There are many (about 175) manufacturers of dental implants.
The good thing is that most of the implants available nowadays are of good quality. That being said, some are much better than others though.
Implants vary in many respects. Most root form implants are shaped like screws. Some are tapered and some are straight. Some are long and skinny and some are short and fat. Every situation and every tooth is unique. One size does not fit all.
Certain dental implants have aggressive large threads, while others have micro threads or none at all!
Far more important than the implant itself, is the skill and experience of your implant dentist.
Some implants have surface coatings and others have been acid-etched to create a micro-roughened surface. These help the implants "take" to the bone.
Most older implant systems use an “external hex.”
Some dentists still use these out-dated implants. The problem with an external hex is the abutment screw is more likely to become loose after the crown is already on the implant! For some, the loose screws can turn into broken screws which can become difficult to remove. As an implant dentist in Burbank, I am often referred the toughest cases around.
Most newer implants use an “internal connection” at the implant-abutment
junction. You will likely never have a loose screw with an internal connection implant. It can happen, but it is not nearly as common anymore. Internal hexes and Morse taper cold weld connections are more in favor today.
Besides a lack of screw loosening, the junction of the two parts is tighter which may prevent bone loss and bacterial leakage for years to come after your implants are in.
Some implants have no connection. They are one piece implants so they are just a solid piece of titanium without an abutment screw.
I use tapered, internal connection or one-piece implants for my patients. They have a high success rate and are superior to straight wall, external systems.
Questions?
I have had the same implant fail 3 times within 2 years. Is this possible? Should my oral surgeon be using a more aggressive thread pattern?
Hmm…maybe a second opinion?
Good to know….. so what is your opinion of the “mini-implants”… probably 6 below & 6 above ?
Also, just heard about the Zimmer / Trabecular implant that grows to the bone….Your opinion ?
the Zimmer dental implant is nothing completely unusual. I am not a big fan.
information about miniature dental implants can be found here
You mention Morse Taper connections, but as an engineer I know that unless the implant is of sufficienct size to fit into a blue whale, it can NOT be called a true Morse Taper connection and so the benefits claimed by the manufacturer shed doubts on the legitimacy of the whole thing. Thoughts?
I love engineers!!!!!!! We are both very detailed people. The Morse taper is integrated into a dental implant call the ASTRA dental implant system. You should have a look at some of their products if you’re interested in the technical details of implant design
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