Dental Implant Brands Explained: Straumann, Nobel Biocare, and More

Most patients never ask what brand of implant they are getting. It is worth asking. The brand affects how much research backs the implant and how easy it is to find parts years from now. Here is a plain-language look at the major names and what to ask.

This guide is for education only. Dr. Chaliff will recommend a system based on your case at your consultation.

1. Why the Brand Matters at All

An implant is a precision part. Each brand has its own shape, surface, and connection between the implant and the crown. Those details affect how the implant bonds with bone and which parts fit on top of it.

The bigger issue is the future. If a crown chips or a screw loosens 15 years from now, your dentist needs parts that fit your implant. Well-established brands make that easy. Small or discontinued brands can make it hard.

Question to Answer: Do you know what brand of implant you would be getting?

2. The Established Names

A handful of companies have decades of research behind their implants. Some of the best known are:

• Straumann: a Swiss company and one of the most studied implant brands in the world.
• Nobel Biocare: traces its roots to Per-Ingvar Brånemark, who placed the first modern titanium implant in 1965.
• ZimVie: the dental implant business formerly part of Zimmer Biomet.
• Dentsply Sirona: makes the Astra Tech and Ankylos implant systems.
• BioHorizons: a U.S. company known for its tapered implants and published research.

This is not a ranking. Each of these systems has a long track record when it is placed well.

Question to Answer: Is the brand you are being offered one with a long research history?

3. What to Look For in Any Implant System

Whatever the brand, you want a few things. Published long-term studies. A company that has been around for a while and is likely to stay. Parts that dentists across the country can order. And a system your restorative dentist is comfortable working with.

Keep in mind, a very low price can mean a less established brand. That is not always a problem, but it is worth asking about.

Question to Answer: Can your dentist get parts for this implant easily?

4. What Matters More Than the Brand

The best implant in the world will not do well if it is placed in the wrong spot or in bone that cannot support it. Planning, bone quality, and the surgeon’s training have a bigger effect on how long your implant lasts than the logo on the box.

That is why who places the implant matters. Our dental implant guide walks through what goes into a good plan.

Question to Answer: Who is placing your implant, and what surgical training do they have?

5. Questions to Ask at Your Consultation

• Which implant system do you recommend for me, and why?
• How long has that system been on the market?
• Can my dentist get the parts to make my crown?
• Will I get a record of the brand, model, and size?

Question to Answer: Which of these questions do you want answered first?

6. Keep Your Implant Records

Ask for a record of your implant brand, model, and size, and keep it with your dental records. If you move or change dentists, that one page saves a lot of guesswork when it is time for a new crown or a repair.

Question to Answer: Do you have a copy of your implant records?

In Summary

The main takeaway is that the brand matters mostly for research history and future parts, and the surgeon and the plan matter even more. Ask which system you are getting, make sure your dentist can work with it, and keep your records. You can go over your options at a dental implant consultation.

Question to Answer: What brand questions do you want to bring to your consultation?