Comparative biomechanical analysis and prospects for additive manufacturing of dental implants from zirconium oxide and titanium

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of zirconium oxide dental implants, including biomechanical modeling and an assessment of the potential for additive manufacturing. The aim of the study was to validate the effectiveness of stereolithography for creating zirconium implants with complex geometries and compare their biomechanical behavior with their titanium counterparts. In the first stage, a finite element analysis (FEA) was performed in Ansys Mechanical. A 3D model of the crown-abutment-implant system integrated into cortical and cancellous bone (considered an orthotropic material) was used for the simulation. A static load of 250 N was applied to the titanium and zirconium models in five vector configurations. The results of the von Mises equivalent stress calculations showed that zirconium implants are characterized by a higher stress concentration within the body of the implant, but provide lower load transfer to the surrounding bone tissue compared to titanium implants, especially under oblique impact, which is beneficial for bone preservation. In the second stage, a prototype implant (Straumann BLT NC 8 mm) was manufactured using layer-by-layer stereolithography (SLA) from zirconia partially stabilized with yttria. This technology allowed for the production of highly precise, thin-walled components with complex profiles, free of internal defects (cracks and pores), and with minimal waste. After sintering at 1400–1550°C, the resulting samples demonstrated flexural strengths of approximately 1000 MPa and compressive strengths of 2070 MPa. The study results confirm that the combination of high strength properties of additively bonded zirconia and favorable load distribution on bone tissue opens up broad possibilities for the personalized use of ceramic implants in clinical dentistry.