Straumann Tissue Level
This is the design Straumann built its reputation on, and the single most extensively documented implant in the published literature. If you have had a Straumann implant for twenty years, this is very likely what you have.
At a glance
- Neck configurations
- Standard (S) and Standard Plus (SP)
- Body
- Parallel-walled, not tapered
- Surface
- SLA, with SLActive available
- Material
- Titanium, and Roxolid on newer variants
- Surgical protocol
- One-stage, no second uncovering surgery
- Evidence
- Among the longest follow-up of any implant design
Why this system still matters
Most of implant dentistry has moved to tapered, bone-level designs. Straumann's Tissue Level line is neither, and it remains in production because the evidence behind it is exceptional. When researchers need a well-characterised implant to compare a new design against, this is frequently the one they choose. Decades of follow-up data exist for it in a way that simply does not for implants launched in the last ten years.
Its defining feature is a smooth, polished collar that raises the implant-abutment junction up out of the bone and into the gum. Because the top of the implant is already above the gum line when it heals, there is no need for a second operation to uncover it.
Standard and Standard Plus
The line comes in two neck configurations, designated S (Standard) and SP (Standard Plus), which differ in how much smooth collar sits above the bone. The choice depends on how thick your gum is and how deep the implant needs to be placed. Your dentist selects between them based on the tissue at the site.
With a bone-level implant, the fixture is usually buried under the gum to heal, then a second minor procedure uncovers it weeks later. A tissue-level implant heals with its collar already exposed, so that second procedure is not needed. Straumann's literature argues this reduces disturbance to the healing soft tissue. For a patient it means one fewer appointment involving a scalpel, a modest but real benefit.
The trade-off
A parallel-sided implant does not wedge into a fresh extraction socket the way a tapered one does, so it is generally less suited to immediate placement, which is precisely why Straumann developed TLX. And as with any tissue-level implant, the polished collar can show as a grey line if gum recedes at a visible tooth. For a molar in healed bone with a patient who is not in a hurry, these limitations largely do not apply, and the depth of evidence becomes the dominant consideration.
Questions worth asking your dentist
- Is my implant Standard or Standard Plus, and why that one?
- Am I getting SLA or SLActive, and what does that change?
- Is this a one-stage procedure, or will I need a second uncovering appointment?
- Would a tapered implant such as TLX suit my site better?
- If I already have older Straumann implants, is this compatible with them?
- Will you record the exact system, neck type and reference number in writing?
Related systems
Straumann TLX
The tapered tissue-level system, better suited to immediate placement.
Straumann Mini Implant
A 2.4 mm implant used to stabilise dentures.
References
- Straumann. Compared to a BL system, what are the advantages of a TL system? Document NAMLIT.1431.
- Straumann. SLActive: Performance Beyond Imagination. Brochure USLIT-1030.
- Hermann JS, et al. Influence of a machined collar on crestal bone changes around titanium implants. J Periodontol. 2011;82(9):1329–38.
- Derks J, et al. Effectiveness of implant therapy analyzed in a Swedish population. J Dent Res. 2016;95(1):43–9.
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.