Holistic Dentistry

Holistic dentistry is health focused, going beyond fixing tooth problems and considering the level of health people want and the choices they can make to get that level of health.

In other words, holistic dentistry is traditional dentistry keeping an eye on the safety of the materials used.

For example, both traditional and holistic dentistry use fillings and crowns, but the latter would have several extra considerations, such as testing the compatibility of dental materials with the individual and metal free options, that traditional dentistry would not have.

Holistic dentistry is an approach to dentistry that promotes health and wellness instead of the treatment of disease.

This approach to dentistry encompasses both modern science and knowledge drawn from the world’s great traditions of natural healing. Sometimes called biological dentistry or biocompatible dentistry, holistic dentistry acknowledges and deals with the mind, body, and spirit of the patient, not just his or her teeth.

The basic principles of dental holistic health practices are:

Proper nutrition for the prevention and reversal of degenerative dental disease
Avoidance and elimination of toxins from dental materials
Prevention and treatment of dental malocclusion (bite problems=physical imbalance)
Prevention and treatment of gum disease at its biological basis.

To get all the benefits of holistic dentistry, you need to find a holistic dentist, someone who understands that the mouth is connected to the rest of the body and that infection in the mouth can cause and perpetuate diverse health problems.

A holistic dentist has an understanding of the physiology of the mouth and how it relates to the rest of the body, and also demands a scientific explanation or evidence of the safety of every material they use in their patients, helping them to achieve total health and well-being.

It’s important to note that holistic dentistry is not just related to the materials used in procedures; it also relates to a healthy lifestyle, since there is also an intimate connection between dental health and nutrition.

For example, teeth require many minerals, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese and boron, among others, and these minerals are missing from refined foods, such as refined sugar, white flour and white rice.

On the other hand, some food can feed the bacteria that turn sugar into the lactic acid that affects tooth enamel and can lead to decay; cola drinks can damage tooth enamel and the phosphoric acid in these drinks also binds and removes calcium, magnesium and zinc from the body, which can lead to bone loss, a common problem today.

As you can see, the mouth and its structures are not isolated organs or tissues, but are integral parts of the body and often a reflection of its health, which depends heavily upon proper diet, nutrition, and lifestyle.

Using Metals in the Mouth

Another important component of holistic dentistry is related to metals used in the mouth, for two main reasons.

First, placing metals in the mouth and particularly using several kinds of metal in the same person can generate a flow of electrical current in the mouth, which can affect the brain and general health in some people.

As an example, metals react with saliva like the metals in a battery. In batteries, dissimilar metals in a conducting medium produce electricity… This is desirable in a battery, but not in your mouth, which is very close to the brain.

Second, each of our teeth is connected to an acupuncture meridian. According to leading acupuncturists, when metals are placed in a tooth they can interfere with the flow of meridian energy through the entire body. Also, each tooth is related to a specific organ; therefore, affecting a tooth also affects a part of your body. These blockades cause dysfunction in their respective organs, endocrine systems, vertebrae, muscles, nerves and nerve reflexes.

As Dr. Hulda Clark states[1], “Teeth have the same tissue frequency as some distant organs… Bacteria take advantage of this common resonance and invade both organs. There is a tooth/body connection.”

Non-metallic dental materials are better in this regard, though not perfect.

Holistic dentists recommend that those apparently healthy amalgam fillings, such as the common silver-mercury amalgams, should be replaced by others made with less toxic materials. Although he American Dental Association doesn’t fully support this idea, many people report feeling much better, often immediately, when less toxic material replaces amalgam fillings.

The improvement may be due to eliminating the offending material, or eliminating subtle electrical currents generated in the mouth.

Besides silver-mercury amalgams, another metal to avoid is nickel, commonly used in partials, dental appliances, crowns, braces and other dental uses.

Better materials include gold, titanium and particularly zirconium. Metals are not the best, however, and it is recommended to avoid their use.

More recently ceramic and resins, which are plastics, are being used more in dentistry and these tend to be less toxic.

In short, holistic or biological dentistry can be categorized as conscious dentistry, concerned with treatment and therapies that cause the least disturbance to the immune system, seeking the least toxic reparative and restorative materials for each patient’s dental work. Holistic dentists use reactivity tested materials, and this individualizes biocompatibility. The patient’s blood serum is used for this qualitative antigen-antibody prescription observation test.

The result is the biocompatibility test, a comprehensive report that simply states whether the dental materials are highly, moderately or least reactive for the patient. This information allows the avoidance of dental toxicity by using as many least reactive materials as possible.

To identify the materials recommended specifically for you, you need to have a biocompatibility dental material test.

[1] Dr. Clark’s studies were focused on biophysics and cellular physiology. Her research took her through several paths, including the study of bacteria, viruses and fungi; heavy metals, solvents and radioactivity. She was interested in finding out how the human body cells react to such invaders, and found several solutions to free our body of those unwanted elements.

She studied the use of herbs, essential oils, and orthomolecular and frequency therapies.

Specifically she focused in the importance of dental health and daily attention to environmental factors.

Mercury Poisoning

The first thing we need to understand is that mercury can directly or indirectly cause, contribute to, or make worse every health issue we will ever deal with. Besides the eventual exposition to this toxic metal, Mercury is continuously released from amalgam fillings and that alone makes them a health hazard. You shouldn’t be exposed to vapor, let alone having it being released from your fillings.

Just consider this: Mercury is the most poisonous, naturally non-radioactive metal on earth, and is hazardous to your health… also, it’s continuously released from amalgam “silver” fillings. Chronic mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings takes time to accumulate and express a related symptom.

Because mercury is found in every cell of the body, and there are trillions of cells, it may take years for enough mercury to accumulate for a symptom to appear. Chronic mercury poisoning is not a disease but an accumulative problem and during the period of time it is accumulating it is poisoning you every step along the way.

Many health problems may have been caused by damage from toxic dental materials, root canals and cavitations. Some metals, like mercury, copper, beryllium, zinc and nickel, are toxic in any form, for example metal partials and crowns containing nickel.

Nickel is a highly toxic metal that is used due to its strength qualities, but that should never be used in the mouth. This metal can cause depression, suicidal thoughts and perhaps cancer as well. Unfortunately, it is still used by some dentists to fit braces, in a few less expensive crowns, and in other applications.

These metal ions diffuse, migrate and are absorbed by the tissues, altering the electrochemical character of the immune system and also decreasing white cells count, as well as those of the immune system and stop or alter the function of the body’s enzymes.

It’s a scientific fact that toxic mercury vapor is continually being released from amalgam fillings, entering the body and accumulating in it. This accumulation occurs because overtime the body loses its effectiveness at removing mercury and is less and less effective at doing so. If mercury is stored in your body it also makes it a hazardous waste container.

In addition, because mercury is classified as a neurotoxin it can also cause or contribute to emotional and psychological issues, such as depression, anxiety, mood swings and memory loss. Symptoms that worsen over time may signal the development of a disease.

Mercury contributes to over 99 health issues, and a large-scale epidemiological study of mercury and adverse reactions showed there was a link to gastrointestinal problems, autism, heart disease, anxiety, depression, memory disturbances, restlessness and chronic fatigue.

The number and severity of symptoms depend on a variety of factors, such as:

– How many fillings you have
– How long you’ve had them
– How they are stimulated
– How often they are stimulated

State of California – PROPOSITION 65 WARNING

The dental amalgam used in many dental fillings causes exposure to mercury, a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Root Canals treatments and restorations, including fillings, crowns and bridges, use chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has studied the situation and approved for use all dental restorative materials.

Consult your dentist to determine which materials are appropriate for your treatment.

Common Symptoms of Chronic Mercury Poisoning

This table lists some of the more common symptoms directly related to chronic mercury toxicity. But keep in mind that because mercury can indirectly cause harm by depleting essential antioxidants, such as glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid that are needed to remove it and deal with other harmful toxins and free radicals, it can indirectly be contributing to even more symptoms and diseases than are listed here.

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30

Holistic Dentistry