Alternative material challenges current regenerative dentistry standard
Bioactivity influences many restorative procedures and products when it comes to the rapidly evolving regenerative dental industry. Right now, sintered ceramics make up a large portion of today’s bone graft substitutes. The process invovles fusing particles into dense, ceramic structures to simulate natural bone via high heat.1
OsteoGen’s Bioactive Crystal Technology (BCT) is taking a different approach by forgoing sintering in favor of calcium phosphate crystals comprised of bone-like materials.
The company says that circumventing the sintering process allows these crystals to retain bioactive properties because they are not exposed to the high sintering temperatures. The material releases calcium ions that may support osteoblastic differentiation and mineralized matrix deposition during healing.
Cited by OsteoGen in their press release, research published in the Journal of Periodontology notes that BCT has 94.4% porosity, which may promote bone formation. The same study also found that BCT has a proliferation rate that is six times greater than xenograft and allograft materials.1
OsteoGen says the goal of this product is to shorten procedure time and simplify the bone grafting process without compromising solid clinical results.1
AI workforce taking on front-office tasks
Planet DDS, a dental software solutions company, has developed AI-powered workers to streamline front office work for staff members.
According to Planet DDS, their AI agents can access live patient data, office schedules, and established workflows and are compatible with dental practice management software (Denticon and Cloud 9).2
The scheduling agent:
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Reaches out to patients from recall lists, waitlists, and those with unscheduled treatment
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Fills open schedule time when patients cancel appointments
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Books appointments
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Logs each interaction into Denticon or Cloud 9
The confirmation agent:
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Automates appointment confirmations
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Verifies patient identity before sharing protected health information
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Writes confirmation and reschedule outcome
In a press release, CEO of Planet DDS Eric Giesecke said these tools are intended to increase practice productivity and relieve team members of time-consuming tasks and help them avoid routine busywork. He said: “DSOs that are scaling face an inherent tension—more locations mean more operational complexity, more communication to manage, and more pressure on teams already stretched thin ... [DentalOS] works alongside human teams so organizations can scale without sacrificing consistency, responsiveness, or the people who make it all work.”2
Instrument washer adds digital monitoring features
Infection control company SciCan has debuted an automated instrument washer with a touch screen, LED lights, and customizable features—known as HYDRIM 112W G4+.
According to SciCan's website, this model is designed to:
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Reduce the risk of sharps injuries by minimizing how much you’re handling your instruments
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Cut instrument cleaning costs by $10,000 a year
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Allow for more time chairside
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Clean more instruments per cycle than other washers on the market today
The manufacturer notes this instrument washer includes smart technology to keep dental practices running smoothly. It has a touch-screen interface with on-screen instruction tutorials, connectivity to equipment software myCOLTENE, support for troubleshooting and running diagnostics, and a digital log of each cleaning cycle.3
SciCan reports the washer can remove 99.9% of protein residues under tested conditions.3
References:
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Bioactive Crystal Technology (BCT): the science behind predictable bone regeneration. OsteoGen. March 9, 2026. Press release.
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Planet DDS unveils DentalOS AI agents: a new AI workforce for dental operations. Planet DDS. March 9, 2026. Press release.
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Introducing the new HYDRIM 112W G4+ washer: reprocessing reimagined. March 9, 2026. SciCan. Press release. https://www.scican.com/us/products/instrument-washers/hydrim-112/
About the Author
Sarah Butkovic, MA, BA
Sarah Butkovic, MA, BA, is an Associate Editor at Endeavor Business Media, where she works on creating and editing engaging and informative content for today's leading online dentistry publications. She holds a Master's English Language and Literature from Loyola University Chicago and is passionate about producing high-quality content that educates, inspires, and connects with readers.