It’s important to choose a good dental implant manufacturer. Here’s why.
The options for purchasing dental implant products are vast in 2020. There are upwards of 150 dental implant manufacturers worldwide, with top dogs Nobel Biocare and Straumann leading the way. Other household names in the industry include Biomet 3i (Zimmer Biomet), BioHorizons and Dentsply Sirona. The dental implant industry is young but fierce. While dentures – the tooth replacement alternative to implants – hold a strong place over the course of human history, dating back to the ancient Etruscan civilization of northern Italy around 700 BC, dental implants are quite new – with the first being placed in a human volunteer in 1956 by Swedish orthopedic surgeon Per-Ingvar Brånemark.
The five companies mentioned above all got their start more than 30 years ago and are considered industry veterans. They have the global connections, long-time reputations and industry know-how that they’ve developed from the start of the implant industry. Yet the industry is seeing a fascinating surge of smaller companies, on the rise with a lot to offer in the way of innovation and taking dental implant manufacturing in an exciting direction, with the increase in demand for dental implants allowing this growth to happen rapidly. So of the 150 companies at your fingertips, which one do you choose? It’s important to properly choose a dental implant manufacturer for the sake of both the dentist and the patient. Let’s take a look at why.
Implant quality and success
Not all implants are created equal, and using the best quality materials according to current research is a must. Issues such as poor/failed osseointegration or material breakage due to poorly manufactured products are not issues to be tinkered with. Titanium implants with treated surfaces (sandblasted large-grit acid-etched, also known as SLA) are ideal for most clinical situations, as these characteristics are found to be the most successful for healing and long-term implant stability. Make sure that the manufacturer you are buying from has certifications that prove their materials and practices are up to par. A reliable manufacturer should have ISO certifications and be FDA approved/certified. Your manufacturer’s choice of materials and production technique are something that will affect a patient for his/her entire life, so it is crucial that the dentist verify that the manufacturer is devoted to high quality.
Product availability
In the medical world, it is important for the patient’s health and for a professional’s business that products are available immediately upon request and that there be no waiting time due to backordering or poor means of delivery. The assurance that the products you need for each and every unique case are readily available is something that should not be a luxury, but rather expected. Smooth, uninterrupted production coupled with reliable (global, if the country is international) distribution channels are necessary to get the products to the dentist in an acceptable amount of time.
Reliability and service
Doing business with a mushrooming company defined by poor communication and service is never on someone’s to-do list. Being able to rely on a manufacturer that not only provides you with great service during your purchase, but the appropriate, quick-response support should you have any issues with your purchases, is indispensable. This kind of behavior is what keeps a business growing and its customers returning.
Compatibility
If you do choose to go with a smaller manufacturer, great. Just keep in mind that they can have limitations, and try to stay away from those manufactures that will potentially cause compatibility issues with the brands you already are working with or may work with in the future. The larger dental implant manufacturers that have been around for decades produce a large portion of the market’s products. Therefore, it is important that any smaller manufacturer you guys from is producing products compatible with an array of implant systems, in order to allow crossover between their products and the most common ones found on the market.
There’s no reason, with the over 150 dental implant manufacturers around the world, to source your implant system supplies from a company that isn’t giving you the best the market has to offer.
