Holistic dentists are dentists who perform dentistry that is good for the body as well as the teeth and gums.
There are dentists who call themselves holistic (for marketing or differentiation reasons) but the only thing “holistic” about them is that they don’t place mercury fillings. On the flip-side, there are conventional dentists who perform complex, comprehensive dentistry that involves more than the teeth and gums… it involves the face, head, neck…. the whole body… hence the “wholistic” nature of what they do, yet they don’t call themselves holistic. To say that a dentist is one or the other is not always accurate.
At The Center for Natural Dentistry, we have put emphasis on a more natural or holistic approach to dentistry. But every dentist has a different take on some of the issues, so where do we stand on each issue? Our answers are transparent and we have posted them below so you will know if our office is one in which you will feel comfortable being a patient. This is not a comprehensive look at each issue or even why we chose our stance on each issue — there are plenty of articles on this site and others that will dive deeper into each. This is simply each issue and our stance on them.
The Issues
When most people think of holistic and natural dentistry, they think of mercury fillings. But there are many more issues that divide most traditional and holistic dental practices. (Please keep in mind that many “traditional” dentists practice under the philosophies of the “holistic” side and vice-versa. This is why labels don’t work. But for simplicity’s sake, I’ve divided the issues below.)
Mercury Fillings:
We are against them. We use strict removal protocols to ensure safety for our staff, doctors, and patients. We do not place mercury fillings in any way, shape, or form.
Root Canals (or Root Canal Therapy):
We are against them. We do not do root canal therapy and do not have an endodontist to refer you to in the chance that you would prefer one.
Fluoride:
We are against it. We do not use fluoride in our office. It’s not in our water supply, we don’t do fluoride treatments, and we don’t use it in our fillings or the toothpastes we sell.
X-Rays:
We are for digital X-Rays, against film X-Rays. X-Rays are an important part of the diagnostic process, but we want to limit your radiation exposure as much as possible.
Porcelain / Metal Crowns:
We are against them. We don’t use any restorations that contain metal.
Gold Crowns:
Against them. We don’t use any restorations that contain metal.
Titanium Dental Implants:
Against them for most people. There are some people who are biocompatible with titanium, but very few. We don’t stock titanium implants and VERY rarely place them.
Ceramic Dental Implants:
For them for most people. Not everyone is biocompatible with zirconia implants, but we have found most people are good with it. We use them on a case-by-case basis.
Ozone:
We are for it. Ozone is a powerful addition to a dental practice with some amazing properties. We use it in certain circumstances with certain people.
White Composite Fillings:
We are for them for most people. There are hundreds of different types of white composite filling materials. Not every type is great and there are some major problems with some of them. But for most people they are a good option.
All Porcelain Crowns and Bridges:
We are for them. Again, there is a variety of different options, but in general these are a good option for most people.
Diet and Nutrition:
We are for it. Diet and nutrition play a HUGE role in our oral health as well as our overall health. We encourage our patients to use diet and nutrition as part of the healing process.
Biocompatibility Testing:
We are for it. Everyone is different and we treat each patient as a unique individual. This is not “one-size-fits-all” dentistry.
Summarizing our Stances
Did we leave something out of the list? Probably. Fire away in the comments section if you have a specific question, or you can check our interactive forum community at www.DrMarvin.com. As a summary, we believe that every person is different and we should all be treated differently. There are some things we simply will never do in our office (mercury fillings and root canals are two of them), but for most items, it’s based on an individual basis.
We test each patient for biocompatibility with a material before we use it, to try to be reasonably sure that we minimize any negative interactions in the body after it has been used. The above list is simply an overview of our beliefs and philosophies.
There are TONS of options in dental materials and procedures for any given dental problem. Most of the time the patient is never made aware of the topins as the dentist just makes a choice for you. There are also TONS of options in dentists. We hope that your philosophies align with ours and, if so, we hope to see you in our office soon. And if not… well, there are tons of other dentists who might closer align with your ideals and goals. That’s the beauty of options!
For more information about holistic dentistry click here: What is Holistic Dentistry.
For more information about our practice or to schedule an appointment, click here: Why Become a Patient