Dr Scott J Turner | Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) | Sydney
The implant brand question comes up at almost every breast augmentation consultation. Patients have usually done some research before they arrive, and the brand-versus-brand comparisons online can be surprisingly polarised. The honest framing is that several manufacturers produce implants suitable for breast augmentation, and the differences between them are smaller than the marketing suggests. But the choice of brand still matters, and the reasons a specific surgeon prefers a specific brand reflect genuine clinical judgement that’s worth understanding.
Dr Scott J Turner is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) with over a decade in private practice. He has performed more than 1,000 breast procedures and consults from his Sydney clinics in Bondi Junction and Manly. The article that follows walks through why Dr Turner uses Mentor implants as his primary choice for breast augmentation, the manufacturer’s product characteristics, the warranty program, the regulatory background, and the situations where alternative implants like Motiva enter the discussion.
The Honest Position on Implant Brand Choice
Quick framing first. Several breast implant manufacturers produce implants approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The major brands available include:
- Mentor (Johnson & Johnson MedTech)
- Motiva (Establishment Labs)
- Allergan/Natrelle (AbbVie)
All three have well-documented safety records, regulatory approval, and produce implants used in tens of thousands of cases globally each year. None of them is dramatically better than the others across all metrics. Each has specific characteristics that make it a stronger fit for certain situations than others.
What I tell patients in clinic: the brand decision is part of the surgical plan rather than a standalone choice. The more important questions are implant size, shape, projection, and placement. Brand becomes the next layer of decision once those are settled, and brand preference reflects what a particular surgeon has the most experience with and trusts to deliver consistent results.
For breast augmentation in this practice, Mentor is the primary choice for most cases, with Motiva used in specific situations. The reasons follow.
Mentor: Company Background
Mentor was founded in California in 1969 and became a major breast implant manufacturer through subsequent decades. The company was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2009, and breast implants are now manufactured under the Johnson & Johnson MedTech division. The Mentor brand has been continuously available in Australia since approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Why this matters for patients:
- Long manufacturing history: Mentor has produced breast implants for over 50 years, with established quality control and continuous product refinement
- Backed by a major medical device company: Johnson & Johnson MedTech has the resources to support long-term warranty programs, post-market surveillance, and regulatory compliance
- Continuous TGA approval in Australia: the implants used here are the same products supported by the global Mentor infrastructure
- Established supply chain: practical matter, but availability of specific sizes and shapes is more reliable with major manufacturers than smaller brands
The corporate stability matters more than patients sometimes appreciate. Implants are intended to remain in place for many years (often 15 to 20 years or longer), and warranty programs that depend on a manufacturer being around in 20 years carry meaningful weight. Smaller implant manufacturers have come and gone in the breast implant market over the years, sometimes leaving patients without warranty support when issues arise.
Mentor MemoryGel Implants
MemoryGel is the cohesive silicone gel formulation used in Mentor’s silicone breast implants. The cohesive gel technology has been the standard in breast implants globally for over two decades, and Mentor’s specific formulation is designed to balance several characteristics:
- Cohesivity: the gel holds together as a unit rather than flowing like older liquid silicone formulations. Even if the implant shell is damaged, the gel stays in place rather than leaking into surrounding tissue
- Softness: the gel is firm enough to hold its shape but soft enough to feel similar to natural breast tissue
- Memory: the gel returns to its original shape after deformation (a useful property in active patients)
- Stability: the formulation is designed to maintain its characteristics over many years
The MemoryGel formulation is used across Mentor’s standard round implants. Mentor also produces a higher-cohesivity formulation (MemoryShape) used in their anatomical (teardrop) implants, where greater shape retention matters.
Mentor Product Range Used in Practice
Mentor produces several implant categories that cover the range of clinical situations encountered in primary breast augmentation:
Round Smooth Implants
The most commonly used Mentor implant in contemporary practice. Round shape, smooth shell, MemoryGel filling. Suits patients seeking a soft, mobile result with the option of either subglandular, dual plane, or submuscular placement.
Available in:
- Multiple projection profiles (Moderate, Moderate Plus, High, Xtra Full)
- Wide size range to match different chest wall dimensions and aesthetic goals
Round Textured Implants
Round shape with textured shell. Used less frequently than smooth in current practice due to the textured-implant safety considerations that emerged with BIA-ALCL (a rare form of lymphoma associated with certain textured implants). Mentor’s specific textured surface (Siltex) has a different texture pattern from the macrotextured implants associated with the highest BIA-ALCL risk, but the field has generally moved toward smooth implants where clinically appropriate.
Anatomical (Teardrop) Implants
Mentor produces anatomical implants under the CPG (Contour Profile Gel) range. Used in selective situations where a teardrop shape matches the surgical goal. Less commonly used in current practice than round implants because round implants tend to behave similarly to anatomical implants once positioned in dual plane placement, with less risk of rotation.
Implant Sizing in the Australian Context
For Australian patients, Mentor implants are available across the range of sizes typically requested. Most primary breast augmentation patients in Australia choose implants in the 250 to 400cc range, with the specific size determined by chest wall measurements, body proportions, and aesthetic goals discussed at consultation.
The Mentor Warranty Program (MentorPromise)
The warranty backing on breast implants matters more than patients sometimes realise. Mentor’s warranty program (MentorPromise Protection Plan) covers several scenarios:
Lifetime device replacement for confirmed implant rupture. If a Mentor implant ruptures during your lifetime, the company provides replacement implants at no charge. This applies to both saline and silicone Mentor implants used in primary or revision breast augmentation.
Financial assistance for revision surgery costs related to confirmed rupture or capsular contracture (Baker Grade III or IV) within the first 10 years post-implant. The amount of assistance varies and is detailed in the program documentation.
Coverage transferability if you change surgeons or move geographically, provided documentation requirements are met.
What this means practically: if something goes wrong with the implant itself in years to come, the warranty provides defined support rather than leaving you to cover replacement costs entirely out of pocket. This isn’t a guarantee against complications, and surgical revision costs (surgeon fee, anaesthetist fee, hospital costs) aren’t fully covered, but the device replacement and partial financial assistance reduces the financial impact of these scenarios.
The warranty registration is completed at the time of surgery. Documentation is provided to keep with your medical records.
Why Mentor Is the Primary Choice in This Practice
Several specific factors drive the preference:
1. Consistency Across Cases
After more than 1,000 breast procedures, having an implant brand that behaves consistently from case to case matters. Mentor implants have predictable handling characteristics, predictable settling patterns, and predictable long-term outcomes. That consistency translates to better surgical planning and more reliable results for patients.
2. Long-Term Safety Data
Mentor implants have decades of post-market surveillance data showing long-term safety performance. The company participates in regulatory monitoring programs internationally, which means problems get identified and addressed quickly. For a device that stays in the body for many years, the depth of safety data matters.
3. Range of Options for Specific Anatomies
The full Mentor range covers the size, shape, and projection options needed for the variety of anatomies encountered in primary breast augmentation. Having a complete product range from a single trusted manufacturer simplifies surgical planning and avoids the situation where the right implant for a specific patient comes from a brand the surgeon uses less frequently.
4. Warranty Backing
The MentorPromise warranty program is one of the more comprehensive in the breast implant industry. The combination of lifetime device replacement and financial assistance for confirmed complications provides meaningful support if issues arise long-term.
5. Established Australian Supply
Mentor implants have continuous availability in Australia through established medical device distribution. The practical matter of being able to confirm specific implants are available for scheduled surgery dates is not trivial, and major manufacturers tend to have more reliable supply chains than smaller alternatives.
When Motiva Is Used as a Secondary Choice
Motiva implants (Establishment Labs) are also used in this practice for specific clinical situations. The two main scenarios:
Patient request after thorough consultation discussion. Some patients arrive having researched Motiva specifically and request the brand. If the request is made after a detailed discussion of why the surgeon’s primary choice is Mentor, and if Motiva is clinically appropriate for their specific situation, the brand request can be accommodated.
Specific anatomical or clinical findings where Motiva’s product characteristics align well with the surgical plan. Motiva offers some specific product features (Ergonomix gel formulation, SmoothSilk surface) that suit certain situations.
The decision between Mentor and Motiva isn’t framed as one being objectively better. Both are well-established, TGA-approved implant brands with appropriate safety records. The preference for Mentor as the practice default reflects accumulated experience, consistency across cases, and the warranty/supply considerations above. The selective use of Motiva reflects situations where specific characteristics make it a better fit.
What the practice doesn’t use: implant brands without TGA approval for the Australian market, implants from manufacturers with limited safety surveillance data, or any implant brand the surgeon doesn’t have substantial experience with.
How Implant Brand Fits into the Wider Surgical Decision
The brand discussion is one part of the implant conversation, not the whole conversation. The decision sequence at consultation:
Step 1: Implant size. Determined by chest wall measurements, body proportions, breast tissue volume, and aesthetic goals. This is the most consequential implant decision.
Step 2: Implant shape. Round vs anatomical. Round suits the majority of cases in current practice. See the round vs teardrop blog for detail.
Step 3: Implant projection. Moderate, Moderate Plus, High, or Xtra Full. Determined by chest wall depth and the specific aesthetic goal.
Step 4: Implant placement. Subglandular, submuscular, or dual plane. See the implant placement blog for detail.
Step 5: Implant brand. Mentor as the primary choice, with Motiva considered for specific situations.
Step 6: Whether to use Internal Bra reinforcement. See the Internal Bra technique blog for detail.
By the end of this conversation, you have a defined surgical plan with specific implant specifications. The brand is part of that plan rather than the whole plan, and the focus stays on what’s right for your specific anatomy and goals rather than treating brand as a standalone marketing decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Dr Turner prefer Mentor implants?
Several factors drive the preference: consistency across more than 1,000 breast procedures, decades of long-term safety data, a complete product range covering different anatomies, comprehensive warranty backing through MentorPromise, and reliable Australian supply chain availability through Johnson & Johnson MedTech distribution. None of these factors makes Mentor objectively better than other TGA-approved brands, but the combination supports it as the practice default for primary breast augmentation.
What is the Mentor warranty for breast implants?
The MentorPromise Protection Plan provides lifetime device replacement for confirmed implant rupture (free replacement implants if a Mentor implant ruptures), and financial assistance for revision surgery costs related to confirmed rupture or Baker Grade III/IV capsular contracture within the first 10 years post-implant. The warranty is registered at the time of surgery and travels with the patient if they change surgeons or relocate, provided documentation requirements are met.
Is Mentor approved for use in Australia?
Yes. Mentor breast implants are approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for use in Australia and have been continuously available since regulatory approval. The implants used in Australian practice are the same products supported by the global Mentor infrastructure under Johnson & Johnson MedTech.
Can I request a different implant brand if Mentor is not what I want?
Yes, this can be discussed at consultation. Some patients arrive having researched specific brands like Motiva and request that brand. If the request is made after a detailed discussion of why Mentor is the practice’s primary choice, and if the requested brand is clinically appropriate for the specific situation, the brand preference can be accommodated. The practice uses both Mentor (primary) and Motiva (secondary) as standard options.
Are Mentor implants better than other brands?
Not objectively. Several major implant manufacturers produce implants approved for use in Australia with well-documented safety records: Mentor, Motiva, and Allergan/Natrelle. None is dramatically better than the others across all metrics. Each has specific characteristics that suit certain situations. The preference for Mentor in this practice reflects accumulated experience, consistency across cases, and specific factors like warranty and supply, rather than any claim that the brand is inherently better than alternatives.
Consult with Dr Scott J Turner in Sydney
Dr Scott J Turner is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) consulting at his Bondi Junction and Manly clinics in Sydney. Surgery is performed at accredited private hospitals in Sydney, including Bondi Junction Private Hospital, Delmar Private Hospital in Dee Why, and East Sydney Private Hospital.
Every consultation is conducted personally by Dr Turner. There are no patient representatives or coordinators standing in for the surgeon. A minimum of two consultations is required before any surgery is booked, in line with AHPRA requirements. The implant brand conversation is one component of a wider surgical planning discussion that includes size, shape, projection, placement, and the use of techniques like Internal Bra reinforcement where clinically appropriate.
If you’re considering breast augmentation surgery, the next step is to obtain a GP referral and book an initial consultation. Contact the practice on [email protected] or via the contact page to begin the process. For more detail on the procedure itself, see the breast augmentation page and the Breast Augmentation Sydney 2026 Guide.
