Dr. David Alleman, DDS is one of the founding leaders in biomimetic restorative dentistry, but when he was first introduced to adhesive principles by Dr. Ray Bertolotti in 1995, he had already quit practicing dentistry.

Despite having a scientific foundation from research that is four decades old, biomimetic dentistry, also known as biomimetic restorative dentistry, may seem new to many doctors and patients. So the question will arise, “Is biomimetic dentistry worth it?” This is a decision every doctor and patient should make for themself, so let’s explore some sides to this question.

When it comes to crack diagnosis and treatment, cracks are often overlooked without proper magnification during routine check-ups. Pain on biting is often treated by trying to stabilize the fracture with a crown or try to bond over and infiltrate the crack. These treatments have varied success with some teeth proceeding to root canal or extraction.

Like many dentists, Alleman Center mentor Dr. Dafina Doberdoli was drawn to the field from her interest in science, medicine and helping others. Inspired by her aunt who is also a dentist, she thought of dentistry as a possible career for herself. “I saw that not many women were dentists in my country. Seeing her work, I thought I could do that too.”

This June saw the Alleman Center’s second-annual Retreat in Park City, Utah. Doctors from as far as Denmark, Belgium and Chile gathered to share their work, celebrate science and connect with other doctors in the field. With ten classes of expert doctors already trained through the Alleman Center Biomimetic Mastership, the pool of alumni is quickly growing, but the bonds formed between the doctors who learn together are here to stay.

If there was one thing you could do differently in your dentistry that would immediately improve your clinical outcomes, would you do it? This sounds like a gimmick or an infomercial for the latest technology for dental offices but actually involves a $40 bottle of solution you probably remember from dental school and a dive into the science behind why it reliably improves restorations.

“If it weren’t for the doctors I mentor, I would be on a beach right now in the Philippines,” Alleman Center mentor Dr. Patrick Calalang often says with a smile and a laugh. Yes, that is a positive statement.

Biomimetic Dentistry, also known as Biomimetic Restorative Dentistry, has seen a rise in recognition in recent years, but these techniques didn’t spring up overnight. Called Adhesive Dentistry when the techniques were first explored in the 1980’s by Fusayama, the term Biomimetic Restorative Dentistry was defined by Pascal Magne in his 2002 book with U. Belser, Bonded Porcelain Restorations in the Anterior Dentition, as “The biomimetic principle, that is the idea that the intact tooth... is the guide to reconstruction….”

Welcome to the Alleman Center of Biomimetic Dentistry. In 2019, Hillary Alleman founded the center to create a Biomimetic Mastership program featuring her father’s work, the Six Lessons Approach to Biomimetic Dentistry. The Biomimetic Mastership is a comprehensive program that teaches dentists how to use the Six Lessons Approach to create the best outcomes for their patients. It may seem like Biomimetic Dentistry sprouted up overnight, but Dr. Alleman’s work in the field of biomimetic restorative dentistry has roots that go back several decades.