Zirconia vs titanium: which dental implant heals bone better?
NCT ID NCT05890469
First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026
Summary
This study compares how zirconia and titanium dental implants affect early bone healing in people needing a single tooth replacement. Researchers will measure healing biomarkers in gum fluid and saliva over 30 days, and track blood flow and tissue changes. The goal is to understand which implant surface material and texture may support better bone regeneration.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- zirconia dental implant with guided bone regeneration
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help dentists choose better implant materials for faster and more predictable bone healing.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 12 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It looks at early healing markers, not long-term implant success.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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12 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2024
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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25 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Males and females, ≥ 25 years old * Good/controlled medical and psychological health * Good oral hygiene (full mouth plaque scores \[FMPS\< 30%\]) * Need of a single-tooth replacement in the aesthetic (incisor, canine or premolar) region * At least one neighbouring natural tooth present * A functional occlusion with a minimum of four occlusal units (i.e., pairs of occluding posterior teeth) * At least 3 months of post-extraction socket healing had occurred in the edentulous site and no ridge preservation was performed * After implant placement, presence of buccal bone dehiscence/fenestration or thin buccal bone plate (\<2mm) requiring guided bone regeneration (GBR) (including contour augmentation) \[to be confirmed after implant placement\] * Willingness to read and sign a copy of the Informed Consent Form (ICF) after reading the Patient Information Sheet (PIS), and after the nature of the study has been fully explained and potential questions fully answered Exclusion Criteria: * Any known systemic disease severely affecting bone metabolism (e.g., Cushing's syndrome, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis or diabetes type I and uncontrolled diabetes type II) * Self-reported HIV or viral hepatitis * Self-reported alcoholism or chronic drug abuse * Smokers (including current smokers or former smokers who had quit for \< 3 months); patients reporting use of vape/ e-cigarettes will also be excluded * Self-reported pregnancy or lactation (this criterion is due to oral tissue changes related to pregnancy and nursing, which can affect interpretation of study results) * Chronic treatment (i.e., 2 weeks or more) with any medication known to affect oral status or bone metabolism (e.g., bisphosphonates, hormone replacement therapy, immunosuppressants) within 1 month before baseline visit * Chronic treatment with anticoagulants (including aspirin), corticosteroids, immunosuppressants or other medications that may influence blood coagulation/count * Antibiotic or anti-inflammatory therapy during the month preceding the baseline exam. * Untreated caries lesions and untreated/uncontrolled periodontal disease. If patients require periodontal treatment (non-surgical and/or surgical), this will be arranged outside the study protocol and completed prior to enrolment * Inadequate keratinized tissue width (\<2 mm) in the mid-buccal aspect of the area to be treated in the study * Physical handicaps that would interfere with the ability to perform adequate oral hygiene in the area of implant placement * Patients requiring maxillary sinus lift surgery before implant placement * Self-reported bruxism * Patients not willing to receive animal-derived biomaterials for GBR * Patients suffering from a known psychological disorder or with limited mental capacity or language skills such that study information could not be understood, informed consent could not be obtained, or simple instructions could not be followed * Other severe acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormality that may increase the risk associated with trial participation or may interfere with the interpretation of trial results and, in the judgement of the investigator, would make the subject inappropriate for entry into this trial
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Barts Health NHS Trust Dental Hospital
London, E1 1BB, United Kingdom
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Centre for Oral Clinical Research
London, E1 2AD, United Kingdom
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