The Burkitt Center for Comprehensive Dentistry

05/13/2026

05/07/2026

We don't do root canals at The Burkitt Center.

Conventional dentistry treats a root canal as the standard fix for an infected or dying tooth. Drill out the nerve, fill the chamber, crown it, move on. The tooth stays in the mouth. The tooth is also dead.

We made a different call. A tooth is a living organ. Vascular, neural, connected to the rest of the body. Mummifying it and sealing it back into the jaw doesn't preserve the tooth. It parks a non-sterile object in living tissue.

When a tooth can't be saved alive, we extract it cleanly, clear the surrounding bone, and rebuild with a biocompatible replacement. Ceramic implant, bridge, or guided regeneration depending on the case. The mouth heals. The body integrates.

That's why we walked away from root canals. It's the same reason we built around biological dentistry: every clinical decision has to answer to the whole body. The tooth is part of a system.

Save this if root canal came up at your last appointment and you want to know what the alternatives are.

Want to learn more? Check out these PMIDs to learn more about the studies: 28190585, 35888650, 31202516, 11023956, 32765044, 19654253, 19828883, 33270246.

05/04/2026

We get this question a lot: what's the blue thing?

It shows up in almost every close-up photo we post, and it's worth explaining because it's one of the small details that makes a big difference in how a filling actually holds up.

It's called a rubber dam. When Dr. Ellie places a tooth-colored filling, she isolates the tooth completely. No saliva. No moisture. No bacteria sneaking in during the bond. That clean, dry field is what lets the composite material lock onto your tooth the way it's supposed to. Skip the rubber dam and you're rolling the dice on whether that filling lasts five years or fifteen.

This is biomimetic dentistry: tooth-colored fillings, mercury-free materials, and a focus on saving as much of your natural tooth as possible. An alternative to a crown when a crown isn't needed yet.

If you've been searching for a biomimetic dentist in Nashville, we'd love to meet you. Check out our bio for more information.

04/28/2026

Searching "full mouth dental implants near me" pulls up a wall of ads, before-and-afters, and price ranges that don't match each other.

The honest answer: full mouth implants isn't one procedure. It's a category. All-on-4, All-on-X, zirconia vs. metal — different choices, different costs, different outcomes.

What actually matters when you're searching:
- A full treatment plan before you commit.
- An explanation of why their number is their number.
- The materials, the lab, and the doctor doing the work.

The right practice will tell you the truth about what you're getting, line by line.

Save this for when you're ready to compare.

04/26/2026

The first time most people meet Bodie or Milly, they aren’t expecting a dog at the dentist.

They’re a small part of how we run things, and somehow always the part patients remember. Shoulders drop when a dog walks into the room. Hands unclench from the armrest. Dental anxiety quiets down before a single tool gets picked up.

Some of what makes a practice feel calm shows up in moments you can’t put on a website.

If you’re looking for a biological dentist in Nashville and the phrase “therapy dogs at dentist” sounds like a stretch, come see. Bodie and Milly will be here.

04/25/2026

Most people don’t want to hear it.

Bring up root canals, cavitations, metals in the mouth — and the room usually shifts. Some get defensive. Some change the subject. Some say their dentist has never mentioned any of this, so it must not matter.

That’s a fair reaction. Traditional dentistry has worked for a lot of people for a long time, and we’re not here to argue with anyone who feels good about the care they’re getting.

But every so often someone leans in instead of pulling back. Someone who’s already been wondering whether what’s in their mouth is connected to how they feel everywhere else.

That person is who we built this for.

04/23/2026

Three Invisalign before-and-afters that always surprise people:

The "I didn't think mine was bad enough" case. Done in 8 months.
The "I had braces as a teenager and they shifted back" case. Done in 6 months.
The "I have one tooth that bugs me" case. Done in 4.

Most people overestimate how much treatment they need, and underestimate how much can change in a year.

If you've ever zoomed in on a smile selfie and wondered, that's usually the version of you that ends up being the easiest to help. Send us a message and we can talk through what your timeline might actually look like.

04/22/2026

Most people have never been told what their filling is made of.

That sounds like a small thing until you realize it bonds to your tooth and stays there for decades. The material expands and contracts when you eat. It interacts with your biology. And when the wrong one is placed, it can lead to problems years down the road that didn't need to happen.

We think you should know your dental filling materials before they go in. Composite resin, ceramic, the bonding protocol — there are real differences between types of dental fillings, and those differences matter for your tooth long-term.

At our office, we walk through every option with you. Not because it's faster — it isn't. Because your tooth has to live with the result.

If you've ever wondered about tooth colored fillings, composite vs amalgam, or what's already sitting inside your mouth — ask. That's what we're here for.

04/21/2026

We learned a lot in dental school. We've learned more since.

That's the part patients don't always see. What was standard 20 years ago isn't always what's standard today. What's standard today might not be what's standard 20 years from now. Medicine is supposed to move. And when the conversation turns to root canals and long term health, we try to hold it the way we'd want someone to hold it with us. Carefully. Without an agenda. Without making anyone wrong.

The hard part isn't the science. It's being human. All of us... patients, dentists, the whole field. We carry the training and the stories that shaped how we think. Asking someone to sit with a new idea about something as routine as a root canal isn't a small thing to ask. It's a big one.

When patients come in curious about a holistic approach to root canals, what we practice is biological dentistry. And the conversation about root canal alternatives is one we have gently, in the chair, when it's useful. Not before.

Perspective shifts slowly. We're okay with that.

04/16/2026

Ninety percent.

Nearly 9 out of 10 adults have had at least one cavity. If you're wondering how common cavities really are — this is it. It's one of the most widespread health conditions on the planet.

The part worth paying attention to is what comes after. Most people never ask what their dental fillings are made of. They sit in the chair, the work gets done, and that material lives in their mouth for the next decade.

There are several types of dental fillings — amalgam, composite, ceramic — and they aren't all the same. The material matters. The approach matters. How much healthy tooth gets preserved matters.
We think you should know your options before the drill starts.

04/13/2026

Root canals have their place. They can save a tooth short-term, and sometimes that's exactly what you need.

But it's exceedingly rare for a root canal treated tooth to not harbor bacteria long-term. Your body responds to that around the clock. And if you're already dealing with thyroid issues, hormone imbalances, or chronic illness, your immune system may not have the bandwidth to keep up.

This connection between oral health and whole-body health isn't widely taught. We think it should be.
Even if it takes another decade for the field to catch up, we're okay with that.

What questions would you want to ask your dentist after hearing this?