overview of benefits and risks. In addition, recommendations for the clinician will be given when using zirconia abutments.
- The esthetic benefit of ceramic abutments over metal abutments has been well documented.
- The shortcoming of ceramic materials, however, is their brittleness. This might compromise the clinical outcome and result in fractures, especially in the long term.
- The high-strength ceramic zirconia is superior considering fracture toughness compared to all other dental ceramics and might be a promising material for implant abutments.
Anja Zembic PhD. Dr. med. dent.is a senior teaching and research assistant at the Clinic for Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics and Material Sciences, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Leadership of Prophylaxe Zentrum Zürich (School for Dental Hygiene) and private practitioner, Zahnmedizin Zürich Nord, Switzerland
She received her dental education and Dr. med. dent. degree from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tübingen, Germany in 1999/ 2004.
Since 2014, Dr. Zembic is a Swiss Specialist for Reconstructive Dentistry and since 2016, she was accredited Prosthodontic Specialist from the European Prosthodontic Association (EPA).
In 2016 Dr. Zembic received an Assistant Professorship (PD) at the Clinic for Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics and Dental Material Sciences in Zurich.
Today, she works part-time both in a dental clinic involving an accredited school for dental hygienists and in the Clinic for Prosthodontics at the University of Zurich.
