PEEK's superpower is what it does not do: it does not show up on X-ray, and it does not react in the body.
Biocompatibility
PEEK is inert, non-allergenic, and has decades of orthopedic use (spinal cages). In the mouth it shows no cytotoxicity and no taste — a safe choice where metal sensitivity rules out titanium.
Radiolucency, the double edge
Great for seeing peri-implant bone; tricky because the frame is invisible on a normal X-ray. Compensate by marking framework ends on the radiograph or using a radiopaque PEEK composite when visibility matters.
Use it where it shines
- Implant provisional bars.
- RPD frames for allergy patients.
- Temporary abutments.
Machine from our PEEK discs, certified for intraoral temporary use.
What imaging sees
PEEK is radiolucent, so a peri-apical X-ray shows the root and bone through a PEEK crown — no streak artefact, unlike metal. On CBCT the implant platform stays readable; on MRI there is no susceptibility artefact at all.
Why that helps
- Detect recurrent caries under a PEEK onlay that a metal one would hide.
- Follow peri-implant bone on a PEEK abutment without a metal bloom.
- Safe in 3T MRI — no heating, no image distortion.
Radiolucency is a diagnostic feature, not a weakness.