Extracting teeth without thinking twice is not the way to deal with dental distress. While some patients may inevitably end up losing a tooth, if they don’t take care of their smile there are options to save as much tooth structure as possible before completely giving up. That’s the role Biomimetic Dentistry plays in dental care.

Here are some answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about biomimetic dentistry.

1. What is biomimetic dentistry?

The traditional dental restoration process involves fillings, root canal procedures, and dental crowns. However, all of these processes carry a risk of further damaging healthy tooth structure. This is not the case with biomimetic dentistry. Restorations are done in a way that teeth will be stronger because biomimetics utilize your remaining natural tooth structure to the fullest capacity.

2. What is wrong with traditional dentistry?

Traditional dental techniques haven’t taken advantage of the advanced ceramics and adhesives developed by modern engineering. These new technologies allow dentists to use small onlays that work more like your own teeth than the large porcelain crowns used in traditional dentistry. Old techniques can cause your teeth to eventually crack and leak, allowing bacteria to rot your teeth away from the inside. Biomimetic dentistry locks out the bacteria, for safer, more durable dental work.

3. Does biomimetic dentistry stop at restorations?

Many biomimetic dentists practice a multi-tiered approach, which biomimetic dentistry answers to. Tooth structure is rebuilt as part of this system, but ozone treatment, education for future prevention, and dental sealants are also a part of the whole package. Preventing future potential tooth decay and gum disease is a big element of this “less is more” approach.

4. Does biomimetic dentistry eliminate the need for root canals?

In many cases, yes. This form of dentistry takes inspiration from nature by restoring your teeth in layers. Biomimetic dentistry was designed with the patient’s needs in mind, so as much tooth structure will be retained as possible.

5. Do biomimetic procedures take longer to perform?

With many biomimetic restorations the whole procedure is performed in a single visit, unlike traditional dentistry where a second visit is generally required. The biomimetic method is also more time efficient in the long term, as these restorations create a stronger repair that is less likely to crack or break, saving both money and time. However, the one initial visit is a bit more time intensive due to the delicate nature of the reconstruction.

6. Who invented biomimetic dentistry?

The principles of biomimetic dentistry were developed by researchers at prestigious universities in Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, The United States, and many other countries. Groundbreaking work by Gary Unterbrink, Didier Dietschi, Pascal Magne, Urs Belser, and J-F Roulet in Europe, and Ray Bertolotti, John Kois, and John Kanca III in the United States, have promoted these advanced adhesive dentistry techniques for the past 25 years.

7. Is biomimetic dentistry more expensive than traditional dentistry?

No. In fact, over the long term it is far less expensive. No dental restoration lasts forever. When a traditional restoration fails both the restoration and the tooth are compromised, leading to costly tooth repair or replacement procedures. On the other hand, biomimetic restorations are easily repaired upon failure and are built so that the restoration fails not the tooth. Most require little or no anesthetic to repair. The minor cost associated with repairing a biomimetic restoration is more like that of a filling rather than that of a conventional crown, root canal, bridge or implant.