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Biomimetic Dentistry in Colorado Springs

Biomimetic Dentistry FAQ

What does biomimetic dentistry mean for me?

Biomimetic Dentistry is a very tooth-conservative approach to fixing damaged teeth. Biomimetics is a scientifically proven technique that focuses on the correct bonding and sealing of broken or decayed teeth in a way that copies nature. This means that more of your natural tooth is preserved during every dental procedure at Aspen Ridge Dental Care.

You may wonder why conservative dentistry really matters. Unlike other parts of your body, your teeth do not mend on their own. It is therefore important to conserve as much natural tooth structure as possible. The best dentistry (the dentistry that will be better for your mouth long term) is also the least invasive dentistry. This is the philosophy behind biomimetics and Dr. Waite’s approach to helping you achieve your best smile. Because we perform minimally invasive procedures, you experience less pain and discomfort, longer-lasting restorations and an overall healthier mouth.

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What are the benefits of biomimetic dentistry?

Biomimetic dentistry offers several benefits in aesthetics, function, cost, pain management and overall long-term dental health.

Aesthetically, when your tooth is restored biomimetically, Dr. Waite can add depth of color, shine and shape not possible with conventional restorations. This creates a better look and feel for your restored tooth, allowing it to better match the existing teeth surrounding it.
The functionality of a biomimetically restored tooth offers significant benefits versus a traditional restoration. Biomimetics differs most significantly in function. This is because when your tooth is restored biomimetically it flexes in a similar manner as your natural dentin (the part of your tooth that creates the needed shock absorption during use). Hard crowns and traditional fillings do not offer this flexibility. This leads to breaks and cracks in your natural teeth beneath the crown or filling and translates in to further damage and more costly dental repairs—things avoided by biomimetics.
Biomimetic restorations have proven to be more cost-effective than traditional restorations because they require less expensive repairs over the life of the restoration. This saves you extra visits to the dentist and dental specialists.
You will notice a significant difference in the lack of pain and sensitivity of your biomimetically repaired teeth versus your teeth restored with conventional crowns and fillings. This is due largely to the fact that biomimetics focuses on only removing the damaged or structurally compromised parts of a tooth and then delicately rebuilding it using correct bonding procedures, sealing out any bacteria that create infection.
The science behind biomimetics proves its high long-term success rate. More than 90 percent of biomimetically-repaired teeth will never need a root canal or traditional crown. Moreover, because you maintain more of your natural tooth structure in biomimetics, your tooth remains healthier for longer.

These are many of the reasons Dr. Waite implemented biomimetic dentistry at Aspen Ridge Dental Care. As always, your dental health is of the utmost importance to Dr. Waite. He truly cares about your long-term oral health. Biomimetic dentistry is very conservative, which means you have stronger, longer-lasting teeth throughout your lifetime, truly helping you achieve your best smile.

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Do all dentists provide biomimetic dentistry?

Dr. Waite is one of only three dentists in Colorado Springs who can perform biomimetic procedures. This technique requires extensive training and continuing education, in which Dr. Waite has invested the time to complete. It also requires the use of extremely high-magnification telescope lenses to produce long lasting results. Because it is so specialized and time intensive, not many dentists have received the training needed to provide this conservative technique.

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Aren’t all fillings the same?

No. Amalgam, commonly known as a silver filling, has been used for years. These fillings have no adhesive properties and simply fill space inside of your tooth. They do not support your surrounding tooth structure and if left in teeth long-term swell and eventually crack and break teeth. These fillings also contain mercury, a toxic substance. Many patients are unhappy with the unaesthetic appearance of these restorations.

White composite fillings are more aesthetic and provide some adhesion properties to strengthen teeth, but with time these fillings expand and contract differently than the tooth structure and eventually leak and develop cavities beneath them.

Biomimetic fillings are very aesthetic restorations. These fillings provide a long-lasting bond to teeth that does not breakdown with time. This helps to support your remaining good tooth structure and seal out bacteria that can cause recurrent cavities. Since these restorations are sealed, the postoperative sensitivity is minimal to nonexistent. These fillings are reinforced with special materials that make them as strong as the missing tooth structure they replace. This makes for a long-lasting restoration.

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Will my insurance cover biomimetic procedures?

Biomimetic procedures are billed in a similar manner as traditional dentistry. Because dental insurance companies do not have specific billing codes for biomimetic dentistry, we submit your claims based on traditional codes for the types of materials used as well as surfaces repaired during the restoration. This means that most biomimetic restorations are billed the same way as a white (ceramic) crown or filling.

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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.

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Why should I choose biomimetic dentistry over traditional dentistry?

As a dentist, Dr. Waite feels strongly that you should have the best possible options to treat your mouth. Biomimetic dentistry is the only treatment he seeks for himself and performs for his family and friends, and the treatment he has incorporated into his new practice, Aspen Ridge Dental Care. Simply put, we believe it is better dentistry: better for your overall oral health, and better for each tooth.

Dr. Waite has taken hundreds of hours of continuing education in several areas of dentistry. By far, the most beneficial and far-reaching impact of all these CE courses has been that of biomimetic dentistry. Dr. Waite has performed traditional dentistry for more than eight years. Through this experience and study he has realized that traditional dentistry has several drawbacks that biomimetic dentistry resolves. He is very excited to offer this amazing dentistry to all of his patients at Aspen Ridge Dental Care.

In an ideal world, the best dentistry would be no need for dentistry. But since each of us experience some tooth problems sooner or later, the next best thing is to copy nature and repair your tooth the way nature would repair it: rebuilding it one layer at a time, cusp by cusp, removing only the compromised areas and providing correct and strong bonding techniques that provide the most natural result and seal out future infection. For these reasons, Dr. Waite believes Biomimetic Dentistry is THE best dentistry for you.

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Do Biomimetic procedures take more time?

In the long term biomimetic procedures have proven to be more time efficient. This is because everything is performed in one visit, eliminating the need for the second visit common with traditional crowns. This is also due to the conservative nature of the technique, which eliminates 90 percent of root canals and other time consuming procedures that stem from the break down of conventional dental restorations.

However, the initial repair to your tooth is more time intensive than a traditional “crown preparation” or standard “pot-hole” filling. This is because Dr Waite takes the time to delicately reconstruct your tooth layer by layer using the most advanced techniques and adhesive materials that result in longer lasting restorations. This creates stronger teeth that are less prone to breaking or cracking and will need less work down the road, saving you time and money.

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What if I have old white or silver fillings?

Dr. Waite is of the strong belief that early diagnosis and treatment result in better long-term health as well as less costly procedures and less discomfort down the road. That is why he suggests that if your old fillings start showing any signs of leakage or compromise, you get them replaced using biomimetic methods immediately.

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How does biomimetic dentistry eliminate tooth sensitivity?

Biomimetic dentistry significantly reduces, and in most cases eliminates, sensitivity commonly associated with traditional crowns and fillings. By being conservative and not removing vital tooth structure, we significantly decrease your tooth’s sensitivity. Properly sealing the remaining tooth structure during the rebuilding process also contributes to the considerable drop in sensitivity associated with biomimetic restorations. In fact, many of our patients report having no sensitivity at all, postoperatively.

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How does biomimetic dentistry eliminate crowns?

Biomimetic dentistry treats weak, fractured, and decayed teeth in a way that keeps them strong and seals them from bacterial invasion. Careful sealing against infection removes the need for 60 to 90 percent of the crowns and root canals of conventional dentistry.

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Will I notice a difference between my old dental work and the new biomimetic restorations?

Based on reports from Dr. Waite’s current patients, the biggest difference you will notice between traditional treatments and our procedures is the lack of significant postoperative sensitivity with biomimetic restorations. Most of our patients at Aspen Ridge Dental Care report only one day of sensitivity versus the sensitivity they experienced for several weeks and even months following a traditional restoration. Another difference you will notice is the look and feel of your restored tooth. Our patients say their biomimetic dentistry feels identical to their own natural teeth and matches their teeth in shape, contour and function.

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How is biomimetic dentistry different than traditional dentistry?

The biggest difference between biomimetic dentistry and traditional dentistry is the effect each has on the natural tooth structure. The best way to demonstrate this is by contrasting the life cycle of your teeth using conventional dental treatments versus biomimetic procedures:

Many of you have experienced the dental life cycle of a tooth treated with traditional dentistry (with some variables, of course):

Step 1: Disease/decay corrupts a natural tooth.

Step 2: A dentist removes the decay and extra healthy tooth structure in order to prepare the existing tooth for a traditional filling or a crown.

Step 3: After the procedure, your tooth remains sensitive for quite some time.

Step 4: A few months or years down the road, the sensitivity turns to occasional or constant pain.

Step 5: Your tooth then needs a root canal or at least a larger filling--which will eventually lead to a root canal.

Step 6: A crown (if you didn’t already have one) is placed on the remaining tooth.

Step 7: Cracks start appearing in your tooth. You experience tooth pain again and/or the crown falls off.

Step 8: Your root canal has failed and your tooth is decaying, yet again. If it is too compromised your tooth will be extracted.

Step 9: You now have an empty space where a natural tooth once existed. If you don’t take steps soon, you will experience tooth shifting and dramatic bite changes as existing teeth begin drifting into the open space.

Step 10: There are two options at this point: implant or bridge. If you don’t have an implant placed, two or more perfectly healthy teeth are shaved down to support a bridge. These teeth then become susceptible to experiencing the same life cycle of traditional dentistry.

With biomimetic dentistry, this disastrous cycle can be prevented. Biomimetics evaluates each tooth based on individual tooth needs. It takes a conservative approach. With biomimetics, Dr. Waite makes the restoration fit the tooth, rather than amputating the tooth to fit the restoration. The result is a stronger, healthier tooth that reacts like your natural teeth to the normal grinding and wear in your mouth. In fact, the “life-cycle” of a biomimetic tooth looks more like this:

Step 1: Disease/decay corrupts a natural tooth

Step 2: Under the aid of extremely high-magnification optic lenses, Dr. Waite removes only the decayed and structurally compromised areas of your tooth.

Step 3: Dr. Waite starts bonding and rebuilding your existing tooth making it look like and function much more like your natural tooth originally did and sealing out the harmful bacteria that causes decay.

Step 4: You may experience 1-2 days of tooth sensitivity following the procedure.

Step 5: If your restoration wears or breaks, it does so in “controlled” areas without compromising your tooth.

Step 6: Dr. Waite can rebuild or repair your restoration without anesthetic.

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