Developed in Sweden and the first fitted in 1965, dental Implants were made possible when scientists discovered that titanium integrates very well with bone (osseointegration). The two traditional manufacturers of dental implants were Nobel Biocare and Straumann. Since then some US manufacturers have made inroads into the market for implants and more recently we have seen a cluster of Israeli and other low cost producers capture market share. 

 

Click here to compare the cost of dental implants in clinics near you.

 

Most of the top manufacturers produce suitable implants that are capable of working in simple cases. However the more expensive and specialised implant manufacturers produce implants with a higher likelihood success in complex cases. We have summarised the largest implant producers below, please bear in mind that some of the infromation below has been taken from the companies websites.

 

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Nobel Biocare – Click for more info.

 

Nobel Biocare was founded in Sweden in 1981 and worked with the inventor of the titanium dental implant to commercially produce implants. The company is now headquartered in Geneva and listed on the Swiss stock exchange. Its most popular implant is the NobelReplace  for straightforward cases whilst it promotes the NobelActive for complex cases.

 

 

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Straumann – click for more info

 

In 1974, Swiss based, Straumann Research Institute produced its first dental implant. The company is now listed on Swiss stock exchange and employs over 2,000 people. Along with Nobel Biocare it is the biggest company in the market. Its product offering includes surgical, restorative and regenerative solutions – from bone augmentation and tissue regeneration, through implants and prosthetics, to individualized crowns and bridges.

 

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Alpha-Bio – click for more info

 

Alpha-Bio Tec is an Israeli implant manufacturer which started research activites in 1988. Its breakthrough came in 2003 when its developers created what became the NobelActive. Nobel Biocare was so impressed with its implant development that it paid $95m to buy the company in 2008. Alpha Bio are known for producing good quality and low cost implants.

 
 

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Zimmer Dental – click for more info

 

Zimmer Dental, owned by Zimmer Holdings Inc, began making dental implants in 1986. In 2011, Zimmer Dental turned over €205m, and Zimmer Holdings €3.69bn. It is a US company based in California. Its product lines include including root-form endosseous dental implants, prosthetic attachments for restoration, surgical instrumentation, collagen-based wound healing and regenerative products, as well as bone graft products.

 
 

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Dentsply – click for more info

 

The company was established in Germany in 1974 as part of a state government program with the goal of developing ceramic implants. It launched its popular Ankylos implant system in 1994. In 2001 the company was acquired by US NASDAQ listed company Dentsply International. It produces dental implants and bone regeneration products. Its Ankylos Implant system is very popular.

 
 

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Camlog – click for more info

 

CAMLOG was founded in 1998 in Switzerland by Dr Alex Kirsch. The Camlog implant system was launched in 1999. US NASDAQ listed company Henry Schein Inc acquired a majority stake in the company in 2004. Henry Schein Inc is the largest provider of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets. Camlog claims that it is the second most popular system on the market today.

 
 

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Implant Direct – click for more info

 

Implant Direct was founded by Dr Gerald Niznick in 2004 and launched its first implants in 2006. Dr Niznick was the founder of the Paragon Dental Implant Company (1982 – 2001) which he sold to Zimmer Dental. In December, 2010, Sybron Dental Solutions, a division of the NYSE listed Danaher Corporation, acquired a 75% interest in Implant Direct. Implant Direct has been successful by producing low cost copies of the implants produced by the major implant companies. It is also responsible for the Pitt Easy Implant system. Click Implant Direct Implants for more info.