A relatively new phrase in the holistic dental community is "biomimetic dentistry".
The
word "biomimetic" is derived from two terms: "biology," the science of
life or living matter in all its forms, and "mimic," to imitate or copy.
With the advent of adhesive bonding technologies in dentistry over the
past few decades, materials and techniques have been developed that
allow for the minimal removal of tooth structure, followed by adhering
tooth-colored material onto or within the tooth. The philosophy behind
this brings new meaning to the phrase “less is more”.
Historically,
when prepping a tooth for a filling, dental schools taught students
“extension for retention” and “extension for prevention”. In essence,
the bigger you make the cavity prep, the more likely the filling will
stay in and the less likely you will get a recurrent cavity around it.
This no longer holds any truth in the modern dental arena.
Nowadays,
decay is removed and a restoration is bonded that both strengthens and
mimics the form and color of the remaining healthy tooth. Depending upon
the individual needs of a tooth, it can be repaired either with a
bonding material applied directly to the tooth, or with a conservative
inlay/onlay (similar to a partial crown) fabricated in a dental
laboratory.
Biomimetic Dentistry: Less is more.
In
these cases, crowns and prophylactic root canals can be avoided. The
integrity, form, esthetics and function of the tooth, as nature
intended, can be preserved. Thus, biomimetic dentistry is achieved.