If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right?! Why is Holistic Dentistry any better than traditional?
Both types of dentists adhere to the standards of care outlined by the American Dental Association and strive to ensure a relatively pain-free visit and treatment. Yet, there are significant differences.
Both will fix your teeth, but only one will focus on your entire body and its health during every dental procedure.
Discover why the differences extend beyond just your mouth and why they matter to your overall health.
Traditional and Holistic Dentist Definitions:
The definition of a traditional dentist according to Merriam-Webster dictionary:
A dentist is skilled in and licensed to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of the teeth, jaws, and mouth, and to make and insert false teeth.
A holistic dentist upholds the standards of quality and care of the traditional dentistry profession and adheres to an additional set of standards and care, as defined below.
Holistic Dentist definition from Encyclopedia.com:
Holistic dentistry, also known as biologic dentistry, is an alternative approach that focuses on non-toxic restorative materials for dental work and emphasizes the often-overlooked impact of dental toxins and infections on a person's overall health. www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3435100391.html
Yes, traditional dentistry has been addressing issues related to teeth, gums, and the mouth for a long time. Unless someone is in pain from a poorly done dental procedure, you won’t find many people complaining about their traditional dentist. In some ways, it isn’t broken. The cavities are filled, and the broken teeth fixed.
But who wants just the minimum standard of care? As holistic dentists, we offer a premium level of care at a comparable price to traditional dentists' basic care.
What happens in the mouth doesn’t stay in the mouth! It affects the whole body.
What is in the mouth affects the health of the whole body. All dentists understand that when a cavity is present, this is the case. Everyone agrees that the bacteria and germs collected in the rotting tooth will cause potentially major health problems. Somehow, this logic does not apply to products used to treat dental issues.
You will find people with mercury silver amalgam fillings and dental materials that are not biocompatible with their bodies, complaining of autoimmune disorders, memory loss, and a host of other health problems that might seem, on the surface, unrelated to the materials used in a traditional dentist's office.
The skilled Holistic Dentist understands that the materials used in dental procedures become part of the body. If this new material creates a build-up of toxicity or is rejected by the body because of incompatibility, then the patient's overall health will deteriorate.
The primary reason a Holistic Dentist differs from a Traditional Dentist is their perspective on overall health in relation to the mouth.
The traditional dentist only focuses on fixing problems in the mouth and doesn’t address any issues that might arise in overall health from problematic dental materials.
The holistic dentist views the mouth and its contents as an integral part of a patient’s overall body health. A skilled holistic dentist will make every effort to have the patient leave the office in continually better health.
In other words, if our bodies were cars, you could just get an oil change every time you go to the mechanic, using the same oil for every type of car or truck, and no regard for the functioning of any other part of the car. Alternatively, you could get an oil change with oil specifically chosen for your unique vehicle, and have the entire car’s functioning assessed to ensure it runs smoothly together.
We look forward to helping you achieve greater health through our skilled Holistic Dentistry.
Call us, we will be happy to answer any questions or set up your appointment.