Diversity in dental implant connections is a fundamental aspect of dentistry, offering practitioners and patients a variety of options. Among these, the external hex connection has been widely used over time, although its popularity has experienced a decline in recent years. Despite this trend, it is common to encounter cases of patients who have implants with this connection. Correctly identifying the external hex connection is crucial to the success of dental treatment.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
PLATFORM DIAMETER
It is important to make a clear distinction between platform diameter and implant diameter:
- Implant diameter: this is the largest measurement that the body of the implant can have.
- Platform diameter: this is the upper measurement of the implant diameter, where the prosthesis will rest.
Depending on the size of the implant platform diameter, the implant will be categorised into the following groups:
- NP – Narrow Platform: smaller than 3.75 mm. [ ⌀ 3.00 – 3.50 mm].
- RP – Regular Platform: [ ⌀ 4.00 – 4.50 mm].
- WP – Wide Platform: [ ⌀ 5.00 – 6.00 mm].
Although the platform most commonly used by the major external hex implant brands is the 4.1 mm platform, also known as Brånemark RP.
INTERNAL THREAD
Internal thread: this is the thread inside the body of the implant and whose size will coincide with its corresponding screw.
The internal thread metric varies according to the platform size/diameter: Narrow (NR), Regular (RP) and Wide (WP).
The most common platform metrics are:
- NP – Narrow: Metric 1.6 / 1.8 .
- RP – Regular: Metric 1.8 / 2.0.
- WP – Wide: Metric 2.0 / 2.5.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HEXAGON
FACE-TO-FACE DISTANCE
Face-to-face distance: is the distance between two opposite and parallel faces of the hexagon.
This characteristic of the hexagon depends directly on the size of the platform, as follows:
- NP – Narrow: measurement from 2.3 to 2.5 [2.4 mm].
- RP – Regular: size from 2.7 to 3.0 [2.7 mm].
- WP – Wide: size 2.7 to 3.4 [3.4 mm].
*The sizes in square brackets indicate the most common and commonly used sizes.
HEXAGON HEIGHT
Hexagon height: distance between the base where the prosthesis rests and the upper face of the hexagon.
The measurements for hex height regardless of platform size are: [0.7 mm], 1.0, 1.2, 1.8 mm.
*The measurements in square brackets indicate the most common and commonly used measurements.
IMAGE SOURCE: The original images of the implants in this post belong to GMI.
EXAMPLES
| PLATAFORM SIZE | IMPLANT | PLATFORM DIAMETER | FACE-TO-FACE DISTANCE | HEXAGON HEIGHT | INTERNAL THREAD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
NP |
Brånemark |
3,5 |
2,4 |
0,7 |
M 1,6 |
|
Phibo S2 |
3,3 |
2,3 |
1,0 |
M 1,8 |
|
|
Neodent HE 3.3/ Keystone Restore SD |
3,3 |
2,5 |
1,0 |
M 1,8 |
|
|
RP |
Brånemark/ 3i/ Bti/ Klockner |
4,1 |
2,7 |
0,7 |
M 2,0 |
|
Klockner SK2/ Osteoplus Argentum 4.2 |
4,2 |
3,0 |
1,8 |
M 1,8 |
|
|
Microdent System 4.2 |
4,2 |
3,0 |
1,2 |
M2,0 |
|
|
WP |
Brånemark |
5,1 |
3,4 |
0,7 |
M 2,5 |
|
Biomet 3I |
5,0 |
2,7 |
0,7 |
M 2,0 |
|
|
Phibo |
5,0 |
3,0 |
1,0 |
M 2,0 |
Units: millimetres [mm].
