CDIO Purpose

Ceramic Dental Implants of Oregon is a resource for patients and doctors. The purpose of CDIO is education about zirconia as a material for dental implants and the differences between titanium and ceramic for the replacement of teeth. The technology and biological treatments incorporated at Lotus Dental Wellness are optimized for success with ceramic tooth replacements. The courses offered for doctors, as well implant placement for patients, take place at Lotus Dental Wellness. 

Dr. DeLong is on the forefront of modern dental medicine. He has been published and lectured on ceramic dental implants. He is actively pursuing a certificate from the Swiss Bio-health Institute in Ceramic Implantology and Biological Dentistry and has completed the first Zirconia Implant Fellowship and Masterclass. He is a member of both the International Academy of Oral Ceramic Implantology and the European Academy of Ceramic Implantology. He believes that over time, zirconia will surpass titanium as the material of choice for oral implantology and tooth replacement. Dr. DeLong owns Lotus Dental Wellness and is a practicing general dentist, providing a full range of dental procedures. The establishment of Ceramic Dental Implants of Oregon will allow him to focus on sharing the benefits of non-metal implants with patients and doctors not just in Oregon, but around the world. 

Ceramic dental implants are made of zirconia (ZrO2), also called Zirconium Dioxide. Although Zirconium is a metal, very close to Titanium on the Periodic table, Zirconia is not a metal. As metals give up electrons and are oxidized, they become ceramics. They do not share the same properties as metals such as galvanism, thermal or electrical conductivity, ductility, or corrosion. Ceramics exist in a fully oxidized state, meaning they do not undergo a corrosive change over time as metals do when oxidized. 

The goal of dental implants is to replace human teeth, allowing people to smile, speak, chew, and begin the digestive process. Titanium has been the standard material for over fifty years and has amassed extensive evidence to support its use. It was not until the early 2000’s that ceramic implants began to have adequate success to be used predictably for the replacement of teeth, although the first documented cases took place almost forty years ago. Now two of the world’s largest and most successful Titanium implant companies have either private labeled ceramic implants already being manufactured or purchased large shares of the best ceramic implant companies and are now releasing their implants as their own products. One of these companies did a large-scale survey of patients and an overwhelming majority said they would rather have ceramic than metal.  

There is now a large body of evidence showing the risks and disadvantages to Titanium as an implantable material both in orthopedics and dentistry. Its use is still indicated in many situations. Although Zirconia also has some disadvantages, in many cases it provides a superior overall health outcome not just for the replacement of a tooth or teeth, but for the systemic health of the patient. Zirconia is an excellent alternative to Titanium for many dental implant indications.