Tapered Pro Conical
The current flagship. BioHorizons took its tapered body and Laser-Lok collar and put them on a conical connection, the joint design most of the industry has converged on for immediate placement and aesthetic work.
At a glance
- Connection type
- Conical, friction-locked taper
- Collar
- Laser-Lok microchannels
- Body shape
- Tapered, for primary stability
- Implant surface
- RBT, resorbable blast texturing
- Typical use
- Immediate placement; aesthetic zone
- Compatibility
- Conical parts only, not interchangeable with internal hex lines
Why a conical connection
A conical joint locks two tapered surfaces together by friction. Under chewing loads it resists micro-movement better than a flat-seated hex joint, and it narrows the microscopic gap at the implant-abutment junction where bacteria accumulate. Straumann's TorcFit, Nobel's conical connection and Neodent's Grand Morse all work on this principle. Tapered Pro Conical is BioHorizons' entry into that mainstream.
Combining it with Laser-Lok is the interesting part: the conical joint addresses the mechanical seal, and Laser-Lok addresses the biological one. Those are two different problems at the same location.
The Laser-Lok element
A band of microscopic laser-cut grooves around the implant collar, sized so gum connective tissue fibres physically anchor into them instead of sliding down the metal. BioHorizons states this creates a biological seal that protects the bone beneath, and cites a controlled multi-centre study reporting 70 % less bone loss at 37 months than identical implants without it. That research is largely manufacturer-funded, the full picture is on our BioHorizons brand page.
What to confirm before you agree
First, BioHorizons states Laser-Lok is not available in every country. If the tissue-attachment technology is why you are choosing this system, confirm the implant actually being ordered for you carries the Laser-Lok collar.
Second, BioHorizons runs several connection types across its Tapered family. Conical components do not fit the internal hex lines and vice versa. Get the connection type recorded, not just the family name, “Tapered Pro” alone is ambiguous.
Questions worth asking your dentist
- Is this the conical version or the internal hex Tapered Pro?
- Does the implant you are ordering definitely have the Laser-Lok collar?
- What diameter and length, and does my bone support that?
- Are you using Laser-Lok abutments as well, or only the implant?
- Why this rather than Tapered Internal for my case?
- Will you record connection type, platform, diameter, length and reference number in writing?
Related systems
Tapered Pro
The same body and collar on BioHorizons' internal hex connection.
Tapered Internal
The long-serving workhorse line with colour-coded platforms.
References
- BioHorizons. Tapered Pro Conical Catalog, Surgical and Manual. Document L02091 Rev F.
- BioHorizons. Key Technological Features of the Tapered Pro Conical System. Document ML0187.
- BioHorizons. Laser-Lok Microchannels: Clinical Overview. Document ML0606 Rev J.
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.