Comparative In vitro Study on the Osseointegration Potential of Titanium, Zirconia, and PEEK Dental Implants Using Simulated Bone Models

Objectives: Success rates of dental implants heavily depend on the process of osseointegration. The standard practice in dentistry uses titanium implants because these materials demonstrate exceptional compatibility and structural integrity with bone tissue. Medical experts have adopted Zirconia and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) as implant choices because these offer better aesthetics together with superior biomechanical performance. In this laboratory research scientists examined the potential for root integration between titanium and zirconia and PEEK implant materials through synthetic bone model testing. Methods: Thirty titanium implants accompanied by thirty zirconia implants and thirty PEEK implants received placement inside simulated bone blocks. Surface wettability combined with roughness and insertion and removal torque measurements were the assessed parameters. The evaluation of bone-to-implant contact (BIC) through histomorphometric analysis took place after the blocks spent eight weeks in the incubator. A one-way ANOVA technique performed the statistical analysis with a threshold value of p<0.05. Results: The titanium implants achieved the greatest insertion torque level at 45.2±5.1 Ncm together with 30.5±3.2 Ncm removal torque levels and 65.8±4.5% bone-to-implant contact. The insertion torque amount for zirconia implants reached 38.4±4.3 Ncm but their BIC percentage achieved 58.2±3.9% while PEEK implants maintained the lowest quantitative performance with BIC 40.6±5.1%. Conclusion: During every evaluation step titanium outperformed other materials for bone integration processes. Zirconia represents an appropriate metal-free solution for applications where load-bearing is not necessary. The integration of PEEK materials remains restricted while their surface needs adjustment for better attachment. Additional in vivo tests and sustained studies need to take place to confirm these findings.