09/20/2026
It was an honor to speak at the Florida Association of Endodontists 2026 annual meeting on Friday. My presentation, titled "From Pankey to Microscope to Biomimetics: A Journey Toward Saving More Teeth," began with a philosophy that has guided my entire career: the importance of caring for the patient as a whole.
I discussed the value of understanding occlusion and applying comprehensive patient care, concepts I learned and later taught as visiting faculty at the LD Pankey Institute. From there, I shared my journey into microscope-enhanced dentistry and how that path has evolved with advances in biomimetic dentistry.
It was especially meaningful to present before such a distinguished group of endodontists, along with leading biomimetic clinicians, educators, and researchers, including biomimetic pioneer Dr. David Alleman, Dr. Davey Alleman, and Dr. Luciana Soares, whose contributions include key scientific research with Dr. Pascal Magne, another pioneer in biomimetic dentistry.
I discussed the scientific principles and clinical concepts behind biomimetic, minimally invasive dentistry and demonstrated the microscopic techniques for their clinical application. These included caries removal strategies, dentin preservation, crack dissection, deep margin elevation, immediate dentin sealing, pre-endodontic dentin sealing, techniques to reduce polymerization stresses, and approaches aimed at improving the longevity and survivability of teeth. The objective is not simply to restore teeth, but to preserve their structure, strengthen what remains, and return them as closely as possible to the intact natural tooth.
Of special importance to this group, I discussed the endo-restorative interface and the importance of collaboration between the endodontist and restorative dentist before, during, and after endodontic treatment, should it become necessary. I presented the most current research on the effects of endodontic irrigants on dentin at the molecular level and how these changes may affect the bond strength to dentin after root canal therapy. I also addressed how these effects can be mitigated with pre-endodontic sealing, an emerging concept that has the potential to significantly change how endodontists and restorative dentists approach the treatment and long-term restoration of teeth. I was especially pleased by the interest expressed by the endodontists, both during the discussion and in conversations following the presentation, in learning more about these principles and in collaborating closely with restorative dentists. Ultimately, we all share the same goal.
I want to thank the President of the Florida Association of Endodontists, Dr. Mark A. Limosani, for inviting me to participate and for organizing an exceptional meeting that brought together clinicians, educators, and researchers committed to advancing endodontic and restorative care.
The meeting culminated on the final day with a fantastic full-day, comprehensive program on biomimetic dentistry presented by Drs. David and Davey Alleman, whom I also want to thank for influencing me in pursuing this path. For me, the message of the meeting came down to something simple: Preserve tooth structure. Respect the biology. Understand the science. Collaborate across disciplines. And give every tooth the best possible chance to survive, all for the ultimate benefit of our patients.
