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Imagine trying to get into your home with a key that doesn’t fit the lock. The key might get stuck. You might break the key or wreck the lock.
Or imagine trying to drive a gasoline-powered car that you’ve just filled up with diesel. That mistake can damage the engine and make the car inoperable.
Now imagine having dental work done with materials that aren’t a good match for your body – the mercury amalgam used to make “silver” fillings, say, or the titanium alloys used for implants that may also contain toxic metals such as nickel, aluminum, and chromium.
Non-compatible materials can cause inflammation and allergic reactions, and otherwise disrupt the body’s natural functions. That’s why, at the Holistic Dental Center of New Jersey, we use only materials that will work in harmony with the body, promoting healing and overall health – without adverse effects.
Which Dental Materials Are Biocompatible?
Most of the dental work we place is made from either composite or ceramic.
You may know composite as the material used to make tooth-colored fillings. Made from a mixture of plastic resin and fine glass or silica particles, composites are also used in cosmetic procedures to reshape teeth, close gaps, and repair chips or cracks. They can be used to make veneers and inlays, and to bond porcelain veneers to teeth.
While some modern composites contain toxic materials such as BPA and fluoride, we steer clear of those. All the composites we use are both BPA-free and fluoride-free. A number of these are considered broadly biocompatible, meaning they can safely be used in most patients with no harmful consequences.
For larger restorations such as crowns and prosthetics such as implants and veneers, non-metallic ceramics are preferred for their strength, durability, and excellent aesthetics. These include both porcelain and zirconia.
Zirconia is highly regarded in dentistry for its exceptional strength and biocompatibility. It’s highly durable and resistant to wear and fracture, making it ideal for crowns, bridges, and implants. Its strength allows it to withstand the forces of chewing and grinding better than many other materials.
All of the crowns we make are zirconia, as are the dental implants we place. For veneers, we favor porcelain for its even greater aesthetics. It closely resembles natural enamel, being most translucent, bonds very well to teeth, and resists staining better than other materials.
Using Biocompatibility Testing to Guide Decision-Making
One tool we have to make sure that the materials we choose for your dental work are a good match for your unique biochemistry is serum biocompatibility testing – specifically, the high sensitivity Lymphocyte Response Assay by ELISA/ACT™.
Using a small sample of your blood, the LRA results inform us of any sensitivities you may have to particular dental materials or their components. The lab report lets us know which materials are least likely to cause an adverse reaction and which are riskiest.
While we recommend this testing for all of our patients, it’s extremely important for patients with a history of chronic illness or allergies and sensitivities. We also strongly recommend it before undergoing mercury filling removal. The last thing we want to do is wind up just replacing one toxin with another.
As a biological dental practice, our goal is to only do dentistry in a way that supports your total health and well-being.
