“The mouth is the gateway to the body.” This phrase explains holistic dentistry and why the practice of it is so important to the field of dentistry. Also known as biocompatible dentistry or alternative dentistry, holistic dentistry has grown in popularity for its use of advanced, more natural treatment methods that look at more than just a patient’s mouth.
What Is Holistic Dentistry?
Holistic dentistry is an approach to dentistry that promotes the health and wellness of a patient instead of the treatment of disease. Holistic dentists use treatment methods that are non-toxic or biocompatible, and they consider a person’s complete health when treating their oral health. This means often working with a patient’s other healthcare professionals to ensure an overarching plan for their well-being.
Another major part of biocompatible dentistry is prevention because the key to a healthy outside starts from a healthy inside.
Holistic dentistry uses your physical, emotional, and spiritual soundness to develop a preventive treatment plan for oral health.
Holistic Dentistry vs. Traditional Dentistry
Holistic dentistry considers how oral health affects the whole body and how the whole body affects dental health. Traditional dentistry is only concerned with treating your dental health. Holistic dentistry uses your physical, emotional, and spiritual soundness to develop a preventive treatment plan for oral health. Traditional dentistry focuses only on oral health for patient treatment plans.
Traditional Dentistry Treatments
Some examples of traditional dentistry treatments include:
- Brushing your teeth
- Flossing between your teeth
- Getting fillings for cavities
Holistic Dentistry Treatments
Some examples of holistic dentistry treatments include:
- Using only biocompatible materials – Biocompatible materials, such as titanium, do not cause adverse effects on a patient’s biology.
- Removing unsafe materials – Holistic dentists can remove toxic materials from a patient’s mouth, such as mercury/silver fillings. Mercury/silver amalgam is a mixture of silver and other trace metals mixed with liquid mercury and then placed into a tooth for a filling. But mercury is one of the most toxic chemicals and is a neurotoxin. For this reason, most holistic dentists use other biocompatible materials, such as porcelain.
- Fluoride-free treatments – Many holistic dentists do not use fluoride because they believe there is enough fluoride in our water systems. They want to avoid fluorosis—a condition caused by consuming toxic fluoride levels.
- Ozone therapy – Ozone therapy is an advanced and scientifically-backed approach to dentistry that has become popular in holistic dentist offices. This non-invasive treatment can help patients suffering from bacteria-infected teeth or gums.
- Digital X-rays – Digital X-rays reduce radiation exposure by 75-80% compared to the low exposure of traditional dental X-rays. Many holistic dentists choose not to take unnecessary X-rays and use a lead apron to protect your body and thyroid area.
Holistic dentistry offers incredible benefits that traditional dentistry doesn’t.
What are the Benefits of Holistic Dentistry?
Holistic dentistry offers incredible benefits that traditional dentistry doesn’t. Here are five benefits of holistic dentistry.
- Customized treatment plans – Holistic dentists treat each patient as an individual with their own specific needs. They don’t use the same program for all patients with specific oral health problems. Instead, they customize and personalize plans to fit each person.
- Immune health optimization – Suffering from oral health problems can impact your immune system, but traditional dentists don’t usually discuss this with patients. This is where a preventive plan from your holistic dentist is helpful.
- Advanced technology – Holistic dentists are up to date with cutting-edge technology. They use things like digital X-rays, which make it faster and easier to detect dental health problems, and Anutra-buffered local anesthesia, which reduces discomfort, makes the anesthesia faster, improves reliability, and allows the anesthesia to penetrate deeper into your tissue.
- Non-toxic materials – Holistic dentists use only biocompatible, non-toxic materials for patients. Mercury-free fillings and fluoride-free cleanings mean you won’t have to worry about any toxic chemicals in your body.
- Overall health improvement – Holistic dentistry takes a full-body approach to your dental health, which means your whole body will benefit. You won’t simply see improvements to your teeth but to other parts of your body, mind, and spirit.
Dr. Deborah Anders, DDS, PA is WNC’s best mercury-safe dentistry and holistic dentistry provider, focusing on personalized and customized patient care. If you’re interested in working with a holistic dentist that views the body as a whole and uses non-toxic, biocompatible materials, contact us today. Let’s get your oral health—and your entire body’s well-being—back on track!