Online OnlyPubMed ID (PMID): 17508076Pages 7, Language: EnglishHaag, Per / Nilner, KristerObjective: Titanium ceramics has become a topic of interest for prosthetic applications, thanks to the documented biocompatibility of commercially pure titanium. A number of concepts have been presented, including metal frameworks produced by casting or milling and a number of materials and methods for veneering. However, the concept has not reached a clinical breakthrough since failures have been reported from clinical experiences. Method and Materials: A PubMed search on the following key words was performed: titanium ceramics, long-term results.
Results: This review illustrates the fact that it is possible to have success with titanium ceramics on crucial criteria: fit and marginal adaptation, bond strength between metal and ceramics, and esthetic outcome. A review of clinical studies indicates a tendency for success rates to increase with time, which must be explained as a normal learning curve for a technical concept. The learning curve also includes development of materials and methods and the fact that there is a certain amount of technique sensitivity involved in the success rate for titanium ceramics.
Conclusions: There is reason to believe that the outstanding clinical properties of titanium will further catalyze the development of titanium ceramics, and recent experiences clearly indicate that titanium ceramics, being a clinical product ready for use in fixed partial dentures, might already today challenge standard metal ceramics.
Keywords: ceramics, dental porcelain, fixed partial denture, long-term results, state-of-the-art review, titanium