Helix and Drive share the Grand Morse connection, the same two surfaces and the same prosthetic components, so the difference is entirely in the body. Helix is the general-purpose implant indicated across bone densities; Drive is the soft-bone implant, indicated by Neodent for bone types III and IV.
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
Neodent Helix GM
Neodent Drive GM
Manufacturer
Neodent (JJGC Indústria e Comércio de Materiais Dentários S.A.), part of the Straumann GroupManufacturer-reported[1]
Neodent (JJGC Indústria e Comércio de Materiais Dentários S.A.), part of the Straumann GroupManufacturer-reported[1]
Implant level
Bone level; Neodent instructs placement 1–2 mm below bone levelManufacturer-reported[1]
Bone level; Neodent instructs placement 1–2 mm below bone levelManufacturer-reported[1]
Body geometry
Full dual-tapered implant with a hybrid contour — cylindrical coronally, conical apicallyManufacturer-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[1][2]
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[1][2]
Connection
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[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[1]
Platform switching
Platform switching is built into the Grand Morse connection — the abutment is narrower than the coronal area of the implantManufacturer-reported[1]
Platform switching is built into the Grand Morse connectionManufacturer-reported[1]
Available diameters
Ø3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.3, 5.0 and 6.0 mmManufacturer-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[1][2]
Neodent Drive 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[1][2]
Connection
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[1]
Neodent Drive 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[1]
Platform switching
Neodent Helix GM
Platform switching is built into the Grand Morse connection — the abutment is narrower than the coronal area of the implantManufacturer-reported[1]
Neodent Drive GM
Platform switching is built into the Grand Morse connectionManufacturer-reported[1]
Available diameters
Neodent Helix GM
Ø3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.3, 5.0 and 6.0 mmManufacturer-reported[1]
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[1]
Neodent Drive GM
8, 10, 11.5, 13, 16 and 18 mmManufacturer-reported[1]
Immediate protocol
Neodent Helix GM
Indicated for immediate placement after extraction; maximum placement torque 60 Ncm, insertion speed 30 rpmManufacturer-reported[1]
Neodent Drive GM
Indicated for immediate post-extraction placement; maximum placement torque 60 Ncm, insertion speed 30 rpmManufacturer-reported[1]
The biggest differences
Helix is a full dual-tapered implant with a hybrid contour — cylindrical coronally, conical apically — and a thread that changes along its length, from compressing trapezoidal threads at the top to self-tapping V-shaped threads at the tip. Drive is tapered with square-shaped threads on a double thread and reverse cutting chambers distributed across the body, which are designed to engage poorly mineralised bone and let the implant advance under control.
Design
Helix is the broader product: 3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.3, 5.0 and 6.0 mm in diameter against Drive's 3.5, 4.3 and 5.0 mm. Lengths run 8 to 18 mm on both, with Helix 6.0 mm implant stopping at 13 mm. A three-diameter range is consistent with a design aimed at a specific problem rather than at general use.
Material and surface
Both are offered on NeoPoros, a blasted and acid-etched surface with a reported roughness of Sa 1.4 to 1.8 micrometres, and on Acqua, the hydrophilic version of the same surface. Both carry the same maximum placement torque of 60 Ncm and the same 30 rpm insertion speed, and both are indicated for immediate post-extraction placement.
Prosthetic ecosystem
Grand Morse is a deep 16 degree Morse taper with an internal index, a 3.0 mm socket and built-in platform switching, and it is identical on every Grand Morse implant regardless of diameter. So Helix, Drive and Titamax all take the same components. The name Grand Morse refers to the connection, not to the implant body, which is the single most common misreading of a Neodent treatment plan.
What may influence clinical selection
Where the bone is soft, the square thread and cutting chambers of Drive exist for exactly that. Where the bone is ordinary, Helix covers it and covers more diameters. Because the two share components, a surgeon can choose per site without complicating the restorative plan — which is the practical argument for a single-connection system generally.
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.
Neodent Helix GM
via Straumann
30
FDA 510(k) clearances
2004 – 2026
Filed by Institut Straumann AG
Neodent Drive GM
via Straumann
30
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]Grand Morse Catalog 2018 (USLIT-2005) — Neodent (JJGC Industria e Comercio de Materiais Dentarios S.A.), Straumann Group, 2018. Accessed 2026-07-21.
