How Our Holistic Approach to Dentistry Differs from Standard Care
Apr 02, 2023
Your oral health isn't separate from your overall physical health. It actually plays a big role in shaping your overall health. The connections between your oral health and physical well-being are numerous and interconnected, which is where holistic dentistry comes into the picture.
Holistic dentistry isn’t about a quick fix for a decayed tooth. Rather, holistic dentistry focuses on your whole person and aims to find and treat the root causes of your dental issues.
Here at Urbandale Smiles, our team of providers implements a practical, all-natural, eco-friendly approach to meeting the dental needs of your family.
Holistic dentistry is an integrated approach to dental care that incorporates preventive medicine and wellness. It’s not just about treating oral diseases, but it’s about your whole body. We take it a step further and focus on the impact on the earth, too. With our green dental services in place, we do our best to avoid environmental toxins and excess water waste.
Mercury is often at the center of debate between holistic dentistry and traditional dental care. Amalgam fillings 一 often referred to as silver fillings 一 are composed of many different metals, including mercury. Mercury can damage your brain, nervous system, and kidneys, and this toxin can even be absorbed through your skin.
When mercury is released into the environment, it can get into the water system (and the food chain via fish). The World Health Organization (WHO) lists mercury as one of the top ten chemicals of a major public health concern, which makes its inclusion in amalgam fillings particularly concerning.
While traditional dental care continues to use amalgam fillings, holistic dentistry doesn’t. This is one of the biggest draws between the two. Not only do our holistic providers avoid mercury, but we also employ safe practices 一 as outlined by the International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology (IAOMT). If you have amalgam fillings, we can remove them.
The use of mercury isn’t the only difference between holistic dentistry and standard dental care. As holistic dentists, we also offer:
Digital x-rays are better for the environment since they have no toxic chemicals to develop films and no excess packaging used to send physical X-rays back and forth. Low-radiation digital X-rays are also better for you.
Dental drills are precision tools used for a variety of purposes, including removing a cavity. Slow-speed drills perform the same tasks as high-speed drills, but they don’t generate as much heat. This means they don’t require as much water circulation, which is another plus for the environment.
Oxygen is a powerful life force, and it can also kill bacteria. We use ozone therapy to help prevent cavities by killing decay-causing bacteria in your mouth. Ozone dental therapy can also help eliminate the need for drills and fillings.
As holistic providers, we look at the whole picture, and sometimes, that means we treat conditions other than tooth decay and gum disease. For instance, snoring can make your mouth dry, and having a dry mouth can contribute to increased cavities. Instead of just treating your cavity, we look at the root cause.
Treating the root cause, in this case, snoring and sleep apnea, can help improve your oral health. Treating sleep apnea also improves your overall health.
Having a gorgeous smile doesn’t have to come with a high cost to your health. Holistic dentistry provides safe cosmetic procedures, including teeth whitening, tooth-colored fillings, inlays, onlays, and even mercury-free crowns.
We also offer metal-free orthodontic treatments with Invisalign ® clear aligners.
Did you know that your gums can reveal a lot about your overall health? Gum disease isn’t isolated to your mouth. Untreated gum disease can increase your risk of dementia and diabetes.
We conduct thorough periodontal exams to monitor for any signs of gum disease before it escalates into a bigger problem.
Our holistic approach to dentistry means that we focus on you 一 your entire person. Because we don’t isolate our attention to your mouth, we’re able to get to the root cause of your dental issues to help prevent them in the future.
This is just a small sample of the holistic services we offer. To explore the benefits of holistic dentistry for yourself, schedule your consultation. You can reach our Urbandale, Iowa, office at 515-276-7800 or schedule an appointment online today.