08/07/2025
Have you ever wondered if there's a better alternative to traditional dental crowns? Let me tell you about an amazing innovation that's changing the way we restore teeth.
About 15 years ago, I began offering biomimetic crowns – or "biocrowns" as I call them – after learning this technique from Dr. Pascal Meunier, one of the founders from the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
What makes biocrowns so revolutionary? While traditional crowns might look good, they actually require removing a good portion of your natural tooth structure – like putting your tooth in a pencil sharpener. Biocrowns, however, preserve your natural tooth structure, which is absolutely amazing.
This preservation is critical. It's Dental 101 – the more enamel we keep, the more strength there is. Your natural enamel bonds to the inner dentine layer, providing strength to the tooth. When we maintain this structural integrity, your tooth remains stronger and healthier.
Biocrowns also look incredible with a seamless join. We use really, really strong resins – the same bonding technology used to keep modern aircraft wings together. This creates a bond strength of up to 80 megapascals, mimicking the natural bond between enamel and dentine. Traditional crowns? They achieve only 8-10 megapascals at best, and that cement isn't actually bonding – it's just gap filler.
Because biocrowns are minimally invasive, you're much less likely to need root canals down the track. We're protecting the nerve and blood supply within your tooth, maintaining its vitality.
The results are truly long-lasting – I expect biocrowns to last 15-20 years or more. There's also less risk of what I'd call catastrophic issues after treatment. Traditional crowns can develop decay between the margin and the root surface at the gum level, potentially leading to nerve damage or tooth breakage. Biocrowns significantly reduce these risks.
The materials we use are also highly biocompatible – your body sees them as natural, with no negative effects on gum health or overall wellbeing.
When your tooth has lost its structural integrity through wear or fillings, a biocrown can recreate that strength – like putting a lid on a bucket – restoring the tooth to its former strength. It's quite amazing technology that more people should know about.
