Which country are Straumann implants from?

Straumann was founded in 1954 in the Swiss town of Waldenburg; it started out as an institute working on alloys and precision parts, and turned to dental implants in the decades that followed. Today it is the main brand of a Basel-based group, and that group manages several implant brands together, including Neodent. In other words, some of the 'rival' brands you come across on the market are actually under the same umbrella.

The brand's strongest point is its body of published research. Behind systems that have been in use for a long time there are clinical studies with ten, fifteen and in places even longer follow-up, and Straumann is one of the systems that features most in this literature. For you as a patient, this means that what this implant does ten years on is largely known. With a new system more is unknown, and the unknown is a cost item in its own right.

The second strong point is continuity of parts. With a system that has been in production for decades, it is usually possible today to find the screw for an implant fitted ten years ago. With a system that has been withdrawn from the market, a single loose screw can turn into renewing all the bridgework. It never appears on the bill, but in the long run it is the most expensive item.

On materials, there are two things the brand puts its own name to: implant bodies made from a titanium-zirconium alloy, and a surface treatment with its own trade name. These are real technical differences and can be meaningful in certain situations, such as narrow bone. However, almost all modern implants are made from titanium or a titanium alloy, and surface treatments give similar results; the gap is not the chasm that marketing language makes it seem.

Now for what the price does not buy. The chain that determines whether an implant is still in your mouth ten years from now runs like this: how many implants were placed, in which bone and at what angle; how the bridge on top spreads the load; whether factors such as smoking and uncontrolled diabetes are at play; and whether regular maintenance is carried out. The brand is one link in this chain; but a badly planned Straumann gives no better result than any well-planned system.

The practical conclusion: Straumann is a sound and defensible choice, especially if long-term data and continuity of parts are priorities for you. But the statement 'I chose the most expensive one, so it's guaranteed' is not true. A treatment that puts the same money into planning, the CBCT scan and the bite adjustment on the day the teeth are fitted gives a better return than an investment made through the brand.

The points below look not at the brand but at the choice of 'an expensive system with a long history'.

If you are paying the price difference, what you get in return needs to be discussed. Five questions are enough.

1. 1

   Which line, and what size?

   Straumann is not a single product; there are different body designs, alloys and diameters. The answer should relate to the width and density of your bone.

2. 2

   What does the price difference change for me?

   The answer should be concrete: a narrow-diameter option for narrow bone, a particular surface treatment, or continuity of parts. 'Better quality' is not an answer.

3. 3

   Are original parts being used?

   There are compatible top parts from third-party manufacturers on the market. If they are being used, you should be told, because in that case the brand you are paying for does not cover the whole system.

4. 4

   Will I be given an implant card?

   Brand, line, diameter, length, serial number and position. If you live outside Turkey, this document will be the only information you have in an emergency.

5. 5

   What would change if you did the same plan with another system?

   A good dentist will answer this question comfortably. The answer shows whether the choice of brand really has a technical justification.

If your budget is limited, the four items below give a higher return than the difference between brands.

This brand's reputation gives rise to a few statements that work against the patient.

If you have chosen an expensive system, the way to get value from that choice is to keep the documents.

1. Get your implant card

   Brand, line, diameter, length, serial number and the area where it was placed. Without this information, a dentist in another country cannot order the right part.

2. Keep the post-treatment X-ray

   It is the only document that shows where your bone level was on the day of the procedure. If bone loss is being discussed years later, this is the point of comparison.

3. Have the top parts used recorded too

   Whether they are original or compatible third-party parts. If nobody knows which series a part belongs to when a repair is needed, finding the right replacement takes time.

4. Set up a check-up schedule

   More often in the first year, then once a year. Setting the schedule as soon as treatment ends works much better than leaving it to memory later.

Straumann is positioned in the premium segment. The difference does not come from a single source, and not all of it matters to the patient to the same degree:

The cost of research and publication

Clinical studies with long follow-up are expensive, and this is reflected in the price. What you get in return is knowing what the system does ten years on.

Materials and manufacturing

Alloy implant bodies and certain surface treatments are costly. They make a meaningful difference in certain situations, such as narrow bone, but not to the same degree in every mouth.

Continuity of parts

With a system that has been around for decades, spare parts are very likely to be available. It does not appear on the bill, but in the long run it is the most valuable item.

Planning and clinical work

The difference between two treatments carried out with the same implant usually comes from here rather than from the brand. If the budget is going to be stretched, this is the last item to cut back on.