Biomimetic dentistry is a revolutionary approach to dental care that aims to
mimic the natural form of teeth. The primary principle behind biomimetic
dentistry is that teeth are at their strongest when in their natural form. This
principle has two main advantages, according to dentists. First, it promotes the
long-term conservation of teeth for dental health. Second, it helps to reduce the
financial costs associated with treatment.
Due to its increasing popularity, many dentists are now turning to biomimetic
dentistry to provide their patients with procedures that are minimally invasive
and geared towards protecting the patient’s teeth. The goal is to mimic the
original function, form, and aesthetics of a patient’s natural teeth. Biomimetics is
the study of a biological system’s structure and function, and biomimetic
dentistry specifically uses the tooth as a model for designing and engineering
material that is needed to replace a tooth structure that is diseased or missing.
Traditional dental practices in the past have resorted to more invasive means
when restoring badly chipped teeth or teeth suffering from major decay.
Unfortunately, these procedures often result in the removal of healthy teeth.
Biomimetic dentistry offers better alternatives through advancements in bonding
techniques and modern adhesion methods that allow dentists to perform
procedures in a more conservative manner, resulting in better outcomes for the
patient’s tooth and finances.
Biomimetic dentistry is also effective in treating large cavities in teeth and
preventing root canals, especially for infected or badly decayed teeth. In a
standard root canal procedure, the infected or inflamed soft center or pulp of the
tooth is extracted. On the other hand, biomimetic dentists will clean the decay
but will stop upon reaching the tooth’s nerve, leaving a small portion of decay
before sealing the nerve. As long as all the decay is cleaned out of the peripheral feeling zone, dentists can manually build back up a tooth structure that looks and
feels like a healthy tooth, mimicking what the original tooth looked like.
In essence, biomimetic dentistry eliminates bacterial growth in decaying teeth by
sealing the nerve with the utilization of layering techniques through the use of
porcelain restorations and composites. This process effectively cuts off any
progress of decay since it is sealed off from receiving any form of nutrients. Since
cavities are caused by bacteria, it is logical to cut off their supply of nutrients,
which in this case, are sugar and oxygen. Without these nutrients, bacteria remain
dormant or die, preventing a larger percentage of cavity-filled teeth from
needing root canal procedures or crowns.
Biomimetic dentistry takes a patient-centric approach that prioritizes the tooth’s
strength above all else. The goal of biomimetic dentistry is to rebuild a tooth that
looks and functions like a natural tooth, rather than just aesthetically appearing
to be one. It ensures that the tooth being fixed gets layers rebuilt into it, with the
entire goal of the practice being to rebuild a tooth that looks and functions like a
natural tooth.
In conclusion, biomimetic dentistry is a promising approach to dental care that seeks to restore and preserve the natural structure of the tooth. It is a patient-centric approach that is cost-effective, minimally invasive, and geared towards protecting the patient’s teeth for the long term. With the increasing popularity of biomimetic dentistry, more dentists and patients are determined to preserve what nature provided, rather than destroy it.
