Stopping the Cycle of Death

Did you know that teeth are alive? Each of your teeth has its own blood supply through a nerve, which also keeps the tooth hydrated and healthy. Dentists call this nerve the “pulp.” With the help of this nerve, natural teeth are resistant to decay and cracks, but sometimes no matter how well you brush and floss, teeth can still be at risk of these pathologies. If the nerve is unable to fight off an infection or a crack penetrates the root of a tooth, the nerve dies.

The Cycle of Death

Tooth death usually happens gradually after a series of treatments that repeatedly weaken the tooth. Traditionally, a small cavity is replaced with a larger filling and then a crown, etc. Treatments have to become increasingly aggressive until the tooth is at risk of loss. We call this pattern The Cycle of Death. 

The good news is, we can stop this cycle with biomimetic dentistry.

Stopping a small cavity from growing larger

Traditional practices leave decay where it can continue to harm the tooth. When treating a cavity, biomimetic dentistry removes all decay while protecting the nerve and then seals the tooth to stop new bacteria from entering. 

Supporting structure after large fillings

Large fillings whether composite (matching your tooth’s natural shade) or amalgam (dark gray) often leave a tooth’s natural structure unsupported. This means each time you chew on that tooth, what is left of its structure is fatigued more than usual and is at risk of cracking. With so much of your tooth exposed by the large filling and its increased risk of cracks, the door is left open for bacteria to enter and create decay. 

In addition to sealing your tooth, like with a small cavity, biomimetic bonding techniques bond composite to your healthy tooth structure at the same strength that a tooth is bonded to itself. This means your biomimetically restored tooth bends and flexes just like a natural tooth with every chew.

Preventing root canal treatments

Root canal treatments remove the nerve of the tooth in cases where the nerve is unable to heal itself. Sometimes this is unavoidable, but thanks to our understanding of nerve vitality in biomimetic dentistry, we can give the nerve a better chance to heal. Using biomimetic techniques to seal the nerve allows bacteria near the nerve to go dormant and the nerve to heal. When Dr. Alleman began using these techniques over 20 years ago, his patients’ need for root canal treatments dropped 90%. Doctors trained at the Alleman Center have experienced the same decrease in root canal treatments in their own practices.

Preserving the Biorim and preserving the root

Traditional crown preparations remove the bottom portion of a tooth, an area of the tooth we call the Biorim because it is so important to a tooth’s function. The Biorim serves as a foundation for the tooth, absorbing the stresses of chewing. Without this portion of the tooth, this stress is transferred to other areas that are less resilient to the forces and can lead to cracking. Especially with a traditionally crowned tooth where so much of the tooth structure has been removed, this can put the tooth at risk of cracking down to the root and dying. By preserving as much of the Biorim as we can with biomimetic restorations, the tooth is able to function like a natural tooth.

Patients and dentists alike have experienced this cycle. Neither are surprised when a filling needs to be replaced or a crown falls off. But that is no longer the best available treatment. Thanks to advances in adhesive dentistry, patients and dentists can stop the cycle of increasingly aggressive retreatment and protect tooth vitality.