What is Holistic Dentistry? What makes it different from the traditional practice of dentistry? To understand the difference, let’s first consider the ways that dentistry affects your overall health.
‘Holistic’ refers to the fact that the body is one whole or holistic system. ‘Holistic dentistry’ and ‘biological dentistry’ are interchangeable terms referring to the ways that dental care affects the whole person. Dental care provided with this in mind can maximize the healing potential of the mouth and support the health and wellbeing of the patient. Simple in theory? Yes. Easy in application? Not always. Read More…
Although dentistry has been put in a separate category from overall health care, increasingly the research shows that there are definite links between dental health and systemic health. Actually, the dentist was once thought to be the first line of defense in patient care. And there are many important issues in dentistry that have health consequences.
After all, common sense tells us that the mouth is the beginning of the digestive system. The digestive process actually starts through the process of chewing and the release of saliva, which contains digestive enzymes. So digestion begins in the mouth, even before you swallow your food. Also, the use of materials and protocols that are non toxic and bio-friendly are major concerns. Dental materials that contain toxins and metals that corrode in the mouth may cause allergies or inflammation, and chemicals used in the dental office that are poisons can affect more than digestion.
While these are very important topics, they are by no means exhaustive. Please keep reading to find out more about the issues that make holistic dentistry different than traditional dentistry.
Table of Contents
- Ozone to Remove Infections Naturally
- Lasers to Heal Gums and Bone
- Prevention – DIY Ways of Keeping Your Teeth Healthy
- Metal Free Dentistry
- Safe Removal of Silver Fillings (Mercury Amalgams)
- Reading Galvanic Action or the Battery Effect
- Safe and Non Toxic Environment
1) Ozone to Remove Infections Naturally
Advanced therapies such as targeted use of ozone can help with certain dental procedures. Ozone has some beneficial uses in dentistry, and one of the main ones is in preventing root canals when the decay or a cavity has gotten close to the nerve of the tooth. No one wants a root canal, and it significantly weakens the tooth when done. Read More…
What if there was a way to save the tooth from needing a root canal? This may be a tooth that you have already been told needs a root canal due to a deep cavity. When a cavity is close to the nerve of the tooth many dentists would recommend a root canal as a preventative measure to prevent a problem or tooth ache later.
Holistic dentists usually don’t believe that root canals are good for the body. They also don’t aspire to the practice of, ‘When in doubt go ahead and do the root canal.’ In fact they always try to avoid root canals whenever possible. What if ozone (enhanced oxygen) could save some teeth from needing root canals altogether, teeth that most dentists would condemn? This would be an extremely good thing. Not only would you be saving some money in the process, but probably the tooth itself. This is because many teeth that have root canals are eventually lost due to breakage and re- infection, and end up needing to be extracted.
In brief, enhanced oxygen therapy may heal and restore tooth structure that would normally be drilled away during removal of a cavity. Not only does it encourage healing and lower inflammation, it kills the bacteria causing tooth decay and cavities in the first place. With the bacteria removed the tooth has a chance to re-mineralize and re-harden to produce good, hard tooth structure called secondary dentin. With more tooth to protect and keep the nerve vital and healthy, there is less likelihood of a root canal. However, it’s important to note that if the infection is significantly advanced, ozone will not be able to reverse it.
Here is a picture showing ozone gas being applied to badly decayed teeth to kill the bacteria, lessen the chance of a root canal and encourage re-mineralization.
2) Lasers to Heal Gums and Bone
Lasers are an important tools in dentistry, especially to holistic dentists. They encourage blood flow and healing by providing energy for the body, rather than traumatizing the mouth during treatment. Treatments that don’t use a laser often result in more pain, bruising and swelling.
There are 3 types of lasers commonly used in dentistry. One is a diode laser which are commonly used by hygienists. They help to stimulate the gums during cleanings but their uses are limited.
Another laser is an erbium laser that can cut tooth structure and also gums and bone in a non traumatic way. They do this by cutting with light energy rather than with burs or sharp instruments.
The third type of laser is an Nd:YAG laser which is used almost exclusively for soft tissue healing and cutting. Again its energy is very tissue friendly and has very good healing response. This is because these lasers stimulate both blood flow and stem cells.
At Integrative Dentistry we use all of these lasers, but two in particular to do many of our procedures from root canals to extractions to gum surgeries of all kinds.
Here is our Fotona laser, used for doing laser-ozone root canals, extractions, gum surgeries, and bio-stimulation. It is a sophisticated European laser that has both Erbium and Nd:YAG wavelegths.
As you can probably tell from the number of attachments, it can do many procedures in the mouth but with less trauma and better healing.
Here is the Milleniium Laser which is also a very advanced laser, used to do the LANAP gum surgery in our office. LANAP stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure. The Millenium Laser is another Nd:Yag laser that is FDA approved for gum surgery.
3) Prevention – DIY Ways of Keeping Your Teeth Healthy
Why This is Important. With Covid 19, as with any infection, the goal is to maintain a healthy immune system and to lower systemic inflammation. If your body is fighting other bacteria and infections, including in your mouth and gut, then your immune system is already overtaxed. It takes a lot of energy for your body to fight these infections 24/7, which is what happens with gum disease.
So its important to your support gum and tooth health and keep your gums from getting red and inflamed or allowing them to bleed.
How to Keep Your Gums from Getting Inflamed
With health it’s never a situation where one size or treatment fits all. Everyone is different so the instructions, recommendations and treatment needs to be individualized as well. Our doctors and hygeinists evaluate every patient where they are and listen to what is going on with their health both past and present. Then they individualize treatment and recommendations around that. However, some things are pretty universal for most people.
The Basic Things Everyone Should Be Doing
To summarize, the following are the most important things you can do at home to keep your mouth healthy:
Brushing is of course the first thing. The key to tooth brushing is to use light pressure and use a brush with soft bristles.
However, ‘brushing your teeth’ is the wrong phrase to use. If you are brushing your teeth you are probably using too much pressure and could be wearing your teeth and gums away. This is sometimes a serious problem called gum recession and tooth erosion, which is wearing of your roots right above your gum line.
More accurately, what you want to do is to massage your teeth and gums during the ‘brushing’ process, so that you gently and carefully cleanse and stimulate them.
A small amount of powdered nano-silver particles are infused into the bristles of this particular toothbrush during the melting process. The silver is completely locked within the fabric of the bristles. Silver will keep your brush 99% free of microbes that can multiply and even cross-contaminate your family’s brushes.
Use Baking Soda – The easiest way to use baking soda is once a day pick some up with a wet tooth brush and massage it along your gum line. Don’t be too aggressive as it is abrasive. I recommend that you do this after your brush your teeth as you have always done. Then spit out the excess.
Floss Every Day – Floss at least once a day. Usually this is best at night after you have eaten your last meal for the day. My favorite floss is one that stretches and frays as you floss, made by Dr. Tungs. Before you say, ‘I don’t floss’ keep in mind that research has shown that flossing prolongs your life by as much as 6 years. What else can you do that takes about a minute a day that can increase your life span?
Use a Rubber Tip – Use a rubber tip to wipe the plaque off along your gum line that otherwise sticks and is hard to remove. If you are a patient at my practice pick one up the next time you are in the practice, and ask how to use it if you haven’t already been shown. If you are not a patient, you can check back later, as I will be posting a video showing how to use it.
In a nutshell, bicarbonate or baking soda should be a staple for everyone’s dental health because it kills even the most aggressive spirochetes and amoeba. These are microbes not fully killed by anything else, including antibiotics. If you have never seen one of my microscope videos demonstrating the effectiveness in killing these aggressive and destructive microbes you can see it here.
4) Metal Free Dentistry
The biggest difference between holistic dentistry and traditional dentistry is in the use of metals. Holistic dentists don’t want to use them in most cases. And typically, most patients who are drawn to holistic dental care would prefer not to have metal dental materials whenever possible.
Metal is no longer necessary for crowns, caps or bridges. This means no full metal crowns, or metal being placed under the porcelain is necessary, even for bridges. Porcelain over metal crowns has been used for 50+ years, but now all porcelain crowns are strong, biofriendly and also look better. Today crowns can look as natural as a tooth rather than too opaque and fake.
The non metal fillings called composites that are available today are a more bio-friendly material than silver amalgams. Some filling materials also have fluoride in them They can also contain chemicals that are hormone disruptors called Bis-Phenols, particularly Bis-Phenol A (BPA). It’s important to have composites that do not have fluoride or BPA
.
Holistic patients also tend to want non-metallic replacement teeth called zirconia implants. Zirconia is considered a porcelain because it is made from the same material as most porcelain crowns these days.
While titanium implants are still an option and totally fine in most cases, it’s nice to have a choice.
5) Safe Removal of Silver Fillings (Mercury Amalgams)
One of the mainstays of holistic dentistry is removing silver amalgam fillings. These contain 50% mercury, a known neurotoxin. But how they are removed is very important as well, as patients should not be swallowing or breathing in mercury during the dental work. Below is a case showing how patients can be protected from mercury exposure when old metal fillings are replaced.
This picture shows amalgam fillings that have been in place for 30 years. From a dental point of view amalgam fillings are not the best material to use, as they will corrode and crack and stain the teeth over time.
This photo shows the same teeth with a rubber dam in place. This isolates the teeth from the rest of the mouth, similar to how a rain coat protects your body from the rain.
These are the finished restorations. As you can see they look a lot better than the amalgams.
It is an individual decision to keep or remove your amalgam fillings. However, we are adamant that, if you choose to remove them, that you do it correctly. At our office, when removing old amalgam fillings, the following protocol is used:
- Isolate the teeth being working on with a rubber dam
- Seal the rubber dam so there is no possibility of leakage
- Split the old metal filling into pieces and remove them separately
- Use medical grade oxygen from a sterile tank for patient breathing
- Use 2 high speed filtration units that filter mercury
- Engage a negative pressure vacuum that removes air from operatory
This is our protocol whenever we remove a metal filling. No exceptions. Here is a pictures of what this protocol looks like.
As you can see, there is a lot involved in protecting the patient, as well as the staff, from heavy metals during amalgam removal. Numerous fans and filters are used, as well as fresh air ventilation from open windows and doors.
6) Reading Galvanic Action or the Battery Effect
Bio-compatibility is one factor to use in choosing which dental materials to use when placing restorations. Metal toxicology is another. However, a rarely talked about topic topic in dentistry is the stress produced on the nervous system and immune system by galvanism or corrosion of metals in the mouth. Galvanism can be simply defined as the electrical field set up when dissimilar metals are used in the mouth to restore teeth. When these electrical fields are high corrosion on the surface of the metal can occur, releasing metal ions that can be absorbed by the body.
Here is a picture of what can happen if there is metal left under an old crown. This is an amalgam buildup that was left under a gold crown. See how black it is. That’s corrosion of the metal surface. The original color was silver as shown by the bur mark across it from 10 o’clock to 4 o’clock
Here is the crown that was removed from the tooth above. Corrosion takes place when two dissimilar metals are in proximity to each other, for instance a gold crown and an amalgam filling. When corrosion occurs, the charges that can be measured with galvanic testing increase.
Here is a picture of a porcelain over metal crown (PFM). You can see the corrosion and leakage as black on the inside of the crown. The lesson here is to watch out for different metals in the mouth, as they are always a harbinger of corrosion and galvanic action.
Here is the type of crown we use in our practice. This is an all porcelain crown made of zirconia. As you can see there is no metal in it, so there is no chance for corrosion.
7) Safe and Non Toxic Environment
High speed suction units that suck away dust and fumes from the mouth and filter it will prevent the patient and the dental staff from breathing in toxic chemicals and metals as the dental work is being done.
The first picture shows a high speed suction hose that effectively pulls air from where the dental work is being done right in front of the patient’s mouth.
The second picture shows a stand-alone filter called a mercury ionizer that sends ions into the room that bind with metals like mercury and some chemicals to help remove them from the air and ‘take them out of circulation.’
We use two of these high-speed filters in our work room to whisk away all aerosols and fumes from the field of work being done. This keeps our work space clean of metals, chemicals and also viruses.
Some holistic dentists have nicknamed this the ‘elephant trunk.’ The air is ‘cleaned’ by running it through a pre filter, a HEPA filter, and a treated carbon filter specifically made to remove mercury from the air. If the hose or elephant trunk is placed by the patient’s mouth, whatever toxic material is drilled into the air from patient’s mouth is removed immediately away from the area and filtered before re-entering the room.
Negative Pressure in the Treatment Rooms for Covid
The third type of air unit we have in our office is a negative pressure system. What negative pressure systems do is suck all the air out of the room, similar to clean rooms in hospitals. Our negative pressure system is used during amalgam removal and between patients. This sucks all the air out of the room in 5 minutes thus bringing in new air for the next patient. This is a great sterilizing technique. Yes, we double wipe all surfaces with antimicrobial solutions, but what about aerosols that are released during dental work? The negative pressure system solves this problem.
There are many other things we have done at our practice to ensure a safe, clean and non-toxic environment for our patients and staff. Patients often comment on how clean the air smells in the office and how safe they feel coming here. This is the type of environment that dental patients deserve to come to, and we are very proud of the environment we have been able to create for the patients who come to us.
Natural Ways to Cope with Stress & Anxiety
There are many natural and non-drug methods of dealing with nervousness about getting dental work done. With most of our patients, there are simple sprays or essential oils that help reduce anxiety that is common about going to the dentist. Most everyone can benefit from homeopathic and flower essences.
As you can see from the product ingredients to the left, these flower essence combinations are safe. When these types of sprays are used, patients are often more relaxed and better able to deal with the dental work. As they are derived from plants and flowers, the sprays are non-toxic and natural.
The best evidence that the Flourish formulas are working is that patients ask for them on return appointments. They even learn the names of the ones that work best for them.
Other natural supports for the patients are homeopathic remedies, which have a long history of use in dentistry. More on this in our upcoming posts about stress and inflammation.
We will continue to expand on this overview of holistic dentistry, as it is a topic of ongoing importance for your health and the health of your family. There is some overlap with issues discussed in the Integrative Dental Medicine posts, so be sure and take a look at them.
Dr. Carey O’Rielly is a holistic dentist in San Diego, California who truly understands and practices the tenets of holistic health, both as a practitioner and in his personal life. His remarkable knowledge of the field came about through years of study and experience, initiated by his own work-related health challenges.
