Perfect Synergy
Chetan Mathias talks about how his relationship with implants and BioHorizons Camlog has evolved over the past 15 years, acting as a constant support system to his career development.
Making the decision to get involved with implants is just the first of many difficult decisions an implant clinician will have to make. Once you’ve made the decision it’s then about finding the right courses to suit your implant pathway, choosing a mentor, picking an implant system, knowing how to “sell” implants to your patients, building a referral base – all of the above and so much more.
When I cast my mind back to 2008, the UK dental implant market was a different place to what it is today. I was young (23) and naïve, and highly influenced by the opinions of my well-respected peers, who were all strongly recommending I go down the dental implant route, as they could foresee the growing patient demand and the long-term benefits for a young clinician like me.
Fast forward 15 years, and I’m thankful for that advise which kickstarted my implant career and my relationship with BioHorizons Camlog – and I haven’t looked back since, as their continuous support and innovation has perfectly aligned with the developments in my own career.
Investing in education early on
Right from the early days of getting started with implants to progressing into more advanced and complex courses for both implants and biomaterials, BioHorizons Camlog have been a constant support. Their investment in learning and teaching combined with their connections to highly regarded implant clinicians is so advantageous to implant clinicians today and has allowed me to expand not only my skills but my network too. Whenever I attend a BioHorizons Camlog course, I’m always learning from more experienced oral surgeons who are willing to disseminate their knowledge for the better of the next generation – and ultimately the patient.
Working in sync together
What I like about working with BioHorizons Camlog is that they’re continuously innovating and evolving by adding new components to their implant systems every year. In fact, everything they introduce seems to perfectly complement the developments in my own implant career. It’s as if they’re in synergy with me!
Some may consider it to be coincidental, but I always found that if I was questioning how to solve a problem, a few months later, they were able to present me with a solution. For example, there was a time when I highlighted how much I wanted to work with a tapered implant system, and the timing was great – as a few months later they introduced the system to me.
Going digital to get to the next level
There was the one occasion in my career and the BioHorizons Camlog relationship where I felt I was at a bit of a standstill, as while I had a strong desire to implement a ‘digital workflow’ I was unsure as to how they could support me at that time. I needn’t have worried, as once again our stars were aligned, and it was at that time that BioHorizons and Camlog had strategically aligned and joined forces under the umbrella of Henry Schein’s Oral Reconstruction Group. Whilst both implant brands offer digital workflows it just offered even more options from the same partner.
Not only was I highly impressed with the CAMLOG & CONELOG implant systems, but I was still able to access the same trusted network of people at BioHorizons Camlog that I had built up a relationship with for the past few years. And it was then that my practice truly stepped up to the next level.
I’m constantly looking for an easier, simpler, and more predictable method of carrying out treatment to ultimately improve the patient experience. With the digital implant treatments, I can plan my treatments even before the patient walks through the door. I prefer a whole team approach with my technician, nurses and treatment coordinators who are all on board and ready before the patient comes in. This preparation means that the patient spends less time in the chair (10-15 minutes) and frees up more clinical time for me, which is a win-win situation. This in turn equals more predictability, less complications and overall, more success.
To put things into perspective, in 2016 I was placing 200 implants a year. From 2019 onwards (pandemic aside), I am now averaging 750 a year, which is a huge increase. Since using the CAMLOG & CONELOG systems there is no looking back and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. So much so, that I decided to create my own implant programme where I’m dedicated to training young dentists about the merits of the system.
Advice for new users
My advice for dentists who are thinking about taking the step into implants is to seriously think about choosing BioHorizons Camlog. If you are looking for the right team, support and back up, this is the company to choose. If my lab doesn’t have the right screw, they will source it and send it to them. The training is a huge plus – whenever I was unsure about an aspect of implant surgery, they have good access to expert clinicians who will guide you. Whatever your implant knowledge level is, or regardless of if you place a few or hundreds of implants – you can always improve, and everyone is treated the same at BioHorizons Camlog.
And to anyone who is thinking of switching to BioHorizons Camlog – not only will you be switching to a high-quality system, but it will be backed by exceptional support and customer service. You won’t regret it – in fact, it’ll be the best decision you’ll ever make!
