The two main types of materials used in dental implants are Titanium and Zirconia.
Titanium Dental Implants
Titanium dental implants are an extremely popular dental implant choice with patients for over 40 years. Titanium is considered "biocompatible". This means that it is usually readily accepted by the body.
Titanium has been used in dental surgery since the 1940s - and in other bone-related surgeries - like joint and spinal surgeries - since the 1950s. It bonds well with bone, making it a perfect choice for dental implants.
The success rate of Titanium dental implants is extremely high.
Zirconia Dental Implants
Zirconia implants are ceramic-based dental implants that are also compatible with the human body (similar to titanium implants).
They are naturally resistant to bacteria growth.
From an aesthetics standpoint, zirconia implants are tooth-colored, so they blend in a bit more along the gumline when compared to titanium implants.
It is difficult to track down reliable studies, but it appears that zirconia dental implants may have a higher incidence of failure than titanium dental implants.