NobelPearl
NobelPearl is a genuinely metal-free implant, not just a ceramic body, but a ceramic screw too. That last detail is what separates it from most of the ceramic implants on the market.
At a glance
- Implant material
- Zirconia ceramic
- Abutment screw
- VICARBO, carbon-fibre-reinforced, not titanium
- Design
- Two-piece, so the crown can be unscrewed
- Metal content
- None
- Colour
- Ivory rather than grey
- Availability
- Listed in Nobel's current Canadian range
Why the screw is the interesting part
Plenty of manufacturers sell zirconia implants. Most two-piece ceramic systems still hold the abutment down with a titanium screw, because metal makes a reliable small threaded fastener and ceramic does not. Which means a patient who chose ceramic specifically to avoid metal still has metal in their jaw, just hidden inside.
NobelPearl uses a carbon-fibre-reinforced screw called VICARBO instead. If your reason for wanting a ceramic implant is that you want no metal at all, this distinction is the entire point, and it is worth asking about explicitly with any ceramic system you are offered.
Two-piece matters too
Most ceramic implants are one solid piece, because cutting a screw thread into brittle zirconia risks cracking it. A one-piece implant means the post's angle is fixed during surgery and the crown must be cemented on permanently, if it ever needs removing, it generally has to be destroyed.
A two-piece ceramic implant restores what titanium users take for granted: the crown can be unscrewed, the implant inspected, and the crown refitted. Over decades that is a meaningful difference. Camlog's CERALOG Hexalobe is the other notable two-piece ceramic system covered on this site.
The honest position on ceramic
Titanium implants have been followed in patients since 1965. Two-piece ceramic implants in their current forms are far newer, and the long-term data simply does not exist yet. That is not an argument against them, but it is a real difference in what is known.
It is also worth saying plainly: genuine titanium allergy is rare, considerably rarer than online discussion suggests. If you want ceramic because your gums are thin at a front tooth and you are worried about a grey shadow showing through, that is a well-founded aesthetic reason. If you want it because you believe titanium is harming you, that deserves a proper conversation and, if appropriate, actual allergy testing rather than an assumption. Our implant materials page covers the comparison in full.
Questions worth asking your dentist
- Is the abutment screw metal-free as well as the implant?
- Is this two-piece, so the crown can be removed later?
- What is my actual reason for choosing ceramic, aesthetics or metal avoidance?
- If it is metal avoidance, have I been tested for titanium sensitivity?
- What is the cost difference against a titanium implant?
- How many ceramic implants have you placed, and what has your experience been?
Related systems
NobelActive
The titanium alternative, with far more long-term data.
Nobel Biocare N1
Nobel's newest titanium system.
References
- Nobel Biocare. Product Catalog, Edition 2024/2025. Catalogue 89351, NobelPearl section.
- Nobel Biocare. Implants catalogue. Nobel Biocare Canada, nobelbiocare.com/en-ca/catalog/implants.
Specifications compiled from Nobel Biocare's publicly available product literature and Canadian product pages. Manufacturer performance claims are identified as such. DentalImplantInfo.ca is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Nobel Biocare. Nobel Biocare, NobelActive, NobelParallel, NobelReplace, NobelPearl, NobelZygoma, Brånemark System, TiUnite, TiUltra, Xeal and NobelProcera are trademarks of their respective owners, used here for identification and educational purposes.