Straumann · Implant System

Straumann BLX

BLX is the bone-level half of Straumann's tapered pairing with TLX. Where the implant top must finish level with the bone, most often for a front tooth, this is the system Straumann offers.

Type
Bone level, fully tapered
Material
Roxolid titanium-zirconium alloy
Surface
SLActive
Connection
TorcFit conical

At a glance

Placement
Bone level, implant top finishes at the bone crest
Connection
TorcFit, shared with TLX
Drilling
One common drill set with TLX
Material
Roxolid
Surface
SLActive
Typical use
Aesthetic zone; immediate protocols in all bone types

Why bone level exists at all

On a bone-level implant the top of the fixture sits flush with the bone, and a separate abutment passes up through the gum to carry the crown. That gives the dentist freedom to choose the abutment's height, angle and shape after the implant has healed, rather than committing to it during surgery.

For a front tooth this flexibility is close to essential. The crown must emerge from the gum at a natural angle and the junction must be invisible. A bone-level design lets the restoration be shaped around what the gum actually does during healing, which is not entirely predictable in advance.

The shared-drill argument

Why Straumann sells TLX and BLX as a pair

Straumann states that TLX and BLX use one common drill set and the same TorcFit connection. That matters more to your dentist than to you, but it has one patient-facing consequence: a practice can stock both and decide between tissue level and bone level based on your case, rather than on which kit they own. If your dentist offers only one of the two, it is fair to ask whether the choice is clinical or logistical.

What TorcFit is

TorcFit is Straumann's conical connection. A conical joint works by friction between two matching tapered surfaces, push them together and they lock. In implants this resists micro-movement under chewing load and narrows the gap where bacteria could accumulate. It is the same principle as Neodent's Grand Morse and Nobel's conical connection; the engineering differs in the details, not the concept.

A note on what we can and cannot tell you here

Straumann's Canadian documentation for BLX in our source material is thinner than for TLX, we have the system's positioning and connection details, but not a published diameter and length table of the kind shown on the TLX page. Rather than reproduce figures we cannot verify, we have left them out. Ask your dentist for the specific diameter and length proposed for your case.

Questions worth asking your dentist

  1. Why BLX rather than TLX for this tooth?
  2. What diameter and length are you planning, and does my bone support it?
  3. Will the abutment be a stock component or custom-made?
  4. How will the crown margin be hidden at the gum line?
  5. Are you using SLActive, and does that change my healing timeline?
  6. Will you record the platform, diameter, length and reference number in writing?

Related systems

Tissue level

Straumann TLX

The tissue-level counterpart, sharing the same drill set.

Zygomatic

Straumann Zygomatic

For severe upper-jaw bone loss where BLX cannot be placed.

Compare this against other systems

See how Straumann sits alongside every other major manufacturer on connection type, materials, surface and price tier.

Compare Implant Systems

References

  1. Straumann. BLX Implant System. Straumann product documentation.
  2. Straumann. TLX Implant System, System Overview. Document CALIT-1432.
  3. Straumann. SLActive: Performance Beyond Imagination. Brochure USLIT-1030.

Specifications compiled from Straumann'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 Straumann. Straumann, Roxolid, SLActive, SLA, TLX, BLX, TorcFit, VeloDrill, Optiloc and ZAGA are trademarks of their respective owners, used here for identification and educational purposes.