Brand Guide
Scan Body Identification by Manufacturer
How to distinguish scan bodies from the major implant systems by top-cap geometry, platform diameter, and size codes — and why many bodies that look identical at a glance are not.
Why manufacturer matters for identification
Every implant manufacturer defines the connection geometry between implant and abutment. The scan body placed at that connection must match it exactly — a 0.2 mm error at the platform interface produces a misfit that affects marginal seal, occlusion, and long-term implant health. Knowing which manufacturer's scan body you have in a scan is not a formality; it determines which prosthetic components will actually fit.
The following manufacturer profiles describe distinguishing geometric features visible in the STL. These are characteristics that differentiate brands from one another at the body level — platform diameter, top-cap engagement profile, taper angle, and body proportions. They are not exhaustive specifications; for exact dimensions, consult the manufacturer's current technical documentation.
Straumann
Platforms covered: Tissue Level (TL), Bone Level (BL), Bone Level Tapered (BLT), Bone Level X (BLX), Pro Arch TL
Top-cap geometry: Bone Level systems use a cross-pin anti-rotation feature visible at the coronal face; Tissue Level systems use a different octagon-based engagement.
Platform sizes: NNC (Narrow Neck Conical), NC (Narrow Crossfit), RC (Regular Crossfit), WC (Wide Crossfit) — each has a distinct base diameter step that is measurable in the STL cross-section.
BLT and BLX have a tapered body profile that differs from the cylindrical BL; the taper profile across the height of the body distinguishes them from one another even when diameters are similar.
Straumann scan bodies typically carry a distinctive machined band near the base — a circumferential flat-ground ring whose width and position differ between connection families.
Size codes: NNC / NC / RC / WC — these map to platform diameters of 3.3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4.1 mm, and 4.8 mm respectively at the implant-abutment interface.
Nobel Biocare
Platforms covered: NobelReplace Conical Connection (CC), Branemark Tri-Channel, All-on-4, NobelActive
Branemark Tri-Channel scan bodies have a distinctive three-groove anti-rotation pattern at the base — one of the most recognized profiles in the industry, with three symmetric flat faces.
Replace CC scan bodies use a conical internal connection and have a different top profile from the tri-channel platform.
NP (3.5 mm) and RP (4.3 mm) and WP (5.0 mm) platforms have measurably different base diameters that are distinguishable in the STL.
The NobelActive conical connection has a different convergence angle from the Replace CC even at the same nominal platform diameter.
Size codes: NP / RP / WP — narrow, regular, and wide platform designations used consistently across the Nobel Biocare line.
Zimmer Biomet
Platforms covered: Tapered Screw-Vent (TSV), SwissPlus, Hex, 3i (Osseotite, Certain, T3)
3i Certain scan bodies use a small internal hex with a distinctive shoulder profile.
Tapered Screw-Vent bodies have a pronounced conical taper below the anti-rotation geometry that is measurably steeper than many other brands.
SwissPlus bodies share a platform diameter family with BioHorizons tissue-level implants but differ in the engagement geometry details at the base.
The full-height profile (diameter at each vertical slice from base to apex) distinguishes within-brand platform variants when top-cap diameters are similar.
Size codes: 3.5 NP / 4.1 RP / 4.7 WP designations; 3i Certain uses 3.4 / 4.1 / 5.0 mm platforms.
MIS
Platforms covered: MIS C1, MIS Seven, MIS V3, MIS M4
C1 (conical) and Seven (internal hex) platforms have geometrically distinct base engagement profiles — the conical taper of C1 is absent in the Seven hex.
MIS V3 has a tri-lobe connection whose three symmetric engagement lobes are visible at the coronal face of the scan body.
Within-platform size codes (NP/RP/WP) follow the standard diameter ladder; the mid-body profile distinguishes MIS from superficially similar European brands at the same nominal diameter.
Size codes: NP (3.3 mm) / RP (3.75 mm, 4.2 mm) / WP (5.0 mm) — varies by implant family.
CAMLOG
Platforms covered: CAMLOG Tube-in-Tube, CONELOG, Screw-Line
CAMLOG Tube-in-Tube has three distinct cam-groove notches in the base wall — visible as three recessed channels around the circumference of the scan body base, a unique anti-rotation design.
CONELOG uses a conical connection with a single-position index; the cone taper angle is different from Morse-taper designs used by other manufacturers.
Screw-Line bodies share a similar outer diameter range with several European brands but have a characteristic apex shape.
Platform diameters span 3.3 mm, 3.8 mm, 4.3 mm, 5.0 mm, and 6.0 mm — the broad range means mid-body profiles vary significantly.
Size codes: Diameter-based: 3.3 / 3.8 / 4.3 / 5.0 / 6.0 — used directly as size codes, not NP/RP/WP labels.
Medentika (MEDENTiKA)
Platforms covered: Compatible scan bodies for Straumann, Nobel, Zimmer, Astra, BioHorizons, CAMLOG, and others
Medentika produces compatible (OEM-compatible) scan bodies engineered to the same connection geometry as major platform manufacturers — making correct identification critical, because a Medentika-for-Straumann BLT NC is geometrically nearly identical to the Straumann OEM equivalent.
Distinguishing Medentika from the OEM original requires fine-detail features: machined-band dimensions, apex geometry, and the exact profile of the anti-rotation engagement at the base.
The scan body body is often slightly taller or slightly different in the upper shaft than the OEM reference, creating a small but measurable profile deviation.
Size codes: Inherits the OEM platform's size codes — a Medentika scan body for Straumann BLT NC is labeled NC, not a Medentika-specific code.
BioHorizons
Platforms covered: Internal Hex, Tapered Internal (TIS), Laser-Lok
BioHorizons Tapered Internal scan bodies have a conical engagement with a hex indexing feature — the combination of conical taper and internal hex is a distinguishing property.
The Laser-Lok collar on BioHorizons implants influences the scan body base geometry; Laser-Lok scan bodies have a distinct platform shoulder width.
Platform sizes: 3.0 mm, 3.5 mm, 4.5 mm, 5.7 mm — the 3.0 mm narrow platform is among the narrowest available from any major manufacturer and has a distinctive profile.
Size codes: 3.0 / 3.5 / 4.5 / 5.7 mm; some internal Laser-Lok lines use NP/RP/WP designation.
Neodent
Platforms covered: Grand Morse (GM), Helix GM, Zi (Zirconia), Acqua
Neodent Grand Morse uses a deep conical (Morse taper) connection — the convergence angle of the conical walls in the scan body base is steeper than many competing designs and is measurable in the STL profile.
GM NF (3.5 mm), GM RP (4.1 mm), GM WP (4.8 mm) have different base diameters; the NF is often confused with Straumann NC because platform diameters are similar, but the body profile and taper angle differ.
Neodent Acqua uses a mini-Morse taper at 3.0 mm — the thinnest diameter in the Grand Morse family, with a distinctive narrow profile throughout the shaft.
Size codes: NF (Narrow Fit) / RP (Regular Platform) / WP (Wide Platform) — Neodent-specific labels that map to 3.5 / 4.1 / 4.8 mm interface diameters.
Dentsply Sirona
Platforms covered: Ankylos, Xive, Astra Tech Implant System EV
Ankylos uses a deep conical Morse-type connection with a flat-to-flat indexing geometry; the taper is long and gradual relative to the outer diameter, giving the scan body a distinctive proportional appearance.
Xive uses a smaller-diameter internal hex and has a characteristic wide shoulder below the connection.
Astra Tech EV (now Dentsply Sirona) uses a conical seal with a tri-lobe index — the three-lobed base profile is similar in concept to MIS V3 and Nobel Replace CC but differs in lobe geometry and shoulder width.
The conical connection angle of Ankylos is one of the most consistent manufacturer identifiers: if the measured taper falls in the Morse range and the platform is small-to-mid diameter, Ankylos is the primary candidate.
Size codes: Ankylos: A / B / C / D diameters (3.5 / 3.5 / 4.5 / 5.5 mm); Xive: S (3.0) / ST (3.4) / TE (3.8) / TE (4.5); Astra EV: NP/RP/WP.
The confuser problem: why visual inspection is not enough
Several narrow-platform scan bodies from different manufacturers share nearly identical outer diameters and top-cap profiles. A Straumann BLT NC, a Neodent GM NF, a CAMLOG 3.8 mm, and several compatible scan bodies all measure approximately 3.5 mm at the platform interface. To the eye, they are indistinguishable. The differences that matter are sub-millimeter:
- Taper angle of the conical connection wall — measurably different between Straumann BLT, Neodent GM, and CAMLOG CONELOG even though all three are Morse-type conical connections.
- Mid-body diameter at 3 mm and 6 mm above the base — the cross-sectional profile at these heights separates nearly identical top-cap bodies reliably.
- Anti-rotation feature depth and angular spacing — groove depth and the number and width of flat faces differ between brands and are captured in the 3D geometry.
- Apex geometry — dome curvature, flat-face orientation, and seating features at the coronal end differ even when overall height is identical.
These are the features that automated 3D fingerprinting resolves — not by visual inspection but by measuring the geometry numerically and comparing it against a reference library.
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