Is Biomimetic Dentistry Worth it For Patients?
You have taken the time to learn more about biomimetic dentistry, but you may still wonder if it’s really worth it for you as a patient. Here are some points we discuss with patients who reach out to our office.
How biomimetic dentistry can help teeth with small fillings
Biomimetic dentistry is general dentistry. For small cavities, biomimetic techniques will prevent the need for future retreatment, conserving more of your healthy tooth structure and protecting the tooth’s vitality. With traditional practices, small cavities will eventually become larger fillings since the tooth is open to decay and susceptible to cracks. With biomimetic dentistry, the cycle of retreatment is stopped, so from twice-annual cleanings and exams with your dentist to restorative treatments, the perspective of mimicking a natural tooth will benefit your oral health
How biomimetic dentistry can help teeth that have had large restorations, including traditional crowns and root canal therapy
Teeth that have large restorations, traditional crowns or that have had root canal treatment have an increased risk of loss. All of these treatments leave the tooth weakened and susceptible to cracks. If left untreated, these cracks can irreparably damage a tooth.
At the Alleman Center, we give these high-risk teeth extra support with advanced adhesive techniques and use of Ribbond fiber to reduce stress in the restoration. By mimicking the bond at which a natural tooth is connected to itself on a molecular level, biomimetic dentistry can help these heavily restored teeth last for years, if not decades.
Oral health and biomimetic dentistry
Biomimetic restorative dentistry surpasses traditional restorative dentistry in three main areas: pulp (tooth nerve) health, caries (decay) prevention and crack prevention.
Pulp health: Biomimetic techniques use precise measurements to protect the pulp during caries and crack excavation to prevent exposing the pulp, which can put the tooth at risk of death. During restoration, the tooth is sealed to prevent bacteria from attacking the pulp. Both of these techniques protect the pulp’s long term health.
Caries prevention: Caries often continues to spread under a traditional restoration because the tooth is not bonded properly. Sealing the tooth with biomimetic techniques allows bacteria too close to the pulp for removal to go dormant. This seal is at the microscopic level so new bacteria are not able to enter under the restoration. Once the bacteria become dormant, the tooth is able to remineralize and protect the pulp from further infection
Crack prevention: Traditional restorations leave a tooth unsupported like a soda can without its top. With each chew, a tooth bends and flexes more than is natural, resulting in cracks. The solution is to bond a tooth side to side, front to back and top to bottom with every restoration like a natural tooth. Biomimetic restorations do just this with every treatment.
The cost — and savings — of biomimetic dentistry:
Even with insurance, most traditional restorative care will require patients to pay out of pocket. This financial cost can be compounded by the need for retreatment and increasingly invasive treatments as traditional restorations fail. Even in extreme cases, biomimetic restorations have been shown to last up to 20 years (and counting!) compared to traditional crowns and fillings that can fail in as early as one to two years. Biomimetic restorations are proving themselves to be nearly permanent, so you can expect your restoration to stay fixed.
Why biomimetic dentistry isn’t the standard of care across providers
This is a great question that we don’t have the answer to. The doctors trained by Dr. David Alleman and Dr. Davey Alleman practice in over 40 countries, showing that biomimetic dentistry is daily dentistry for any kind of office. We hope this level of care will one day be available to all patients around the world.
Most dental schools globally and in the United States continue to teach traditional, outdated techniques for restoring teeth. Material manufacturers promote subpar composites and bonding systems to dentists, encouraging a quick fix as the best fix. Insurance companies are yet to break out of the traditional treatment mold to compensate doctors for superior outcomes and encourage patients to seek out these doctors. Our teaching center and office will be a voice for change, and hopefully we will see a day when these points change.
Patients can schedule an appointment at our office in Provo, Utah with our online appointment scheduler or contact us at office@allemancenter.com or (801) 717-9860. Patients unable to travel to Utah for treatment can find the doctors we have trained in our alumni map.
You might still have questions
What is the Alleman Center teaching program? Dr. David Alleman and Dr. Davey Alleman train doctors, present at conferences and hold workshops about biomimetic dentistry around the world. Learn more about their work on our teaching center website or listen to Dr. Alleman’s podcast.
What are Dr. Alleman’s recommendations for dental hygiene for preventative care? Brushing twice-daily with a soft-bristled brush and flossing daily is the best way to prevent cavities. You can read all of Dr. Alleman’s recommendations on our blog post, Dental Hygiene Recommendations From Your Dentist.
We’ll write about these topics and more in future blog posts, or we’re happy to talk about the work we do any time. Reach out at office@allemancenter.com or (801) 717-9860 any time, or ask Dr. Alleman at your next appointment.