Zirconia has been used in biomedical applications for a long time. Its biocompatibility is not in question. However for structural applications such as in dental implants, zirconia must show improved mechanical performances in addition to its biocompatibility and bone integration aspects. This paper addresses mainly the mechanical issues surrounding zirconia materials in four sections looking at zirconia as a structural biomaterial in terms of processing aspects, flaws and surface characteristics, and design as well as low temperature degradation.