Most of our patients do not ask about the Implant Brands, their request is only for Dental Implants. In fact over 80% of patients do not ask for the manufacturer name. The remaining 20% ask for a specific brand which is usually Nobel or Straumann.
We use a large selection of Implants including those named above depending on our patients bone structure and of course their budget.
Patients often ask for Nobel as they were the founder of the dental implant and they have a brand name you can reply on however you will find yourself pay a substantial amount for the brand name alone.
For example, if you want a Gucci handbag it might cost you £1,000 but if you wanted a premium, high end brand of handbag such as Hermes you would be looking at £8,000 plus. Is there any quality difference between the bags apart from the brand name, logo or the coveted brand? In short No… They are both made from premium leather in a controlled environment and will last you a lifetime.
The first Implant was placed in 1965 and since this time we see more and more Implant manufactures year on year. Some of these manufactures have been in the industry for 10 years or more so you can understand the relevance of a 10 year guarantee. You cannot however make sense of a 10 year guarantee from an Implant company that has only been operating for 2 years! Larger Implant companies are now purchasing smaller Implant companies and this can be confusing for the patient. A good example of this is Nobel Biocare who’s main brand is manufactured in Germany purchased Alpha Bio and the brand was renamed Nobel Alpha Bio. The Alpha Bio Implants continue to be manufactured in Israel and there is no evident relationship between the quality of the two Implants. The Alpha Bio Implants are somewhat cheaper and many patients are being informed they have an actual Nobel Implant at a much lower cost.
Most patients who do a little research know that Implants are Titanium but again there are questions to ask. There are many different types of Titanium that are used for different purposes, building and medical supplies to mention a few. Titanium Grade 4 or Grade 5 are used in the medical field and should be the only type of Titanium used for Dental Implants. Unfortunately this is not always the case with cheap low quality Implants. I have also seen Titanium plated Implants being offered to Dental patients at ridiculously low prices! Before you commit to a clinic you need to ask relevant questions, if the clinic is professional they will be happy to answer your questions and find it a refreshing change to the standard ‘how much is a Dental Implant at your clinic?’
Another tell-tale sign is when the price of the Implant increases according to the period of guarantee you would like. For example, there are a few dental companies facilitating treatments in London or in eastern Europe who have a tiered pricing structure for the same Implant brand according to the length of guarantee you choose. £480 for a 5 year guarantee, £590 for a 10 year guarantee or £810 for a lifetime guarantee. If the manufacture trusts the quality of their Implant the guarantee period will be fixed no matter what the cost.
To answer the question: Which Implant brand is right for me? A brand which has been proven in the market, offers a lifetime guarantee and a brand which you feel you can trust.
