There are a lot of buzz words in the dental world that you may overhear and recognize as good things – but this doesn’t mean you necessarily have solid grasp on how they affect your oral health. Fortunately, we offer biocompatible dentistry at our practice, which offers each of our patients a wide variety of benefits. You may have noticed you are hearing this term more and more lately. Rather than wonder any longer, we encourage you to become more familiar with what you can expect from this type of dentistry and how it may contribute to your healthy, beautiful smile. You just may be surprised by what you learn:
Questions and Answers About Biocompatible Dentistry
Question: What does biocompatible mean?
Answer: The word in dentistry refers to restorations that will not harm your tissues and that are non-toxic. You may see this term used often when compared with restorations – such as crowns and fillings – composed of metal. This is because metal restorations tend to contain some amount of mercury, a known toxin. Though treatments like amalgam fillings are considered safe for adults by the FDA, broken restorations may cause a threat if mercury leaks into one’s body. In addition, metal restorations are not safe for individuals who are allergic to metal, for children under six years of age, or for pregnant women.
Question: Is metal inherently bad in dentistry?
Answer: Because even trace amounts of mercury pose a potential threat to patients, we have decided to rule it out altogether to ensure your health is safe in our hands.
Question: What types of metal-free solutions do you offer?
Answer: Our biocompatible treatments, all of which are metal free, include the following:
- Composite Fillings: We also refer to these as tooth-colored fillings. They are composed of synthetic resin material called composite, which we can color-match to your surrounding tooth.
- Ceramic or Zirconia Crowns: These prosthetics may cover and protect a damaged tooth or act as tooth replacements in a bridge or implant. Again, we may color-match the material to your surrounding smile.
Question: Are there cosmetic benefits to biocompatible dentistry?
Answer: Yes, because we may match the color of the material to your tooth or smile, the finished result will appear seamless and natural. This is unlike metal restorations, which tend to appear obvious and may darken a tooth.
ABOUT YOUR DOWNEY DENTISTS:
Dr. Hadis Reyhani, Dr. Ben Reyhani, and Dr. Pasha Hakimzadeh, DDS, provide a wealth of combined experience, along with innovative technology and personalized care, to help improve our patients’ dental health so they can enjoy smiling again. To schedule a consultation, call Downey Family Cosmetic Dentistry today at (562) 472-2433.
