Did you know a tooth is a delicate organ? It contains its own blood supply, nervous system and lymphatic drainage. The root of a tooth is porous which allows for nutrient exchange between the tooth and its surrounding bone. Dentistry does not always take these facts into consideration, and teeth are often treated as hairs or nails—they are cut or filed down.  

A tooth cannot re-grow itself, but it can detoxify itself. This detoxification process takes place from inside the tooth pulp out through the outside enamel layer. When a tooth is broken down and decayed, a dental crown can be recommended by a dentist to remedy the situation. What takes place during a crown preparation, however, is a partial tooth amputation where almost the entire enamel layer and some dentin is drilled away. The tooth is then fitted for a full-coverage crown.  

This crown blocks the natural detoxification process, and the pulp of the tooth could undergo necrosis which leads to an abscess. Once the tooth is abscessed, it needs to be extracted or treated with root canal therapy which also causes potential risks. Sometimes the prior damage to the tooth is too extensive, and a dental crown is the only treatment that can restore its function. However, biomimetic dentistry seeks to explore and implement a more conservative approach whenever possible.  

Instead of a full-coverage crown, a large composite resin filling is done with a specific layering technique to reinforce the internal tooth structure with a matrix called Ribbond. At White Sands Dentistry, we also utilize Ribbond’s proven technique to support areas of the tooth where a cusp was lost.  

This technique is called a cusp replacement. It is a time-consuming process, but only damaged areas of the tooth are removed, leaving the rest in place which allows the tooth to “breathe.” Ribbond also allows the tooth to flex under mastication forces, while minimizing the possibility of stress cracks. The biomimetic approach conserves the tooth structure to minimize abscessing, breakage and catastrophic tooth loss to extend its life-span. 

Location: 520 48th St. Ct. E, Bradenton. For more information, call 941-748-9393 or visit WhiteSandsDentistry.com.