Dr Assaf WILLENSKY – Israël

Titanium dental implants are widely regarded as safe, as titanium alloys are believed to be one of the most biocompatible metals. However, recent data suggest that titanium is not completely inert. Using a murine model of dental implants, we recently showed that titanium implants impair the development of Langerhans cells by reducing the expression of TGF-β1 in the epithelium. This disruption leads to dysregulated mucosal immunity and bone loss. Zirconia-based implants have been introduced as an alternative to titanium implants, primarily due to their esthetic properties and biocompatibility. However, as opposed to titanium, their influence on the local immune response and bone loss has not been extensively studied. To address this gap, we established a model of zirconia implants in mice and compared their effects with those of titanium implants. The current presentation will introduce our latest findings on zirconia implants and their impact on mucosal immunity and bone loss.