Biocompatible and Eco-Friendly Dental Implants: Are They the Future?
Life-cycle assessments indicate that manufacturing a single titanium implant can emit up to 85 kg of carbon-dioxide equivalents, largely because of the high-temperature atomisation of powder that precedes milling and machining. Recent clinical series show that zirconia implants – formed from a bio-inert ceramic rather than metal – achieve five-year survival rates of 95 to 97 per cent, virtually matching titanium’s long-standing benchmark. Australian practices are responding by pairing these materials with recyclable packaging, water-efficient sterilisation cycles and rooftop solar arrays that slash practice-level emissions.