Biological Dentistry in Aventura, South Florida
Biological Dentistry
Dentistry that considers the material, the tooth, the mouth, and the person receiving the treatment.
My biological approach begins with a simple idea: the mouth is not separate from the rest of the body.
That means I think carefully about the materials we place, the way we manage inflammation and infection, how we support surgical healing, the oral microbiome, airway and breathing, nutrition, lifestyle, and how each dental decision may affect the patient over time.
My Approach
Biological dentistry is not about rejecting conventional dentistry.
Biological dentistry is best understood as a philosophy of care, not a separate dental specialty.
I still rely on examination, imaging, appropriate diagnostic testing, established restorative principles, sound surgical technique, and conventional dental science.
The biological lens adds considerations that can easily be overlooked: material compatibility, unnecessary exposure during treatment, oral-systemic inflammation, the oral microbiome, airway and sleep, nutrition, healing capacity, and how much healthy tooth structure we can preserve.
Biocompatible Dental Materials
What we put in the mouth matters.
Dental materials need to function mechanically, interact appropriately with oral tissues, and make sense for the individual patient.
Tooth-Colored Adhesive Materials
Composite resins and bonded restorative materials can allow conservative restoration while avoiding mercury-containing amalgam.
Material selection still depends on restoration location, moisture control, bite forces and the amount of remaining tooth.
Ceramic Restorations
Ceramic materials such as zirconia and glass ceramics may provide strong, aesthetic, metal-free restorative options when indicated.
The right ceramic depends on the tooth, preparation design, required strength, bonding strategy and functional demands.
Implant Materials
I consider both zirconia and titanium implant systems.
The choice should be made case by case rather than assuming one material is universally better. Bone, anatomy, restorative design, tissue response and patient preference all matter.
How My Approach Is Biological
Six lenses I bring into treatment planning.
Preserve healthy biology
I try to preserve healthy tooth structure, pulp vitality, bone and soft tissue whenever the diagnosis allows it.
Choose materials thoughtfully
Materials are selected for the patient and tooth, with attention to compatibility, function, durability, aesthetics and long-term maintenance.
Reduce avoidable exposure
When removing existing materials such as dental amalgam, we use protocols designed to reduce unnecessary exposure for the patient, team and treatment environment.
Respect the oral microbiome
The goal is not a sterile mouth. It is a healthy microbial ecosystem. We can use oral microbiome testing when useful and personalize prevention around the individual.
Support healing
Surgical planning may include atraumatic technique, ozone as an adjunct when appropriate, and platelet-rich fibrin created from the patient’s own blood.
Look beyond the tooth
Airway, sleep, nutrition, hydration, lifestyle, medications, stress and overall health can all provide useful context for oral disease and prevention.
Mercury Amalgam
When amalgam is removed, how it is removed matters.
Dental amalgam contains elemental mercury along with other metals.
Removing it generates particulate material and mercury vapor, which is why I use an exposure-reduction protocol when amalgam removal is indicated.
I am SMART certified through the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.
Oral Surgery + Healing
Surgery should remove disease while respecting the tissues that need to heal.
My surgical approach emphasizes careful diagnosis, conservative tissue handling, thorough debridement when indicated, and biologically supportive healing strategies.
The Whole-Person Conversation
The mouth can tell us more when we stop looking at it in isolation.
Biological dentistry does not mean every dental problem has a hidden systemic cause.
It means we are willing to look for relevant relationships when the clinical picture supports it.
Infection + Root Canal Concerns
I evaluate the tooth in front of me, not the label on its history.
Biological dentistry is sometimes associated with blanket claims that every root-canal-treated tooth must be removed.
That is not how I approach the decision.
Your First Visit
Biological care begins with understanding your baseline.
Before deciding on treatment, we need to understand your mouth, your history and what matters to you.
Biological Dentist in South Florida
Biological dentistry in Aventura, with a practical whole-body perspective.
I practice biological, biomimetic and holistic dentistry at Our Holistic Dentistry in Aventura, Florida.
We serve patients from Aventura, Miami, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and across South Florida, as well as patients who travel for this approach.
If you are looking for a biological dentist, ask how the practice thinks about material selection, mercury removal, oral surgery, root-canal-treated teeth, implants, the oral microbiome and conservative restorative dentistry.
The label matters less than the quality of the clinical reasoning behind it.
Questions
Biological Dentistry FAQs
What is biological dentistry?
Biological dentistry is a philosophy of dental care that considers oral health in the context of the whole person. It can include thoughtful material selection, conservative dentistry, oral-systemic health, the oral microbiome, surgical healing, airway, nutrition and lifestyle. It is not a separate recognized dental specialty.
What are biocompatible dental materials?
Biocompatible materials are selected with attention to how they interact with oral tissues and how appropriate they are for the patient and clinical situation. Examples may include bonded composites, ceramics and selected implant materials. No single material is ideal for every person or every tooth.
Do you use mercury amalgam fillings?
My restorative approach is mercury-free, and I use tooth-colored or ceramic restorative materials when clinically appropriate. When an existing amalgam restoration needs to be removed, I use the IAOMT SMART protocol to reduce unnecessary exposure during removal.
Does biological dentistry mean all metal must be removed?
No. Treatment decisions should be based on the patient, condition of the restoration, clinical indication and risks and benefits of replacement. I do not believe every restoration or implant should automatically be removed simply because it contains metal.
Are zirconia implants always better than titanium implants?
No. Zirconia and titanium each have advantages and limitations. The best choice depends on anatomy, bone, restorative needs, implant location, patient preferences and the clinical situation.
Do you remove every root-canal-treated tooth?
No. Root-canal-treated teeth should be evaluated individually. Symptoms, imaging, fracture risk, infection, restorability and alternatives all matter before deciding whether to monitor, retreat or extract a tooth.
What does oral microbiome testing add to biological dentistry?
Oral microbiome testing can provide another layer of information about the microbial environment in the mouth. When useful, it can help make conversations about prevention, hygiene, diet and oral-health products more individualized. It does not replace a dental examination or diagnosis.
Does ozone replace conventional dental treatment?
No. Ozone may be used as an adjunct in selected situations, but it does not replace necessary decay removal, periodontal therapy, debridement, surgery, endodontic treatment or restorative care.
How do I find a biological dentist in South Florida?
Ask how the dentist approaches material selection, mercury removal, minimally invasive dentistry, oral surgery, implants, root-canal-treated teeth, oral microbiome health and whole-person risk factors. Dr. Seth Gilson practices biological dentistry at Our Holistic Dentistry in Aventura, Florida.
Begin With Understanding
Your dental treatment should make sense for your mouth and your body.
We start by understanding your history, existing dentistry, oral health, airway, oral microbiome, nutrition, lifestyle and goals. Then we decide together what deserves treatment and which options make the most sense.
This page is educational and does not establish a dentist-patient relationship or replace examination, imaging, diagnosis or individualized treatment planning.