BLX and TLX are the bone-level and tissue-level members of the same Straumann family: same Roxolid material, same surface options, same TorcFit connection, same design intent of high primary stability. The difference is where the junction between implant and abutment sits — at bone level for BLX, above the bone on a transmucosal neck for TLX.
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
Straumann TLX
Current status
Current. Straumann publishes a BLX Basic Information document revised November 2024.Manufacturer-reported[1]
Current. Straumann publishes a TLX Basic Information document revised November 2024.Manufacturer-reported[3]
Implant level
Bone level. Straumann states that "the Straumann BLX Implant System offers Bone Level implants (BLX)".Manufacturer-reported[1]
Tissue level. Straumann states that the TLX Implant System offers fully tapered tissue level implants.Manufacturer-reported[3]
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]
Fully tapered body with a transmucosal neck of either 1.8 mm (Standard Plus, SP) or 2.8 mm (Standard, S).Manufacturer-reported[3]
Offered with either the SLActive or the SLA surface.Manufacturer-reported[1]
Offered with either the SLActive or the SLA surface.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.
TorcFit. Prosthetic components are designated NT (Narrow TorcFit), RT (Regular TorcFit) and WT (Wide TorcFit), corresponding to implant shoulder diameters of ∅ 3.5, 4.8 and 6.5 mm respectively.Manufacturer-reported[3]
Available diameters
Maximum outer diameter ∅ 3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 and 6.5 mm.Manufacturer-reported[1]
Maximum endosteal outer diameter ∅ 3.75, 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 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]
6–18 mm for ∅ 3.75 mm and ∅ 4.5 mm; 6–12 mm for ∅ 5.5 mm and ∅ 6.5 mm. Both neck heights are offered across the same length range.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]
Straumann TLX
Current. Straumann publishes a TLX Basic Information document revised November 2024.Manufacturer-reported[3]
Implant level
Straumann BLX
Bone level. Straumann states that "the Straumann BLX Implant System offers Bone Level implants (BLX)".Manufacturer-reported[1]
Straumann TLX
Tissue level. Straumann states that the TLX Implant System offers fully tapered tissue level implants.Manufacturer-reported[3]
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]
Straumann TLX
Fully tapered body with a transmucosal neck of either 1.8 mm (Standard Plus, SP) or 2.8 mm (Standard, S).Manufacturer-reported[3]
Offered with either the SLActive or the SLA surface.Manufacturer-reported[1]
Straumann TLX
Offered with either the SLActive or the SLA surface.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.
Straumann TLX
TorcFit. Prosthetic components are designated NT (Narrow TorcFit), RT (Regular TorcFit) and WT (Wide TorcFit), corresponding to implant shoulder diameters of ∅ 3.5, 4.8 and 6.5 mm respectively.Manufacturer-reported[3]
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]
Straumann TLX
Maximum endosteal outer diameter ∅ 3.75, 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 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]
Straumann TLX
6–18 mm for ∅ 3.75 mm and ∅ 4.5 mm; 6–12 mm for ∅ 5.5 mm and ∅ 6.5 mm. Both neck heights are offered across the same length range.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]
Straumann TLX
Not publicly verified
Geographic availability
Straumann BLX
Straumann states that not all products are available in all markets.Manufacturer-reported[1]
Straumann TLX
Not publicly verified
The biggest differences
BLX finishes at bone level, so the implant-abutment junction and its microgap sit at the crest. TLX carries a transmucosal neck of either 1.8 mm (Standard Plus) or 2.8 mm (Standard) that lifts that junction above the bone and through the soft tissue. Everything else about the two is deliberately similar: both are fully tapered, both are made in Roxolid, both are offered with SLActive or SLA, and both are described by Straumann as designed for high primary stability and immediate treatment procedures.
Design
The choice of neck height on TLX is made during surgery and cannot be changed afterwards, which is worth understanding in advance: the 2.8 mm Standard neck places more polished collar through the gum than the 1.8 mm Standard Plus. BLX's machined neck is not a transmucosal collar at all — it varies from 1.0 to 2.0 mm with implant length and sits at or below the crest.
Prosthetic ecosystem
Both use TorcFit, which is what makes them siblings rather than rivals. TLX components are designated NT, RT and WT, corresponding to shoulder diameters of 3.5, 4.8 and 6.5 mm, while BLX uses RB and WB components across its whole diameter range. The important negative is shared: neither takes CrossFit components, so neither can be restored with parts made for the Bone Level, Bone Level Tapered or the older synOcta tissue-level implants.
What may influence clinical selection
Tissue-level implants move the microgap away from the bone crest and can simplify the restorative sequence, which is the traditional argument for them. Bone-level implants give more freedom in the aesthetic zone, because there is no fixed polished collar that may show through thin gum. The site, the tissue thickness and the planned restoration decide this, and it is a decision made at planning from the scan, not from a specification comparison.
Important limitations
Our TLX record leaves thread and apex geometry unknown, because the Straumann document we worked from describes them for BLX but not for TLX. The comparison table therefore shows detail on the BLX side that is missing on the TLX side, and that is a limitation of our sourcing.
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
30
FDA 510(k) clearances
2004 – 2026
Filed by Institut Straumann AG
Straumann TLX
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.
