Biomechanical evaluation of implant materials and connection designs: a structured narrative review of titanium and zirconia.

The aim of this structured narrative review is to assess and compare the biomechanical behavior of titanium and zirconia implants, with an emphasis on mechanical characteristics, stress distribution, and potential long-term clinical effects resulting from the material choice and connection design of implant-abutment. The study involves an extensive investigation of the mechanical behavior and biological response of titanium and zirconia dental implants based on experimental findings and finite element analysis (FEA). Investigations included fatigue resistance, corrosion properties, stress shielding, and the evaluated implant-abutment connection geometries, particularly Morse taper and conical connection designs. Data sources included peer-reviewed literature and experimental results, assessing material properties, biomechanical performance, and peri-implant bone responses under various loading conditions. Titanium implants were mechanically more robust and offered superior osseointegration. Still, they had complications associated with stress shielding and potential corrosion. Zirconia implants were visually superior and had corrosion resistance but were biased towards brittleness under extreme occlusal loads. Connection types, especially Morse taper and conical types, were important because they reduced micro-movements and enhanced their stress distribution. The use of FEA provided critical insight into optimizing implant performance. Understanding material-specific properties and selecting the most optimized connection designs can substantially enhance long-term success rates of dental implants, especially in esthetic or load bearing locations. Further, patient-specific bone conditions must drive personalized planning of dental implants to minimize the risks of failures and maximize esthetic and functional outputs.