Meet Alleman Center Mentor Dr. David Wold
Dr. David Wold has been with the Alleman Center from the beginning. As part of our very first Biomimetic Mastership class in January 2020 he was determined to learn as much as he could about biomimetic dentistry, still a new concept to him at the time.
“I first encountered biomimetic restorative dentistry on Instagram,” says Dr. Dave Wold. “I had been a silent follower of practitioners like Davey. While I had been practicing dentistry for five years, there were aspects of my clinical practice I wanted to improve, namely bonding to dentin. I was frustrated with why my composite restorations were experiencing post-op sensitivity – despite me following the protocols as I was taught in dental school. I soon realized that there was so much more to understanding the complexities of adhesive dentistry.”
During his Mastership program, Dr. Wold read all 130 of Dr. David Alleman’s annotated articles in the first nine weeks and immediately started using the new protocols and techniques he was studying.
“In the beginning, I found it most challenging to get the necessary products of the BRD armamentarium,” Dr. Wold recalls. “As an associate, there is some limit to what products and equipment are at your disposal. I didn’t have air particle abrasion for the first nine months of my practicing biomimetic dentistry, but I found ways, based on the literature, to still obtain very high bond strengths to dentin. At the end of the day, your techniques will always trump a specific material or product that you use.”
Now as an Alleman Center mentor for the Biomimetic Mastership, Dr. Wold shares his experiences to help others. During his career, Dr. Wold has worked in a variety of office models — group practices, insurance-based practices, corporate dentistry and now a practice that focuses on biomimetic restorative dentistry while being largely out-of-network with dental benefit companies. Pairing that knowledge with his bachelor's degree in business management allows him to give the doctors he mentors a unique perspective and share how he increased his profitability by practicing biomimetic dentistry.
But Dr. Wold wants to remind doctors that there is hard work before the payoff. “The biggest challenge is the added time that biomimetic restorations take,” he says. “Production per hour will decrease in the beginning as you are spending more time to understand the steps of biomimetic rehabilitation. However, I have noticed a dramatic reduction in any revision dentistry and post-operative care to manage sensitive teeth.”
Dr. Wold has now practiced biomimetic dentistry for nearly half his career. He says the deeper understanding of adhesive dentistry that he learned in the Biomimetic Mastership gave him new confidence in his work because of the objective steps in the Six Lessons Approach.
“Having practiced both traditional and biomimetic dentistry, I can say unequivocally that biomimetic restorations are the superior way to restore teeth. I make sure to inform inquisitive patients that biomimetic dentistry is not a product, rather a philosophy of dental care that aims to preserve tooth structure while minimizing pulpal inflammation. To achieve these results, a methodical approach must be employed in order to obtain a strong seal to the tooth. I’ve yet to encounter a dentist who has been trained in the Six Lessons Approach who regrets practicing biomimetic dentistry. Additionally, I have yet to encounter a patient who is dissatisfied with the results of their biomimetic restorative dentistry!”
David Wold graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2013. He sought out biomimetic dentistry for a predictable and minimally invasive treatment option for his patients. With a business management degree prior to dentistry, Dr. Wold brings experience and passion to the non-clinical aspects of dental practice as well. He looks forward to helping you implement biomimetic dentistry into your dental environment
Dr. Wold practices at Penz Dental Care in Rochester, MN. Follow him on Instagram @dentaldamdave.
