Your oral health is critically important to your overall health, perhaps more than you realize. So just like you wouldn’t take your car to a veterinarian or your pet to an auto shop, you shouldn’t trust your teeth with an oral health professional that doesn’t practice holistic dentistry. Once you understand the unique nature of holistic dentistry, you will never accept any other type of care.
What is Holistic Dentistry?
A holistic dentist approaches dentistry with the belief that oral health is completely interconnected to your overall health, so she takes your physical and emotional wellbeing into account when preventing, diagnosing, and treating oral problems and diseases. Holistic dentistry uses only biocompatible and non-toxic restorative materials, which is a distinct departure from traditional dentists who often use dangerous and toxic substances.
Furthermore, a holistic dentist is quick to partner with other healthcare professionals to promote integrated and complementary care. When you have an oral health problem, your holistic dentist will begin with the least invasive means of diagnosis and treatment first, always supporting the body’s intrinsic ability to heal and regenerate.
Why Is Holistic Dentistry So Important in Today’s World?
We live in a very advanced and modern society, but most of that progress has come at the price of our health. Many people live increasingly sedentary lifestyles while consuming artificial and processed foods, leading to epidemics like obesity and diabetes. All the while, pollution is pouring into our air and water supplies, poisoning so many things that we eat, drink, and use on a daily basis. These factors combine to create very dangerous health circumstances for many Americans.
A holistic dentist can help to significantly minimize the above risks by doing a few things. First, a holistic dentist will evaluate a person’s lifestyle choices current oral health to identify preventative measures that will immediately improve your wellbeing. This might include smoking cessation, moderation of alcohol consumption, diabetes treatment, and strategic food choices. In addition, a holistic dentist will safely remove and replace any amalgam fillings in your mouth, something that is critical since amalgam fillings contain more than 50% mercury that can damage the central nervous and immune systems.
After the basics have been established, a holistic dentist can help you resolve even the most chronic and severe dental issues safely and naturally. This might include cosmetic dentistry solutions like teeth whitening and Invisalign, or restorative procedures such as Dental Implants Restoration and laser assisted gum disease treatment. Receiving specialized treatment for headaches, neck aches, back aches, and facial and shoulder pain is another benefit of visiting a holistic dentist since she can evaluate how your teeth and oral health may be contributing to your neuromuscular pain.
Dr. Beata A. Carlson and Associates at Natural and Cosmetic Dentistry in Clearwater, Florida are holistic dentists that offer gentle, conservative, minimally invasive, and natural dental treatments. They are proud members of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, the leader in science-based biological dentistry that provides ongoing education to dentists and patients alike.
