If you're researching dental implants, you've probably noticed something most clinics don't mention: the brand of implant they place. Some clinics use premium global brands. Some use cheaper generic implants from less-established manufacturers. The brand difference matters more than most patients realize.
At Apex, we place Neodent implants, a brand owned by Straumann, the global leader in dental implants. Here's why we chose them, what the brand difference actually means for your long-term outcome, and how to ask any clinic which brand they place.
The implant brand landscape
Globally, dental implants are made by dozens of manufacturers, but the market is dominated by a small group of premium brands:
- Straumann (Switzerland), generally considered the gold standard. Their flagship Roxolid implants are widely cited in long-term clinical studies.
- Nobel Biocare, pioneered modern implant dentistry. Their All-on-4 protocol is the industry standard.
- Neodent, Brazilian manufacturer acquired by Straumann group. Premium quality at slightly lower cost than the Straumann flagship.
- Hiossen, BioHorizons, Zimmer Biomet, Dentsply Sirona, other major brands, varying quality tiers.
Below the premium tier are generic and value-tier brands, implants manufactured by smaller companies or in countries with less stringent regulatory oversight. These typically cost a fraction of the premium brands and are sometimes used by clinics competing on price.
Why brand actually matters
You won't see the implant. It's buried in your jaw bone, with a crown or prosthesis sitting on top. So why care about the brand?
1. Long-term clinical data
Premium brands have decades of follow-up data showing strong, well-documented long-term success rates. Generic implants may have similar short-term performance but lack the long-term studies. When something is designed to remain in your body for decades, you want the brand backed by decades of published clinical data.
2. Surface treatment
The titanium surface of an implant is microscopically textured to encourage bone integration. Premium brands invest heavily in surface engineering. The difference between a Neodent surface and a generic surface isn't visible to the naked eye, but it materially affects how quickly and reliably the bone bonds with the implant.
3. Consistency
Premium manufacturers have tighter quality control. Every Neodent implant has the same dimensions, torque tolerance, and surface treatment. With generic brands, lot-to-lot variability is higher, and that variability can affect surgical outcomes.
4. Component compatibility
If you ever need a crown replaced, an abutment changed, or a component repaired 15 years from now, premium brands maintain backward compatibility. Generic implants from smaller manufacturers may go out of business, leaving you with a system that no one stocks parts for.
5. Surgeon training
Top-tier surgeons train extensively on premium brands. The instruments, drilling protocols, and surgical workflows are all optimized for the specific implant system. Using a generic implant means deviating from those proven protocols.
Why specifically Neodent
Neodent sits in a very specific spot in the market: Straumann group quality at a more accessible price point.
Neodent was founded in Brazil in the 1990s and acquired by Straumann in 2012. Since acquisition, Neodent has been integrated into Straumann's global supply chain, surface treatment science, and clinical research network. The implants are manufactured to Straumann standards, but priced more accessibly than the Straumann flagship.
For our practice model, high-quality care at transparent, affordable pricing, Neodent is the right fit. We can pass the cost difference to patients (our $12,500 All-on-4 vs $25,000 at clinics using Straumann flagship) without compromising on the underlying implant quality.
Neodent implant vs Straumann: what is the actual difference?
This is the question patients ask most once they learn the two are related, and the honest answer is that it's a narrower gap than the branding suggests. Neodent and the Straumann-branded lines are not competitors in the usual sense. Since 2012 they have been two tiers of the same group, sharing the same corporate quality system, the same research network, and overlapping manufacturing science.
Where a Neodent implant and a Straumann-branded implant genuinely differ:
- Fixture design and connection geometry. Each line has its own implant-abutment connection. They are not cross-compatible, which is exactly why the brand and model belong in your treatment record.
- Surface technology. Both groups run proprietary surface treatments developed to speed and stabilize bone integration, but they are different treatments with separate research programs behind them.
- Price positioning. The Straumann-branded flagship carries a premium; Neodent is positioned below it. This is the difference that reaches the patient's invoice.
- Clinical literature depth. The Straumann flagship lines have the longer published follow-up record, simply because they have existed under that brand longer.
What does not differ is the tier of manufacturer. Choosing Neodent is not the same decision as choosing a value-tier or generic implant from an unaffiliated manufacturer, and it should not be compared to one. That distinction is the entire point of asking a clinic which brand it places.
What we do NOT use, and why
We don't use generic or value-tier implants. Even though they'd let us drop our pricing further, we wouldn't feel comfortable placing them in our patients. The risk-reward doesn't work:
- Maybe save $200 per implant in materials cost
- Risk: a higher long-term failure rate, with far less published evidence available to size it
- Risk: component compatibility issues 15+ years out
- Risk: lower long-term clinical evidence
For a procedure designed to last decades, we'd rather hold the line on quality and find pricing efficiency elsewhere, through volume, transparency, and lower marketing overhead.
How to ask any clinic which brand they use
If you're consulting at multiple clinics, ask this exact question:
“What brand and model of implant do you place? Is it Straumann, Nobel Biocare, Neodent, or another manufacturer?”
You'll learn a lot from the response:
- Confident, specific answer (e.g. “We place Neodent Drive CM”), good sign. The clinic invests in premium brands and trains specifically on them.
- Vague answer (e.g. “FDA-approved implants”), concerning. They may be using a value-tier brand they don't want to name.
- Refusal to specify, significant red flag. The brand is a basic technical detail that any implant practice should disclose.
What to look for at consultation
At your free consultation, ask about:
- Implant brand and model (you should get a specific answer)
- Surface treatment (premium brands have proprietary surface technology)
- Manufacturer warranty (Neodent fixtures carry a manufacturer's lifetime warranty against defects)
- How long the clinic has used this brand
Neodent vs Straumann: quick answers
Is Neodent the same as Straumann?
Not the same product line, but the same company. Neodent is a Brazilian implant manufacturer that Straumann acquired in 2012, and it now sits inside the Straumann Group alongside the Straumann-branded lines. So a Neodent implant is a Straumann Group implant, made inside Straumann's quality system, but it is not the same fixture as a Straumann-branded one.
Neodent implant vs Straumann: what is the practical difference for a patient?
The differences that actually matter are fixture design, surface treatment, and price. The Straumann-branded lines and the Neodent lines use different proprietary surface technologies and different connection geometries, and both are premium-tier systems with published clinical literature behind them. For most routine cases this is a clinical and cost decision the surgeon makes, not something a patient needs to arbitrate.
Is a Neodent implant cheaper than a Straumann-branded implant?
The fixture cost is lower, and that is a real part of why our All-on-4 pricing is what it is. The difference sits in the fixture and its market positioning, not in a lower manufacturing standard, since both are produced inside the Straumann Group.
How do I confirm which implant brand a clinic actually places?
Ask for the brand and the model, not just whether the implants are FDA-approved. A practice that invests in a premium system will name it without hesitation and can usually show you the fixture and the manufacturer documentation at your consultation.
Schedule your free consultation: (916) 886-1806 or book online. We're happy to show you the actual Neodent implant samples and explain the surface engineering at your visit.
