Implant body, method of manufacture of same, and dental implant

Abstract

To obtain improved bio-affinity and high bone attachment in an implant body, a method of manufacture for the implant body, and a dental implant. The implant body is fixed in a contact configuration to bone, and includes the base material formed from zirconia, and a surface layer formed on the surface of the base material and having a lower hardness than the base material. Therefore, in addition to having superior mechanical strength due to the zirconia base material, the soft and flexible surface layer functions as a buffer layer to mitigate the difference in the degree of hardness between the bone and the base material, and therefore the soft surface further improves the bone adhesion characteristics.

1 . An implant body fixed in a contact configuration to a bone, the implant body comprising:
 a base material formed from zirconia; and   a surface layer formed on the surface of the base material and having a lower hardness than the base material.   
     
     
         2 . The implant body according to  claim 1  wherein a plurality of cracks is formed on the surface layer. 
     
     
         3 . The implant body according to  claim 1  wherein the hardness of the surface layer is less than or equal to the hardness of the bone. 
     
     
         4 . The implant body according to  claim 1  wherein the surface layer is formed by zirconia hydroxide. 
     
     
         5 . A dental implant wherein the implant body according to  claim 1  is inserted in a drill hole in the alveolar bone, being an example of the bone. 
     
     
         6 . A method for the implant body that is fixed in a contact configuration to the bone comprising the step of:
 forming a zirconia hydroxide surface layer having a lower hardness than the base material on the surface of the zirconia base material by irradiation of laser light in air including moisture.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the laser light is laser light having a fundamental wave caused by an Nd:YAG laser. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the hardness of the surface layer is less than or equal to the hardness of the bone as a result of irradiation with the laser light. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the laser light is laser light having a fundamental wave caused by a YVO 4  laser.