Tapered Internal
The workhorse. Tapered Internal has been placed in very large numbers over many years, which makes this page as relevant to people who already have one as to anyone choosing now, and its colour-coding system is the key to identifying what you have.
At a glance
- Yellow platform
- 3.5 mm
- Green platform
- 4.5 mm
- Blue platform
- 5.7 mm
- Abutment emergence
- N, R or W, narrow, regular or wide
- Abutment heights
- 2 mm, 3 mm and 5 mm
- Range context
- BioHorizons' Tapered family spans 3.0 mm narrow to wide molar diameters, in 6–18 mm lengths
The colour-coding system, and why it matters to you
BioHorizons colour-codes Tapered Internal by prosthetic platform: yellow is the 3.5 mm platform, green is 4.5 mm, blue is 5.7 mm. Component part numbers encode this too, a letter for the platform colour, then N, R or W for how wide the abutment flares as it emerges through the gum, then 3 or 5 for abutment height.
If you have a BioHorizons implant and no records, this coding is how a dentist works out what you have. Components are platform-matched, so a green-platform abutment will not seat on a yellow-platform implant. Any dentist can identify the platform from an X-ray and the exposed components, but it costs chair time and occasionally guesswork. If you still have access to the practice that placed it, asking for the platform colour and part numbers now is worth the phone call.
Platform matching versus platform switching
BioHorizons describes this line as platform matched, the abutment meets the implant at the same diameter, edge to edge. Several competitors instead use platform switching, deliberately fitting a narrower abutment so the junction sits inboard of the bone. Both approaches are in wide clinical use. Platform switching has published support for preserving crestal bone; BioHorizons' answer to that same problem is Laser-Lok, which addresses it biologically rather than geometrically.
A note on age
Older implants are not failing implants. A Tapered Internal placed fifteen years ago and still healthy needs no intervention because a newer line exists. What matters is that the components remain obtainable, and BioHorizons continues to publish current catalogues and colour-coding references for this platform, which is a good sign. Keep your records, attend maintenance appointments, and leave a working implant alone.
Questions worth asking your dentist
- Which colour platform is my implant, yellow, green or blue?
- What abutment emergence and height are you using, and why?
- Does my implant have the Laser-Lok collar?
- Is Tapered Internal still the right choice, or would Tapered Pro suit me better?
- If I already have these implants, are components still readily available?
- Will you record the platform colour and full part numbers in writing?
Related systems
Tapered Pro
The current-generation implant on the same connection family.
Tapered Short
For sites with limited bone height.
References
- BioHorizons. Tapered Internal color-coding reference. Document ML0161 Rev F.
- BioHorizons. Tapered Family Catalog & Manual. Document L02024 Rev H.
- BioHorizons. Tapered Internal Surgical Catalog & Manual. Document L01060 Rev C.
Specifications compiled from BioHorizons's publicly available product literature and Canadian product pages. Manufacturer performance claims are identified as such. DentalImplantInfo.ca is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by BioHorizons. BioHorizons, Laser-Lok, Tapered Pro, Tapered Internal, Tapered Short, Tapered PTG and RBT are trademarks of their respective owners, used here for identification and educational purposes.