The Philosophy of Holistic Dentistry

We believe excellent health is everyone's birthright.
We believe in the sacredness of the physical body.
Disease is a total body experience, not isolated to any one area alone.
The oral cavity is a sacred and misunderstood portion of the body.
The oral cavity holds many keys to the overall health and well-being of the individual.
The road to wellness begins with a healthy oral environment.
Dental experiences provide opportunities for personal growth and expansion.
It's important to create personal toxic-free environments before we can clean up the world.
Each person is responsible for their experiences and the quality of their lives.
We are facilitators, human, and far from perfect.
Each human interaction has magical potential
and is a gift for each to share...

Vision of the evolution of dentistry: This is the age of personal autonomy. Individuals are well-informed and so the healer-client relationship has changed in a positive way. Being a dentist, I have the opportunity to create warm, healthy relationships and impact and be impacted by everyone who seeks my services.
Physical well-being is not divorced from spiritual well-being.
"Growth is marvelous because it requires us to lay bare the ....................questions that have been hidden by the answers."
.......... James Baldwin

 

Biological Dentistry vs.Traditional Dentistry

Treating the patient holistically

The major difference between biological and traditional dentists is the philosophy that guides them in the practice of their profession.

A biological dentist takes into consideration the cause-and-effect relationship between a patient’s oral health and the health of the rest of their body.  In contrast, a traditional dentist tends to focus on the more mechanically oriented tasks of treating symptoms and repairing structures as problems arise, instead of looking for underlying root causes.  In this way, a biological dentist treats the patient holistically while a traditional dentist treats the patient symptomatically.

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Different treatment approaches

When treating dental decay like a cavity, a traditional dentist will mechanically remove the decay and restore the tooth with a filling and consider the treatment complete.  In a biological dental practice, the dentist will remove the decayed material and restore the tooth with an appropriate biocompatible material.

After restoration of the tooth, a biological dentist will then evaluate the patient for any systemic imbalances (i.e. biochemical or hormonal imbalances) or toxicity that may be contributing to the patient’s susceptibility to tooth decay.  In this way the biological dentist works towards preventing future decay issues.

Another example would be the different treatment approaches used during root canal therapy.  A traditional dentist would again mechanically clean the tooth and then seal it.  To a biological dentist, this is a partial treatment.  A biological dentist would continue treatment by evaluating the biological terrain in order to determine the causative factors that lead up to the death of the tooth. 

Once these factors have been determined, the biological dentist works with the patient to improve the microcirculation, lymphatic function, and the health of the bone surrounding the treated tooth.  This approach allows complete healing to occur by improving the biological terrain, thus helping to prevent the need for future root canal therapies.

Periodontal Disease

When periodontal disease is present, the traditional treatment is to remove debris from the teeth, provide oral hygiene instruction, or use surgical procedures.  In a biological dental practice, the removal of debris is secondary to improving the biological terrain. Thus reducing the patient’s susceptibility by improving the body’s ability to breakdown and eliminate the build-up of microbes present in periodontal disease.

Through improved hygiene practices, and through the use of supplements, herbs and homoeopathic remedies, the patient is able to avoid a continuing cycle of disease progression and treatment.

Orthodontics

Traditional dentists have generally approached orthodontic treatment with a focus on doing whatever is necessary to produce straight teeth, even if it meant tooth extraction and the use of headgear that could distort the cranium.  Such treatment fails to consider the underlying cranial distortions that can show up as cross-bites, deep-bites and overbites.

A biological dentist, on the other hand, begins orthodontic treatment by evaluating the patient for cranial-skeletal disorders.  By correcting any underlying cranial-skeletal disorder first, the natural health and structure of the patient’s mouth is improved and the teeth can be straightened with less trauma. Thus, the teeth are more likely to hold their corrected position throughout the patient’s lifetime.

First do no harm

In summary, the guiding philosophy of biological dentistry is to “first, do no harm”.  Believing the health of the mouth and the body are one, and by working to understand underlying root causes of oral disease, the biological dentist is able to help their patients achieve health stability.

It is the intention of a biological dentist to participate in a patient’s road to wellness, and to reduce the patient’s overall need for dental treatment throughout life.

Staff

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