A new year is here and I would like to focus on using this space to provide education and information about oral health and our holistic philosophy of care. My hope is that this will be a helpful tool for all of you out there, especially those seeking out different avenues for health and wellness. Let’s start with a breakdown of the philosophy of care that we provide at Kansas City Dental Works. We consider our office a holistic and biological dental office. So, what does this mean and why have I chosen this path?
Holistic defined: Relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.
In medicine it is defined as “characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease.”
As a holistic and biological dentist, I am concerned with the whole body effects of the materials, procedures and techniques that I am using with my clients. By combining a wide range of modalities beyond conventional options with the best that traditional dentistry has to offer we are able to provide an extremely high level of care. With this level of care there is a strong appreciation for the complex and dynamic relationship between systemic health and oral health.
To me, providing holistic dental care is not merely a trendy marketing gimmick but it is a true passion that directs the type of dentistry and personal care I provide each and every day. The philosophy of care that we provide at Kansas City Dental Works begins with the belief that the health of the mouth is directly connected to the health of the entire body. We also believe that what is happening in the mouth can be affected by and affect what happens in other parts of the body.
We recognize the importance of using clean and biocompatible products and we intentionally consider conditions occurring in the systems of the body as we work with our patients. We also hold a value for removing heavy metals and other toxic materials from our patients’ systems. I decided a number of years ago that it was important for us to remove mercury amalgam fillings, also known as “silver fillings”, in a specific way to limit the exposure of mercury to our patients as well as our team. With this in mind we became SMART certified by the IAOMT (International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology) for their safe mercury amalgam removal technique. We also prefer our patients work with a functional medicine provider during the process of removing these mercury-containing restorations in order to get the body functioning at a high level for detoxification.
Along with removing toxic materials, we take care to use materials and products that are compatible with our patients on an individual basis. We are able to order a simple blood test to determine which materials are most suitable for each patient. This helps prevent future sensitivity issues on both a systemic level as well as a local (tooth and mouth) level. We also encourage the use of dental ozone therapy, this is a powerful yet non-toxic treatment option for a wide variety of dental and systemic issues.
Other important concepts that fall within the holistic and biological dental philosophies include proper nutrition, lifestyle choices, exercise, mental and emotional health, jaw structure development, sleep habits and proper breathing (airway evaluation) to name a few. We will be diving into these topics in the future to see why they are important and how we can help you optimize each area. The human body is an amazing integrated system and I look forward to providing some food for thought as you navigate your own wellness journey.
Hopefully this gives you a better understanding of what holistic dentistry is and how it could be a great option for you and your family. We are here to serve you and we will continue to be a resource for you as you work through your wellness journey. We would love to answer your questions so feel free to reach out!