Astra Tech Implant System EV vs Neodent Helix GM

Quick answer

Astra Tech EV and Neodent Helix are current implants from two companies at opposite ends of the price spectrum — Dentsply Sirona in the premium segment, Neodent as the Straumann Group value brand. Both are well-documented tapered systems, and the choice is a clinical and commercial one rather than a matter of one being the better implant.

Side by side

Rows appear only where at least one side has data. Where a value is not verified we say so rather than leaving it blank.

Attribute	Astra Tech Implant System EV	Neodent Helix GM
Manufacturer	Not publicly verified	Neodent (JJGC Indústria e Comércio de Materiais Dentários S.A.), part of the Straumann GroupManufacturer-reported[5]
Current status	Current. Dentsply Sirona publishes surgical and guided surgery manuals for the system.Manufacturer-reported[1][2]	Not publicly verified
Implant level	Insufficient evidence(The surgical manual states the osteotomy depth should allow the implant to be level with or slightly submerged relative to the adjacent marginal bone, but does not label the system bone level or tissue level. The two implant instructions for use (IFU 5694 for OsseoSpeed EV and IFU 5699 for Astra Tech Implant EV Profile) do not use either term either. Where Dentsply Sirona writes "bone level" about this system it refers to marginal bone level maintenance, not to an implant classification.)	Bone level; Neodent instructs placement 1–2 mm below bone levelManufacturer-reported[5]
Body geometry	Three body shapes: OsseoSpeed EV straight, OsseoSpeed EV conical, and OsseoSpeed Profile EV, which has a sloped marginal contour and is offered in ∅ 4.2 and 4.8 mm.Manufacturer-reported[1][2]	Full dual-tapered implant with a hybrid contour — cylindrical coronally, conical apicallyManufacturer-reported[5]
Material	Titanium – Grade 4. Both implant instructions for use give the material as "Titanium – Grade 4" and list allergy or hypersensitivity to commercially pure titanium as a contraindication. This is the substrate; OsseoSpeed is a treatment of that substrate, produced by grit blasting followed by treatment in diluted hydrofluoric acid.Manufacturer-reported[3][4]	Manufacturer documentation not located(The Grand Morse catalogue does not state the fixture alloy or grade.)
Surface	OsseoSpeed. Dentsply Sirona states that implants with the OsseoSpeed surface are especially indicated for soft bone situations where implants with other surface treatments may be less effective.Manufacturer-reported[1]	Offered on two surfaces: NeoPoros, a blasted and acid-etched surface with a reported roughness of Sa 1.4–1.8 µm, and Acqua, the hydrophilic version of the same surfaceManufacturer-reported[5][6]
Connection	An internal interface with one-position-only placement for patient-specific abutments, six-position indexing for prefabricated indexed abutments, and free rotational seating for index-free abutments. Connection sizes are colour-coded across the diameter range.Manufacturer-reported[1]	Grand Morse — a deep 16-degree Morse taper with an internal index, a Ø3.0 mm socket and platform switching; the same connection is used on every Grand Morse implant regardless of diameterManufacturer-reported[5]
Platform switching	The guided surgery manual designates OsseoSpeed Profile EV configurations as PS (Platform Switching) and PC (Platform Compatible).Manufacturer-reported[2]	Platform switching is built into the Grand Morse connection — the abutment is narrower than the coronal area of the implantManufacturer-reported[5]
Available diameters	Connection/diameter range ∅ 3.0, 3.6, 4.2, 4.8 and 5.4 mm, colour-coded green, purple, yellow, blue and brown respectively. OsseoSpeed Profile EV is offered in ∅ 4.2 and 4.8 mm.Manufacturer-reported[1]	Ø3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.3, 5.0 and 6.0 mmManufacturer-reported[5]
Available lengths	6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 mm — the Implant Depth Gauge EV is marked to correspond to implant lengths of 6–17 mm. The guided surgery manual narrows the guided-compatible range to 6–15 mm for straight implants and 8–15 mm for conical and Profile implants.Manufacturer-reported[1][2]The two manuals describe different subsets rather than contradicting each other: the guided range is a subset of the freehand range.	8, 10, 11.5, 13, 16 and 18 mm from Ø3.5 to Ø5.0; Ø6.0 in 8, 10, 11.5 and 13 mmManufacturer-reported[5]
Immediate protocol	Not publicly verified	Indicated for immediate placement after extraction; maximum placement torque 60 Ncm, insertion speed 30 rpmManufacturer-reported[5]
Short implant option	For the 6 mm implant Dentsply Sirona advises considering the widest possible implant, a two-stage surgical approach and splinting, and states that immediate loading may not be appropriate for single-tooth replacement in soft bone or when using a 6 mm implant.Manufacturer-reported[1]	Not publicly verified

Manufacturer

Astra Tech Implant System EV

Not publicly verified

Neodent Helix GM

Neodent (JJGC Indústria e Comércio de Materiais Dentários S.A.), part of the Straumann GroupManufacturer-reported[5]

Current status

Astra Tech Implant System EV

Current. Dentsply Sirona publishes surgical and guided surgery manuals for the system.Manufacturer-reported[1][2]

Neodent Helix GM

Not publicly verified

Implant level

Astra Tech Implant System EV

Insufficient evidence(The surgical manual states the osteotomy depth should allow the implant to be level with or slightly submerged relative to the adjacent marginal bone, but does not label the system bone level or tissue level. The two implant instructions for use (IFU 5694 for OsseoSpeed EV and IFU 5699 for Astra Tech Implant EV Profile) do not use either term either. Where Dentsply Sirona writes "bone level" about this system it refers to marginal bone level maintenance, not to an implant classification.)

Neodent Helix GM

Bone level; Neodent instructs placement 1–2 mm below bone levelManufacturer-reported[5]

Body geometry

Astra Tech Implant System EV

Three body shapes: OsseoSpeed EV straight, OsseoSpeed EV conical, and OsseoSpeed Profile EV, which has a sloped marginal contour and is offered in ∅ 4.2 and 4.8 mm.Manufacturer-reported[1][2]

Neodent Helix GM

Full dual-tapered implant with a hybrid contour — cylindrical coronally, conical apicallyManufacturer-reported[5]

Material

Astra Tech Implant System EV

Titanium – Grade 4. Both implant instructions for use give the material as "Titanium – Grade 4" and list allergy or hypersensitivity to commercially pure titanium as a contraindication. This is the substrate; OsseoSpeed is a treatment of that substrate, produced by grit blasting followed by treatment in diluted hydrofluoric acid.Manufacturer-reported[3][4]

Neodent Helix GM

Manufacturer documentation not located(The Grand Morse catalogue does not state the fixture alloy or grade.)

Surface

Astra Tech Implant System EV

OsseoSpeed. Dentsply Sirona states that implants with the OsseoSpeed surface are especially indicated for soft bone situations where implants with other surface treatments may be less effective.Manufacturer-reported[1]

Neodent Helix GM

Offered on two surfaces: NeoPoros, a blasted and acid-etched surface with a reported roughness of Sa 1.4–1.8 µm, and Acqua, the hydrophilic version of the same surfaceManufacturer-reported[5][6]

Connection

Astra Tech Implant System EV

An internal interface with one-position-only placement for patient-specific abutments, six-position indexing for prefabricated indexed abutments, and free rotational seating for index-free abutments. Connection sizes are colour-coded across the diameter range.Manufacturer-reported[1]

Neodent Helix GM

Grand Morse — a deep 16-degree Morse taper with an internal index, a Ø3.0 mm socket and platform switching; the same connection is used on every Grand Morse implant regardless of diameterManufacturer-reported[5]

Platform switching

Astra Tech Implant System EV

The guided surgery manual designates OsseoSpeed Profile EV configurations as PS (Platform Switching) and PC (Platform Compatible).Manufacturer-reported[2]

Neodent Helix GM

Platform switching is built into the Grand Morse connection — the abutment is narrower than the coronal area of the implantManufacturer-reported[5]

Available diameters

Astra Tech Implant System EV

Connection/diameter range ∅ 3.0, 3.6, 4.2, 4.8 and 5.4 mm, colour-coded green, purple, yellow, blue and brown respectively. OsseoSpeed Profile EV is offered in ∅ 4.2 and 4.8 mm.Manufacturer-reported[1]

Neodent Helix GM

Ø3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.3, 5.0 and 6.0 mmManufacturer-reported[5]

Available lengths

Astra Tech Implant System EV

6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 mm — the Implant Depth Gauge EV is marked to correspond to implant lengths of 6–17 mm. The guided surgery manual narrows the guided-compatible range to 6–15 mm for straight implants and 8–15 mm for conical and Profile implants.Manufacturer-reported[1][2]The two manuals describe different subsets rather than contradicting each other: the guided range is a subset of the freehand range.

Neodent Helix GM

8, 10, 11.5, 13, 16 and 18 mm from Ø3.5 to Ø5.0; Ø6.0 in 8, 10, 11.5 and 13 mmManufacturer-reported[5]

Immediate protocol

Astra Tech Implant System EV

Not publicly verified

Neodent Helix GM

Indicated for immediate placement after extraction; maximum placement torque 60 Ncm, insertion speed 30 rpmManufacturer-reported[5]

Short implant option

Astra Tech Implant System EV

For the 6 mm implant Dentsply Sirona advises considering the widest possible implant, a two-stage surgical approach and splinting, and states that immediate loading may not be appropriate for single-tooth replacement in soft bone or when using a 6 mm implant.Manufacturer-reported[1]

Neodent Helix GM

Not publicly verified

The biggest differences

Astra Tech EV is a family of three body shapes — straight, conical and Profile — sharing one interface, chosen by tooth position. Helix is a single dual-tapered implant with a hybrid contour and a thread that changes along its length, intended to cover the broadest range of bone types on its own. So EV adapts by offering different bodies and Helix by being one adaptable body.

Design

Helix is offered from 3.5 to 6.0 mm and 8 to 18 mm; Astra Tech EV from 3.0 to 5.4 mm and 6 to 17 mm. EV lists a 6 mm implant with explicit precautions from the manufacturer; Helix's shortest is 8 mm. Both are indicated for immediate post-extraction placement, and both come from manufacturers with established international distribution.

Material and surface

Helix is offered on NeoPoros, a blasted and acid-etched surface with a reported roughness of Sa 1.4 to 1.8 micrometres, and on the hydrophilic Acqua. Astra Tech EV carries the OsseoSpeed surface, which Dentsply Sirona states is especially indicated in soft bone. Neither manufacturer document we worked from names the implant substrate, so that row is blank on both sides.

Prosthetic ecosystem

Both keep one connection across their range. Astra Tech EV's interface behaves in three ways depending on the abutment — one position, six-position or free rotation — while Neodent's Grand Morse is a deep 16 degree Morse taper with platform switching built in, identical on every diameter. Helix, Drive and Titamax all share Grand Morse, so the Neodent component set spans several implants; the EV interface is shared across the EV generation but not with older Astra Tech implants.

Cost considerations

Dentsply Sirona positions Astra Tech in the premium segment; the Straumann Group positions Neodent as its largest global challenger brand, intended to widen access at a lower price point. The two therefore sit at different prices by design. That positioning is a fact about the market, not about the bone, and a lower price is not a lower standard.

What may influence clinical selection

As with any cross-brand choice, the factors that decide it in practice are the clinician's familiarity with the system and the serviceability of components where the patient will live. Both are mainstream enough to be supportable in the UK, but a patient treated abroad should record the exact system, diameter and length, because the connection is what a future dentist orders against.

So which is better?

Neither is universally better, and any page telling you otherwise is selling something. These are different designs with different trade-offs, and the right choice depends on the bone available, the position in the mouth, the planned restoration, and what the treating clinician is equipped and experienced to place and to service years from now. That last point is easy to overlook and matters more than most specification differences: components need to remain obtainable for as long as the implant is in place.

Regulatory record

US FDA 510(k) clearances held by each side, retrieved from the FDA's own database. Clearances are held at brand level, so every system from the same brand shares this record.

Astra Tech Implant System EV

via Astra Tech Implant System

FDA 510(k) clearances

1994 – 2011

Filed by Astra Tech AB

Neodent Helix GM

via Straumann

FDA 510(k) clearances

2004 – 2026

Filed by Institut Straumann AG

A clearance count is not a quality ranking, and the larger number is not the better implant. A brand with more clearances usually has a longer history or a broader component range. FDA "clearance" also is not FDA "approval" — it means the device was accepted as substantially equivalent to one already on the market, generally without a clinical trial. A blank here means we could not match a filing with confidence, not that the brand lacks authorisation. What these actually mean →

Sources

Numbers match the citations beside each claim above.

Primary sources

[1]Surgical manual — Astra Tech Implant System® EV (32671181-USX-1804) — Dentsply Sirona. Accessed 2026-07-21.
[2]Astra Tech Implant System® EV — Guided surgery manual (32671186-US-1706) — Dentsply Sirona. Accessed 2026-07-21.
[3]Instructions for Use — Astra Tech Implant System® EV, OsseoSpeed™ EV (IFU 5694-EN Rev. 003) — Dentsply Sirona, 2022. Accessed 2026-07-22.
[4]Instructions for Use — Astra Tech Implant System® EV, Astra Tech Implant EV Profile (IFU 5699-EN Rev. 002) — Dentsply Sirona, 2022. Accessed 2026-07-22.
[5]Grand Morse Catalog 2018 (USLIT-2005) — Neodent (JJGC Industria e Comercio de Materiais Dentarios S.A.), Straumann Group, 2018. Accessed 2026-07-21.
[6]Surface concept evolution — Neodent Acqua (NAMLIT.2048) — Neodent (JJGC Industria e Comercio de Materiais Dentarios S.A.), Straumann Group. Accessed 2026-07-21.