Why We Use BioHorizons Implants (and Not Straumann or Nobel Biocare)

When patients research dental implants, they almost always come across two names: Straumann (Switzerland) and Nobel Biocare (Sweden). Those are the two most-marketed implant brands globally, the ones that show up in most "premium implant" pages.

We don't use either. We use BioHorizons exclusively. This post is the case for that decision.

The short version

BioHorizons is an American implant manufacturer based in Birmingham, Alabama. It's been on the market for 25+ years, FDA-approved, with documented success rates above 95% at 10 years and above 90% at 20 years in independent peer-reviewed studies.

It's significantly less expensive than Straumann or Nobel Biocare while delivering equivalent clinical outcomes. The difference is brand premium, not material quality.

We picked BioHorizons because:

1. The clinical evidence at 10 and 20 years is on par with the Swiss and Swedish leaders
2. The lower cost lets us pass savings to patients without compromising material
3. American manufacturing means easier supply chain, parts availability, and service worldwide
4. It's the same brand specified in many US specialty practices

For our patients, what's underneath the gumline matters; what's printed on the box matters less.

What an implant actually is

A dental implant has three parts:

1. The titanium post — the screw that goes into bone. Replaces the root.
2. The abutment — a connector that screws into the post and emerges through the gum.
3. The crown — the visible ceramic tooth on top.

For all three, manufacturer choice matters most for the post, where biocompatibility (will the bone fuse to it?) and surface treatment (how fast and reliably?) are the critical factors. The abutment is mostly a precision machining problem (the threads have to match the post). The crown is independent of implant brand; we use ZirCAD Prime zirconia regardless of which post is underneath.

So when comparing implant brands, we're really comparing the titanium posts.

What makes a good titanium post

Three properties matter:

1. Material grade. All major brands use medical-grade titanium (Grade 4 commercially pure or Grade 23 alloy). BioHorizons, Straumann, Nobel Biocare, and most other reputable brands use the same grade.

2. Surface treatment. Bare titanium fuses with bone slowly. Surface treatments (grit-blasted, acid-etched, micro-textured) accelerate osseointegration and improve long-term retention. The leading surface treatments are Straumann's SLA, Nobel's TiUnite, and BioHorizons' Laser-Lok. Independent studies have not shown statistically significant outcome differences between these three at 10 years.

3. Thread design. The pattern of threads affects how primary stability is achieved at placement and how force is distributed during healing. All three brands have engineered their threads with similar goals. In peer-reviewed comparison, no brand has demonstrated a meaningful clinical advantage in thread design.

For patients, the takeaway: the engineering bar across the top three brands is essentially the same. The difference in price is brand and marketing, not titanium.

Why we don't use Straumann

Straumann is excellent. It's also the most expensive implant on the market by a wide margin. A Straumann titanium post costs us roughly 3 to 4× what an equivalent BioHorizons post costs.

That premium reflects 50 years of Swiss brand-building, which is real value to dental supply distributors but doesn't translate to better clinical outcomes for patients. If we used Straumann, we'd have to charge $2,000 to $2,400 per implant to maintain the same margin we currently charge. That's still cheaper than the US, but it cuts the savings differential by half.

We'd rather give our patients the BioHorizons price ($1,200 all-in) and use the savings on better lab work, more clinical time, and a longer warranty.

Why we don't use Nobel Biocare

Same logic, smaller delta. Nobel sits between Straumann and BioHorizons in price; the brand premium is real but smaller. The 10-year and 20-year clinical data is roughly equivalent across the three.

In a hypothetical world where BioHorizons didn't exist and we had to choose between Straumann and Nobel, we'd probably go with Nobel for the price-to-evidence ratio. But BioHorizons does exist, and we'd rather pass the savings.

Why BioHorizons specifically

A few reasons that pushed us toward BioHorizons rather than another mid-tier brand:

American manufacturing. Birmingham, Alabama HQ. For US patients, this is a non-trivial reassurance. The implant is made and quality-controlled in the US. If a part needs replacing 10 years from now, the supply chain into Colombia (and into your local US dentist if you ever need follow-up there) is straightforward.

25+ year clinical track record. Founded in 1994, BioHorizons has the longest data window of any non-European premium implant. Most of the comparison studies you'll find in PubMed include BioHorizons data points back to the early 2000s.

Laser-Lok surface treatment. BioHorizons' surface uses a laser-microtextured collar that promotes both bone integration and soft-tissue attachment. The connective tissue forms a tighter seal at the gumline than smoother surfaces, which improves long-term peri-implantitis resistance (gum disease around the implant). This was one of the deciding factors for our team.

Specialist adoption in the US. BioHorizons is widely used in US specialty practices and academic dental schools. It's not a fringe brand. Our patients who go back to their US dentists for follow-up cleanings rarely encounter a clinician who hasn't seen one.

Pricing. As above. The total cost-to-quality ratio is the best on the market.

What if I want Straumann or Nobel?

We can place either on request. The cost goes up by roughly 50% to 100% depending on the brand and case. We're transparent about it: you'll get the same surgical placement, the same in-house lab work for the crown, and the same long-term outcomes data, just on a different post for a higher price.

In the past 18 months, exactly two patients have requested Straumann after reviewing our default. Both did so because their US specialist had originally placed Straumann on adjacent teeth and they wanted brand consistency. That's a legitimate reason. Patients asking for Straumann purely on brand recognition typically defer to BioHorizons after we walk them through the data.

How long does a BioHorizons implant last?

Our cases are still maturing (we placed our first BioHorizons in 2019), but the broader literature reports:

• 5-year survival: 97 to 98% across all clinical sites
• 10-year survival: 95 to 96%
• 20-year survival: 90 to 92%

These numbers are statistically equivalent to Straumann and Nobel at the same time horizons. The biggest predictor of failure isn't the brand; it's bruxism, smoking, and gum disease. We address all three during the consult and during aftercare.

What we cover under warranty

If a BioHorizons post fails to integrate within 12 months of placement (the rare early failure mode), we replace it at no charge under warranty, including the return flight to Medellín. After 12 months, the post itself is essentially permanent and the warranty shifts to cover the crown above it for 5 years.

Failure rates in this 12-month window are < 3% in our caseload. We don't see a meaningful difference vs. published data on Straumann or Nobel.

Related reading

• /dental-implants/ — full procedure detail with pricing and timeline
• /blog/dental-implants-cost-colombia/ — cost breakdown including trip math
• /blog/all-on-4-vs-all-on-6/ — for patients considering full-arch cases

Next step

Send your X-rays (panoramic or CBCT preferred) to WhatsApp and we'll reply within 24 hours with a personalized treatment plan, including BioHorizons implant count, expected bone work, total all-in cost, and target trip dates. Free, no obligation.

If you don't have X-rays yet, photos of your smile work as a starting point and we'll refine on Day 1 from your CBCT scan.