What is the difference between a BIOLOGICAL and a BIOMIMETIC Dentist?

Last weekend when I was in Phoenix, AZ being interviewed on a very popular podcast (you’ll find out which one this Friday!) I was asked the question above. The following day while presenting my “Toxic Tooth Talk” at The Camby Hotel in Phoenix (@marriottbonvoy) the same question arose. Since two people asked the same question within a 24 hour period I figured it might be a question shared by others. So here’s the explanation:

I define Biological Dentistry as oral health care that respects the unique bio-individual nature of each patient and that uses materials found to be least reactive for that unique human being.

I define Biomimetic Dentistry as the practice of dentistry that focuses on restorative and surgical procedures that rebuild oral tissues (teeth, gums, and bone) to a condition that most closely mimics the original human structure.

To better understand how these concepts relate to a real world example, consider a tooth-colored filling. Teeth have two distinctly different layers. The outer super-hard crystalline layer is called “enamel”. The inner more porous layer that is filled with tiny nerve endings is called “dentin”. These layers serve different purposes and have very different physical properties.

A dentist who is thinking biologically will use a composite filling that is compatible with their patient. However, this may not be biomimetic because it is a single material trying to replace two very different biological tissues. A biomimetic filling will use two different materials, each of which has optimal properties to bond to both dentin and enamel. If these materials are not known to be biologically compatible for that patient, then the filling may be biomimetic, but not biological. This may seem like semantics, but it turns out that words matter! It also matters how we treat the health of teeth and the biological individuality of our patients.

GOOD NEWS! At BDC we practice both Biological and Biomimetic dentistry simultaneously! Ping us today to discover our Dental Tourism solutions!

Blodgett Dental Care – Human Beings Helping Human Beings

If you desire an approach to your oral health care where all the treatment options are presented and you get to choose based on your values and goals, we would love to help you!  Please email us at info@bdcpdx.com to reserve your New Patient Experience and visit our website to learn about our Dental Tourism solutions. We are here to serve you!

Call Blodgett Dental Care at (503) 713-6980 to schedule your next appointment!

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