Straumann BLX vs Astra Tech Implant System EV

Quick answer

BLX is a single fully tapered implant offered across a wide diameter range on one internal geometry; Astra Tech EV is a family of three differently shaped bodies — straight, conical and Profile — sharing one prosthetic interface. The two therefore answer the same planning question in opposite ways: BLX varies the size, Astra Tech EV varies the shape.

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	Straumann BLX	Astra Tech Implant System EV
Current status	Current. Straumann publishes a BLX Basic Information document revised November 2024.Manufacturer-reported[1]	Current. Dentsply Sirona publishes surgical and guided surgery manuals for the system.Manufacturer-reported[3][4]
Implant level	Bone level. Straumann states that "the Straumann BLX Implant System offers Bone Level implants (BLX)".Manufacturer-reported[1]	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.)
Body geometry	Fully tapered body with a machined neck whose height varies with implant length: 1.0 mm on 6 mm and 8 mm implants, 1.7 mm on 10–14 mm implants and 2.0 mm on 16–18 mm implants.Manufacturer-reported[1]	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[3][4]
Material	Roxolid — Straumann’s titanium-zirconium alloy.Manufacturer-reported[1][2]	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[5][6]
Surface	Offered with either the SLActive or the SLA surface.Manufacturer-reported[1]	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[3]
Connection	TorcFit — a 7° conical prosthetic connection with a six-position torx-style anti-rotation feature. All BLX implants share the same internal geometry regardless of diameter, so one set of RB/WB prosthetic components fits the whole range.Manufacturer-reported[1]TorcFit is specific to BLX and TLX; it is not the CrossFit connection used by the Straumann Bone Level and Bone Level Tapered lines.	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[3]
Platform switching	Manufacturer documentation not located(The Basic Information gives a platform diameter of ∅ 2.9 mm against neck diameters of ∅ 3.4, 3.5 or 4.5 mm, but describes the prosthetic range as Regular Base and Wide Base rather than making a platform-switching claim.)	The guided surgery manual designates OsseoSpeed Profile EV configurations as PS (Platform Switching) and PC (Platform Compatible).Manufacturer-reported[4]
Available diameters	Maximum outer diameter ∅ 3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 and 6.5 mm.Manufacturer-reported[1]	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[3]
Available lengths	6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 mm. 6 mm is not offered in ∅ 3.5 mm, and 18 mm is not offered in ∅ 5.5 mm or ∅ 6.5 mm.Manufacturer-reported[1]	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[3][4]The two manuals describe different subsets rather than contradicting each other: the guided range is a subset of the freehand range.
Short implant option	Not publicly verified	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[3]
Narrow implant option	Straumann advises particular care when placing ∅ 3.5 mm Roxolid implants in the molar region or other high-load situations, because of the risk of implant overload.Manufacturer-reported[1]	Not publicly verified
Geographic availability	Straumann states that not all products are available in all markets.Manufacturer-reported[1]	Not publicly verified

Current status

Straumann BLX

Current. Straumann publishes a BLX Basic Information document revised November 2024.Manufacturer-reported[1]

Astra Tech Implant System EV

Current. Dentsply Sirona publishes surgical and guided surgery manuals for the system.Manufacturer-reported[3][4]

Implant level

Straumann BLX

Bone level. Straumann states that "the Straumann BLX Implant System offers Bone Level implants (BLX)".Manufacturer-reported[1]

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.)

Body geometry

Straumann BLX

Fully tapered body with a machined neck whose height varies with implant length: 1.0 mm on 6 mm and 8 mm implants, 1.7 mm on 10–14 mm implants and 2.0 mm on 16–18 mm implants.Manufacturer-reported[1]

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[3][4]

Material

Straumann BLX

Roxolid — Straumann’s titanium-zirconium alloy.Manufacturer-reported[1][2]

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[5][6]

Surface

Straumann BLX

Offered with either the SLActive or the SLA surface.Manufacturer-reported[1]

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[3]

Connection

Straumann BLX

TorcFit — a 7° conical prosthetic connection with a six-position torx-style anti-rotation feature. All BLX implants share the same internal geometry regardless of diameter, so one set of RB/WB prosthetic components fits the whole range.Manufacturer-reported[1]TorcFit is specific to BLX and TLX; it is not the CrossFit connection used by the Straumann Bone Level and Bone Level Tapered lines.

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[3]

Platform switching

Straumann BLX

Manufacturer documentation not located(The Basic Information gives a platform diameter of ∅ 2.9 mm against neck diameters of ∅ 3.4, 3.5 or 4.5 mm, but describes the prosthetic range as Regular Base and Wide Base rather than making a platform-switching claim.)

Astra Tech Implant System EV

The guided surgery manual designates OsseoSpeed Profile EV configurations as PS (Platform Switching) and PC (Platform Compatible).Manufacturer-reported[4]

Available diameters

Straumann BLX

Maximum outer diameter ∅ 3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 and 6.5 mm.Manufacturer-reported[1]

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[3]

Available lengths

Straumann BLX

6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 mm. 6 mm is not offered in ∅ 3.5 mm, and 18 mm is not offered in ∅ 5.5 mm or ∅ 6.5 mm.Manufacturer-reported[1]

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[3][4]The two manuals describe different subsets rather than contradicting each other: the guided range is a subset of the freehand range.

Short implant option

Straumann BLX

Not publicly verified

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[3]

Narrow implant option

Straumann BLX

Straumann advises particular care when placing ∅ 3.5 mm Roxolid implants in the molar region or other high-load situations, because of the risk of implant overload.Manufacturer-reported[1]

Astra Tech Implant System EV

Not publicly verified

Geographic availability

Straumann BLX

Straumann states that not all products are available in all markets.Manufacturer-reported[1]

Astra Tech Implant System EV

Not publicly verified

The biggest differences

BLX is one implant body in seven diameters and seven lengths. Astra Tech EV is three implant bodies at overlapping diameters: OsseoSpeed EV straight, OsseoSpeed EV conical and OsseoSpeed Profile EV, the last of which has a sloped marginal contour designed to follow a sloped ridge rather than sit flat on it. Dentsply Sirona describes the range as chosen by tooth position rather than by a single design philosophy. Both systems keep one prosthetic interface across the range, which is the feature the two have most in common.

Design

The Profile implant is the genuinely unusual element here and has no counterpart in the Straumann range: because its shoulder slopes, it can be seated on a ridge that is higher on the palatal side than the buccal without leaving the implant proud of bone on one side. BLX takes the more conventional route of a flat shoulder with a machined neck that varies in height with implant length. Astra Tech EV also reaches lower on length, listing 6 mm implants, while BLX starts at 6 mm only from 3.75 mm diameter upwards.

Material and surface

Straumann states BLX is made in Roxolid, a titanium-zirconium alloy, with either the SLActive or SLA surface. Dentsply Sirona names the Astra Tech EV surface as OsseoSpeed and states that it is especially indicated in soft bone, but the catalogue we worked from does not name the substrate, so that field is empty in our record. Again, an empty cell is an artefact of our sourcing rather than a finding.

Prosthetic ecosystem

The Astra Tech EV interface behaves in three different ways depending on the abutment: one position only for patient-specific abutments, six-position indexing for prefabricated indexed abutments, and free rotation for index-free components. That is more flexible than it first appears but also more to specify correctly on a laboratory prescription. BLX's TorcFit connection is a single 7 degree cone with a six-position feature, identical on every implant, which is simpler to order for.

Geographic availability and serviceability

Both systems are sold internationally by manufacturers with long-standing distribution, so component supply is a reasonable expectation in the UK and across Europe. Straumann states plainly that not all products are available in all markets, which is worth remembering if treatment is carried out abroad: a size available in the treating country may not be routinely stocked at home, and it is the connection rather than the implant body that determines what a UK dentist can order later.

What may influence clinical selection

Short implants are where the two diverge most usefully. Dentsply Sirona attaches explicit precautions to the 6 mm Astra Tech implant — consider the widest possible diameter, consider a two-stage approach, consider splinting, and note that immediate loading may not be appropriate for a single tooth in soft bone. Straumann's parallel caution is about narrow rather than short implants, advising particular care with 3.5 mm Roxolid implants in the molar region. Reading both manufacturers' own warnings is a better guide to the limits of a system than any comparison of features.

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.

Straumann BLX

via Straumann

FDA 510(k) clearances

2004 – 2026

Filed by Institut Straumann AG

Astra Tech Implant System EV

via Astra Tech Implant System

FDA 510(k) clearances

1994 – 2011

Filed by Astra Tech AB

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]Straumann BLX Implant System — Basic and Technical Information (702115/en) — Institut Straumann AG. Accessed 2026-07-21.
[2]Straumann® Roxolid® — dental implant materials — Institut Straumann AG. Accessed 2026-07-21.
[3]Surgical manual — Astra Tech Implant System® EV (32671181-USX-1804) — Dentsply Sirona. Accessed 2026-07-21.
[4]Astra Tech Implant System® EV — Guided surgery manual (32671186-US-1706) — Dentsply Sirona. Accessed 2026-07-21.
[5]Instructions for Use — Astra Tech Implant System® EV, OsseoSpeed™ EV (IFU 5694-EN Rev. 003) — Dentsply Sirona, 2022. Accessed 2026-07-22.
[6]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.