You’re sitting in a dental chair, and your surgeon starts talking about titanium versus ceramic. It’s overwhelming. But behind that conversation is a massive, incredibly detailed document: the straumann dental implants catalog. Most patients never see it. Dentists, however, treat it like a bible.
Straumann isn’t just some random manufacturer. They’re based in Basel, Switzerland, and they’ve been at this since 1954. When you look through their current product lineup, you aren't just looking at screws. You’re looking at decades of specialized metallurgy and surface science. Honestly, it’s the sheer variety in that catalog that makes them the market leader.
What’s Actually Inside the Straumann Dental Implants Catalog?
It’s huge. If you printed the whole thing, your desk would groan. The catalog covers everything from the tiny healing caps to the actual fixtures that go into your jawbone.
What really sets their inventory apart is the distinction between "Tissue Level" and "Bone Level" implants. Most companies pick one philosophy and stick to it. Straumann does both. Their classic Tissue Level implants have this smooth "neck" that sits right at the gum line. It was pioneered in the 80s and, frankly, it’s still one of the most successful designs ever made because it keeps bacteria away from the bone.
Then you have the Bone Level (BLX and BLT) series. These are the ones surgeons use when they want the implant completely buried under the gum during healing. The straumann dental implants catalog lists these in various diameters—some as thin as 3.3mm for tight spaces where your front teeth used to be.
The Roxolid Breakthrough
For a long time, titanium was the only real choice. But titanium has limits. If you make a titanium implant too thin, it might snap under the pressure of a heavy chewer.
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Straumann fixed this with Roxolid.
It’s a metal alloy consisting of roughly 85% titanium and 15% zirconium. This isn't just a minor tweak. It’s significantly stronger than pure Grade 4 titanium. Because the material is stronger, dentists can often use a smaller implant. That sounds like a small detail, but it’s life-changing for a patient who doesn't have much bone. It often means you can skip the painful, expensive bone graft surgery. You'll find Roxolid options across almost every page of their modern catalog.
Surface Technology: SLActive is the Secret Sauce
If you just put a piece of metal in bone, it takes a while for the body to accept it. Straumann developed a surface treatment called SLActive.
Basically, they sandblast the implant and then acid-etch it. But the "Active" part is the kicker. They store the implant in a saline solution so it never touches the air. This keeps the surface "hydrophilic"—meaning it loves water. Or, more accurately, it loves blood.
When a surgeon places an SLActive implant from the straumann dental implants catalog, the blood clots faster around the threads. Bone cells start moving in almost immediately. We’re talking about cutting healing times down from months to just weeks in some cases. It’s a massive advantage for patients who are smokers or have controlled diabetes, where healing is usually a gamble.
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The Shift Toward Metal-Free: PURE Ceramic
Some people just don't want metal in their bodies. I get it. Holistic dentistry is growing.
The Straumann catalog now includes the PURE Ceramic line. These aren't your grandmother's ceramics; they're made from ivory-colored zirconium dioxide. They look like a natural tooth root. If you have very thin or translucent gum tissue, a grey titanium implant might "shadow" through and look like a bruise. The ceramic version eliminates that. It’s a niche part of the catalog, but for the right patient, it’s the only option that makes sense.
Understanding the Connection Types
The way the tooth (the crown) attaches to the implant matters. Straumann uses something called the CrossFit Connection.
It’s an internal connection that prevents the tooth from rotating or coming loose. If you’ve ever heard of someone’s dental implant "unscrewing" while they were eating a sandwich, it’s usually because of a poor connection design. Straumann’s engineering is so precise that the parts cold-weld together in a way that’s incredibly stable. The catalog lists hundreds of "abutments"—the connector pieces—to fit every possible angle of a human mouth.
Why Doctors Pay the Premium Price
Let's be real. Straumann is expensive.
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You can find "generic" implants for a third of the price. But those companies don't have the 60+ years of clinical data. When a dentist opens the straumann dental implants catalog, they’re buying into a system where every single part is tracked and tested. If a screw breaks ten years from now, Straumann will still have the replacement part. That’s not always true with the budget brands that pop up and disappear within a decade.
Specific studies, like the ones conducted by the International Team for Implantology (ITI), consistently use Straumann products. The ITI is an independent academic organization, but their partnership with Straumann means the products in this catalog are arguably the most researched medical devices in the world.
Choosing the Right Component
If you're looking at the catalog yourself, you'll see a dizzying array of numbers.
- NC stands for Narrow CrossFit.
- RC stands for Regular CrossFit.
- WB stands for Wide Neck.
A surgeon has to play a game of Tetris with your jawbone. They measure the height of the bone, the width of the gap, and the density of the "trabecular" (spongy) bone inside. Then they go to the catalog to find the exact match. For a molar, they might go with a Wide Neck implant to handle the grinding forces. For a bottom front tooth, which is tiny, they’ll grab the Narrow CrossFit.
Practical Steps for Your Dental Journey
If you are considering an implant, don't just ask "how much?" Ask which system they use.
- Request the Implant Passport: Every genuine Straumann implant comes with a sticker containing a unique lot number. Your dentist should put this in a small "passport" booklet for you. This ensures that if you move to a different country, any dentist there can look up your specific parts in the global catalog.
- Verify the Surface: Ask if you are getting the SLA or the SLActive surface. The latter is more expensive but significantly faster at healing.
- Check for Roxolid: Especially if you've been told you need a bone graft, ask if a Roxolid "Small Diameter" implant could be an alternative. It might save you an extra surgery.
- Confirm Authenticity: Some labs use "compatible" third-party parts to save money. Insist on "Original Straumann" components to ensure the warranty remains valid.
The straumann dental implants catalog is more than just a list of parts; it's a map of what's possible in modern reconstructive surgery. Whether it's the high-strength Roxolid alloy or the fast-healing SLActive surface, the options available today make tooth loss a much less permanent problem than it was even twenty years ago. Focusing on the quality of these components is the best way to ensure your new tooth actually lasts a lifetime.