With decades of experience in implant dentistry, Charles D. Schlesinger, DDS, has evaluated virtually every major category of bone grafting material. His approach has long been guided by a simple question: What does bone truly need to regenerate predictably? That search ultimately led him to OsteoGen™, Impladent’s synthetic bioactive bone grafting material, which incorporates the company’s proprietary Bioactive Crystal Technology (BCT) and is designed to support bone regeneration through ion exchange while providing a biomimetic scaffold.
Reflecting on his early experience with xenografts and allografts, Schlesinger says conventional materials often presented challenges. “Xenografts frequently took too long to resorb, and after 6 months or more I’d often find unincorporated particulate,” he explains. “Allografts improved resorption, but I would occasionally still see poor bone quality.”
Those experiences reinforced Schlesinger’s interest in biomaterials that actively supported the body’s natural healing response. OsteoGen’s non-sintered, biomimetic crystals, he notes, release calcium, phosphate, and hydroxyl ions that contribute to bone formation and mineralization. The material’s non-sintered structure, he emphasizes, distinguishes it from traditional and modern ceramic grafts.
“The bioactivity comes from the crystal’s ability to exchange ions with the surrounding tissues,” he says. “Because the crystals are not exposed to high-temperature sintering, they retain the ability to participate in the biologic healing process while gradually being resorbed and replaced by newly formed bone.” The result is well-maintained bone volume during healing to facilitate future implant restoration.
One clinical feature Schlesinger particularly appreciates is the material’s radiographic behavior during healing. Unlike grafts that remain consistently radiopaque, OsteoGen initially appears radiolucent before gradually assuming the radiopacity of surrounding bone as remodeling occurs. “That transition makes it much easier to monitor healing,” he says. “A simple periapical radiograph 3 to 5 months after grafting allows you to verify how healing is proceeding.”
Schlesinger also cites the handling characteristics of the ready-to-use OsteoGen bone grafting products, noting that due to the integrated collagen matrix the need for a separate barrier membrane is often eliminated during routine socket preservation procedures. Because the crystals are incorporated throughout the collagen plug, he explains, the material remains stable within the extraction socket while supporting bone regeneration. Moreover, no pre-hydration is needed, as OsteoGen absorbs the patient’s own blood when placed in an extraction site.
After more than a decade of clinical use, Schlesinger has expanded beyond OsteoGen Plugs to also using OsteoGen Strips and Blocks for a variety of indications, including ridge preservation, sinus elevation, immediate implant gap grafting, and more.
For clinicians considering a change in grafting materials, Schlesinger’s recommendation is straightforward. “I suggest beginning with a simple alveolar ridge preservation case,” he says. “As clinicians become familiar with the handling and healing characteristics, they will likely gain the confidence to use OsteoGen in more demanding procedures as well.”
Charles D. Schlesinger, DDS
Vice President of Clinical Development, Impladent Ltd.; formerly in Private Practice, San Diego, California, and Albuquerque, New Mexico; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists
Impladent Ltd.
888-212-4383
osteogen.com
