Technology
Materials, surfaces & connections
Three things make one implant system different from another: what it is made of, how its surface is treated, and how the tooth part attaches to it. Here is what each term means, in plain words.
Materials · Surfaces · Connections
Materials
Commercially pure titanium
Unalloyed titanium, graded by small differences in oxygen and iron content. Grade 4 is the strongest commercially pure grade and is widely used for implant fixtures.
Systems in our database: NobelActiveOsstem TSIIIMegaGen AnyRidge
Related reviews: Haimov E 2023
Titanium–zirconium alloy
A titanium alloy with roughly 13–17% zirconium. Straumann markets its Ti-Zr material as Roxolid®. It is still a metal implant, not a ceramic one.
Systems in our database: Straumann BLX
Related reviews: Haimov E 2023
Zirconia (ceramic)
A tooth-coloured ceramic used for metal-free implants. There is less long-term data than for titanium, and review results depend on the endpoint and follow-up period.
Systems in our database: none yet
Related reviews: Padhye NM 2023Morena D 2024Haimov E 2023
Surfaces
The surface is the outer skin of the implant where bone attaches. Manufacturers use different blasting, etching, anodizing or chemical steps. Roughness numbers from different companies can't be compared directly.
SLActive® · Straumann
SLA-type surface kept hydrophilic by the manufacturer's packaging process (FDA K173961 describes it as hydrophilic).
Used on: Straumann BLX
TiUltra™ · Nobel Biocare
Anodized surface with graded oxide thickness and a protective salt layer intended to preserve hydrophilicity (FDA K202344).
Used on: NobelActive
TiUnite® · Nobel Biocare
Earlier anodized oxide surface used on NobelActive before TiUltra.
Used on:
Xpeed® · MegaGen
SLA-type surface; the manufacturer describes calcium incorporation, while FDA K140091 lists the treatment as SLA.
Used on: MegaGen AnyRidge
Connections
The connection is the joint between the implant in the bone and the abutment that holds the crown. It matters most for dentists and technicians, because parts from one connection type don't fit another.
Internal conical
The abutment sits inside a cone in the implant. Many modern systems combine the cone with an anti-rotation index (hex, Torx-style or tri-oval).
Systems in our database: Straumann BLXNobelActive
Internal hex
A six-sided socket inside the implant keeps the abutment from rotating. Some 'internal hex' systems also have a tapered seat, so the label alone does not say how the connection seals.
Systems in our database: NobelActiveOsstem TSIIIMegaGen AnyRidge
External hex
A hexagon sits on top of the implant. This is the classic Brånemark-era design and is still important for identifying older implants.
Systems in our database: none yet
Reviews of randomized trials found differences between connection designs in bone-level changes, while implant survival did not clearly differ. See the evidence explorer for the papers.