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My First Experience with a Holistic Dentist

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A few weeks back, I posted on Facebook that I was having my first visit with a holistic dentist.  Several people commented and were curious for more information and I promised a post!

I am still learning about holistic (or biological) dentistry, but want to share my journey with you.  The timing was also right because there is a great FREE opportunity for us all to learn more.  More details on that to follow.

First of all, why did I seek out a holistic dentist in the first place?

That's a great question.  I haven't really had many huge dental problems.  I have several fillings and one root canal/crown but since early college, my dental visits have been fairly easy…cleanings, the occasional X-ray…no big deal.  I was content with the status quo.

I started to question traditional dentistry (or at least my traditional dentist) several years ago, when I asked about having my only amalgam (mercury) filling removed.  I had read about the dangers of mercury and was curious what he thought.  He thought it should come out and told me I would *have* to have a root canal and crown.  I asked what precautions he took while removing the filling…he said none.  I wasn't totally comfortable with this, so I just carried on…leaving my filling in my mouth.

During the next few years, I kept hearing more and more about removing metal fillings.  I went to a meeting of my local Weston A Price chapter and a holistic dentist spoke about metals in your mouth and the effect of your oral health on your health.  I was intrigued…but still did nothing.

During this time, I experienced a bout of strange neurological symptoms and I had an insane amount of testing done.  Everything came back normal (thank god)…except my heavy metal count.  I did have high levels of mercury and aluminum.  I did a detox protocol and got those levels down.  We aren't sure that the heavy metals caused the neurological issues (they can, but so can a million other things)…but all is well now (knock on wood).  Even with this, I still did nothing about the metal in my mouth.

I asked my chiropractor, our nutritionist, our medical doctor (who is holisiically inclined) about removing metal fillings and all said they should be removed very carefully, following certain protocols and I should seek out a holistic dentist.  And still…I did nothing.

Enter my daughter…she is 7 and unfortunately, has been going to the dentist since she was a baby.  She fell when she was 15 months old and knocked out her front tooth (well she didn't really knock it *out*, she knocked it all the way back *up* and ended up having it surgically removed!  A whole other long story).  Needless to say, she is a pro at the dentist's office.

Besides the tooth accident, she has great oral health and I was content taking her to a traditional pediatric dentist for her cleanings and checkups.  However, now that she is older, she asks a lot of questions…like “Why don't we do the fluoride that the dentist recommends?”  “Why did you say no to the sealants he wants to put on my teeth?”  I have answers for those questions, but she gets confused when my answer and the dentist's answer don't match.

I wanted her to see a dentist who would be open to my concern about certain dental materials, educate us both on the best way to maintain oral health and not pit her against me because I like a more natural approach.  (This is the same reason why I switched to the holistically inclined MD I mentioned above).

So, I made an appointment with a holistic dentist recommended by my MD a few weeks ago.  I just had a basic cleaning, but we talked quite a bit about my teeth, oral health and the immune system.   I am excited to have my amalgam filling removed later this winter.  He does recommend taking chlorella both before and after the procedure, uses a low speed drill to minimize mercury dust as well as other precautions.

I was intrigued to learn how metal in your mouth can sometimes cause other health problems.  Your body's immune system can usually keep these in check, but once your system gets imbalanced, problems may arise.  I also found it interesting to learn that even composite (white) fillings generally contain metal, often aluminum, which is why they show up on xray.

I was pretty excited about the experience.  My daughter has her first appointment next week for her annual cleaning/checkup.  I will be updating you all as I learn more about this interesting field and will be sure to share our experiences with you!

In the meantime…

Are you curious about holistic dentistry?

Clearly I am curious about learning more about this field as I have moved my daughter and myself to a holistic dentist (still working on the hubby!).  I signed up for this summit a few weeks ago and wanted to share the opportunity with you!

 

Did you know:

92% of adults have active tooth decay?
90% of people over 30 have active gum disease?
1 out of 3 of us will have NO natural teeth left at the age of 65!!!

Are you curious about:

The risks of silver fillings and how to remove them?
How to detox mercury from your body?
Are root canals and crowns safe?
What materials are safe to use?
What is the truth about fluoride?
Is there a relationship between oral health and cancer, MS and heart disease?

I will keep you all updated on our experiences with our holistic dentist!  More posts to follow…

What about you?  Do you see a holistic or biological dentist?  Have you ever thought about it?

 

photo credit: lobstar28 via photopin cc

 

This post is featured at: Fight Back Friday

23 Comments

  1. Interesting post. I have just started to ponder holistic dental practices myself. Are you familiar with oil pulling?

    1. I am familiar with it in the sense that I have done oil pulling a few times before. But I am not that familiar where it has become a regular practice or that I feel comfortable knowing what I am doing and why. That’s another interesting avenue to explore. Have you?

      1. I have experimented a few times with unrefined coconut oil but am still a bit foggy on the benefits. I have heard it is a natual way to maintain oral health just don’t ask me how 🙂

  2. I just had my first appointment with a holistic dentist out here in northern California. I loved the fact that my new dentist not only doesn’t use toxic fluoride treatments or mercury amalgams, but he also knew about oil pulling and other natural healing protocols, instead of looking at me as though I have 3 heads when I mention this stuff to him. I’m also looking forward to discussing palate widening and undoing some of the problems and damage done to me by other dentists and orthodontists my whole life. Really looking forward to the Summit:)

    1. Yes, I thought similarly. We didn’t delve into too much with the oil pulling, but we talked about how metal in your teeth can cause problems throughout your body by blocking energy. He showed me a chart with individual teeth and what parts of the body energy gets blocked to. I wanted to talk more but our appt. was over and I knew I’d see him soon for my daughter’s visit. I can’t wait for the summit to start today too!!!

  3. I am a practicing dentist from the Chicago area and had to give my brief two cents because I live and breathe dentistry and am truly passionate about what I do. It seems like you are holistically/naturally inclined regarding food choices and your health so it was only natural to apply this thinking to dentistry. Just make sure that you study arguments for “traditional” dentistry, as you put it, as closely as you examine holistic dentistry. Don’t let biases get in the way of evidence-based research because there are abundant articles that contradict holistic practices (as you are probably aware). Just make sure you gather information from both sides and make the best decision for you and your family.

    

”People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe”.

    1. Good points. I think one should always do as much research as one can and gather information to make the best decision for themselves and their families. Thanks for stopping by! -tm

  4. One benefit of holistic dentists is that you can save more time and money with their mode of treatment. Unlike traditional dentists, Dentist Edmonton assess not only your teeth and gums but your overall health as well.

  5. HelloTamara and Kelly, Great Article! I really impressed by the details you have provided in this article and it reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this article and will come back for more articles. Thank you for sharing superb information.

  6. Holistic dentists actively listen to what you want and inform you of the latest treatment methods they can offer along with each option’s pros and cons. The best thing about choosing this form of dentistry is that you can be assured that whatever method you want, you and your teeth will be safe from toxic materials.

  7. Thank you for sharing your personal experience with us! I had a visit to the orthodontist last weekend. I had Invisalign treatment. I was having a metal brace and which was too annoying so I decided to get Invisalign.

  8. Hey Tamara,

    Thanks for sharing your story with us and we are really glad that you are aware of the harm mercury does to our body. We promote holistic dentistry as it has a twofold approach that considers how you would want to look externally and feel internally.

  9. I think that really makes a lot of sense on why it is just so appropriate to choose a holistic dentist for services over someone you think isn’t offering services the way you expected in the first place.

    I really believe this was a great decision and must have been all favors for you. Also, if there is anyone else reading the blog and looking for a trustworthy dentist, then The Dental Spa’s cosmetic dentist in Philadelphia can be a choice.

  10. Thanks for sharing your experience with us! Metal in a mouth can cause health problems this is shocking for me because I have a metal implant in my teeth. Btw got the really important information through this article. Will wait for your next article. Thanks!!

  11. I like how you approached help from professionals before taking steps on removing your metal fillings. I never knew that metal implants can lead to having unbalanced levels of aluminum and mercury. Thankfully you had a holistic dentist help you out. I think I am considering professional help as well for my metal implants.

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