Over time health professionals have begun to understand more and more how various materials affect the human body. This has lead to a changing landscape of materials that are used in medicine and in everyday life.
For example, 30 years ago asbestos was an extremely common construction material in homes, but now doctors understand asbestos can cause lung cancer and a variety of other complications, so it is no longer used by developers. This type of increased awareness has also occurred in the dental field with materials such as mercury, which was previously commonly used by dentists for fillings.
The harmful effects of the metal on the mouth have become better known over the last 10 years, so holistic dentists, such as Dr. George, have always used mercury-free treatments.
As a biological dentist, Dr. George always works to utilize biocompatible materials with all patients.
Biocompatibility approach involves the analysis of exactly how various materials react with human tissue. Some materials are more likely than others to cause harmful effects. Some materials always cause harmful effects such as toxins, but other less-abrasive materials may react with certain individuals differently than with others, similar to an allergic reaction.
Many of these positive reactions and biocompatible materials are already understood and used by holistic dentists.
One example from Dr. George’s practice is Biodentine, which works with our cells to create a protective dentine layer that will cover an exposed nerve. This can be incredibly helpful when decay begins to approach or exposes the nerve of the tooth, which can cause the need for a root canal treatment.
Biocompatible materials are safer and more effective, which makes them crucial to holistic dentistry. In order to benefit our patients, we seek to use biocompatible materials as often as possible in our San Diego, La Jolla holistic dental practice. Please call or visit today for a consultation or to schedule an appointment. We would love to hear from you!