Straumann SLA
Also known as: SLA, Straumann SLA surface
Straumann’s sandblasted, large-grit, acid-etched titanium implant surface, offered on Straumann implants alongside the later chemically modified SLActive surface.
Key facts
| Manufacturer | Institut Straumann AGVerified spec[1] |
|---|---|
| Surface category | Described by Straumann as a moderately rough surface.Manufacturer-reported[2] |
| Surface roughness | Sa value of about 1.5 micrometres, as stated by Straumann.Manufacturer-reported[2] |
| Production process | Manufacturer documentation not located(The initialism denotes sandblasting with large grit followed by acid etching. The Straumann documents we read do not specify the abrasive, the grit size or the acid concentrations.) |
| Manufacturer-described indication | Straumann states that the surface’s osseointegration properties allowed the healing time from implant placement to loading to be reduced from three to six months of uninterrupted healing down to six weeks.Manufacturer-reported[2][1] |
| Clinical evidence | Straumann’s own scientific review reports survival and success rates of 97 to 100 per cent at five years when SLA implants are loaded at six weeks or later, and cites a 10-year survival figure of 97 per cent in periodontally compromised patient groups.Manufacturer-reported[2]These are figures selected and presented by the manufacturer from its own review, not an independent synthesis. |
| Geographic availability | Offered on Straumann Bone Level Tapered implants in Roxolid or in titanium, and on Straumann BLX implants in Roxolid.Manufacturer-reported[3][4] |
Overview
SLA is the surface that made six-week loading a routine proposition rather than an experiment, and it remains a current Straumann option rather than a discontinued predecessor - which is the first misconception worth clearing up, since SLActive is often presented as having replaced it. The two coexist in the same product lines, and on several Straumann implants the choice between them is a choice between titanium and the Roxolid alloy as much as a choice of surface. The second point concerns the roughness figure. Straumann states an Sa of about 1.5 micrometres, which sits in the middle of the band that the wider literature associates with the strongest bone response; the company cites that literature explicitly, and the number is doing real work rather than serving as decoration. What it does not tell you is anything about the manufacturing detail, which Straumann treats as proprietary, so "SLA" as used by other manufacturers describes a similar idea rather than the same surface.
Sources
Numbers match the citations beside each claim above.
Primary sources
- [1]Straumann Dental Implant System — Basic Information (702084/en) — Institut Straumann AG, 2025. Accessed 2026-07-21.
- [2]Scientific Review for Straumann SLA implant surface (490.010) — Institut Straumann AG, 2014. Accessed 2026-07-21.
- [3]Straumann Bone Level Tapered Implant — Technical Information (702167/en) — Institut Straumann AG. Accessed 2026-07-21.
- [4]Straumann BLX Implant System — Basic and Technical Information (702115/en) — Institut Straumann AG. Accessed 2026-07-21.