Whether you suffer from severe tooth decay or just want to know how to keep your gums healthy, holistic dentistry can help. It’s an approach to dental health that considers your entire physical well-being, including dietary habits and emotional stress.
They also avoid mercury dental fillings and use X-ray machines that emit 80% less radiation than traditional models. They may recommend dietary changes or supplements to promote stronger teeth and overall health.
Integrative Approach
Unlike traditional dentistry that treats the mouth and teeth as separate from the body, holistic dental care looks at the way your whole body impacts your oral health. It’s not only about treating symptoms but also preventing disease by addressing your lifestyle and diet. This preventative approach is what sets holistic dental care apart from traditional treatments.
Many diseases that impact the rest of the body can first be diagnosed in the mouth, including cancers and heart disease. For this reason, a holistic dentist takes a whole body approach to oral care and works to educate patients on how what they eat and how they sleep can impact their overall health.
A holistic dentist may order X-rays less frequently and will ask about your general health, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. They will often provide nutritional advice as well. If you have a habit such as teeth grinding (bruxism), they will likely advise you on ways to address it.
Holistic dentists will also use safer solutions for fillings and crowns. They may use composite materials that are BPA free or zirconia, which don’t contain any metals and don’t elicit allergic reactions. They may also use alternative treatments for gum disease, such as the pinhole surgical technique, which is minimally invasive.
For children, a holistic dentist will look at how diet affects their teeth and jaw growth as well as their speech, breathing rhythms, and self-esteem. They will help parents understand how to feed their children healthy foods that promote good oral and physical health.
A holistic dentist will also talk to patients about emotional and spiritual health as well. For example, if they find that a patient is grinding their teeth in their sleep, they will often work with them to encourage better pre-bedtime habits and provide education in stress management as a means of helping the patient stop this damaging habit. They may also encourage meditation or other relaxation techniques as a means of improving a person’s mental and emotional state. This helps to reduce the root causes of anxiety and fear that some people have about going to the dentist, which can lead to avoidance of dental care.
Natural Treatments
According to this dentist in Marion Indiana, a key aspect of holistic dentistry is the use of natural remedies as part of oral care. These natural treatments, which are based on ancient herbal and plant-based remedies, are used alongside traditional dental care techniques to improve the health of patients and help prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Some examples of these natural treatments include turmeric, a vibrant yellow spice that is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Turmeric can be used as a paste to soothe irritation in gums and reduce bacteria levels. It can also be incorporated into your diet to promote overall health and wellness. Another popular natural treatment is xylitol, which is a sugar alcohol that has been shown to reduce tooth decay and gum disease by inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth.
Biological dentists also avoid the use of mercury-based dental amalgam fillings, instead opting for nontoxic composite materials and glass ionomers. They also avoid the use of fluoride in any form, as it is known to be harmful to the body.
They take the time to educate their patients on the impact that their whole-body health has on their oral health, and they encourage diagnostic screenings for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as lifestyle behaviors, such as excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco use, or poor diet choices, that can negatively affect oral health.
Those who are interested in trying holistic dentistry should seek out a dentist who is certified by an accredited holistic dentistry association. They should be familiar with all of the latest advances in this approach to oral care and provide patients with personalized guidance on how to incorporate these natural remedies into their daily routines to promote optimal dental health and wellness. If you are looking for a holistic dentist in Sugar Land, contact our team today. We would be happy to recommend one that is right for you!
Healthy Lifestyle
Also called biocompatible, integrative or natural dentistry, holistic dentistry takes your overall health into consideration, not just your teeth. The health of the mouth is a significant indicator for the health of the entire body, and many diseases that manifest in other parts of the body often begin in the oral cavity.
A holistic dental practitioner will address your oral health in conjunction with other aspects of your physical and spiritual well-being, such as stress management techniques, diet, exercise habits and more. This is because they believe the mouth is a microenvironment of your entire health picture. Holistic dentists may use herbal remedies to prevent and treat oral conditions, such as xylitol to help fight tooth decay or acid-neutralizing saliva to reduce gum disease, for example.
These herbal remedies are not just safer than harsh chemicals like fluoride, which has been linked to weak bones and other serious biological issues, but they also work better. They may also use ozone-infused water to cleanse the mouth and stimulate healing after dental work, such as root canal therapy.
In addition, a holistic dentist will use digital x-rays instead of traditional x-rays to expose the patient to less radiation and potential cancerous cell damage. They will also avoid mercury in all of their restorations, and they may recommend alternative products to prevent and treat dental caries that are free of toxic materials such as silver amalgam and fluoride.
Finally, a holistic dentist will encourage their patients to take an active role in preventing and managing oral conditions by providing education in good nutrition and lifestyle choices. This includes avoiding sugary and processed foods, drinking plenty of water, maintaining an adequate weight and practicing stress management techniques.
Although holistic dentistry is not yet mainstream, it is rapidly growing in popularity. This is largely due to the fact that people are becoming more aware of how their lifestyles can impact their oral and general health. This is why more and more people are seeking holistic alternatives to conventional treatment options when it comes to their health care needs.
Stress Management
Holistic dentists view your oral health as one part of the whole picture, and they focus on impacts that your overall well-being might have on your dental health – and vice versa. So, for example, if your diet is poor, it can affect your gums and teeth in various ways. A holistic dentist will address this by providing nutritional guidance to improve your diet and overall health.
The same is true for stress management. Stress can weaken your immune system and increase chronic inflammation – common denominators of many diseases. So, a holistic dentist will address this by encouraging stress-reduction techniques, such as meditation and proper sleep hygiene.
In addition, a holistic dentist will focus on the effects that medications you take might have on your oral health. For example, if you’re taking antibiotics for a serious illness, they’ll likely check to see if these can cause mouth sores or other side effects, and work with you to minimize these risks.
Children’s oral health is also approached in a holistic way. Because of their soft, developing teeth, cavities can be a huge problem for kids. They’re also at high risk for developing gum disease and other problems because of the sugar they eat and unhealthy habits like teeth grinding (bruxism). Holistic dentists will encourage a healthy diet to support dental health in children and prevent these issues from happening in the first place.
When it comes to treating gum disease or tooth decay, a holistic dentist will probably recommend xylitol, which helps control bacteria populations and promotes healthy teeth. They might also use dental materials that are biocompatible with your body and opt for fluoride alternatives that are safe and effective.
Finally, a holistic dentist will encourage lifestyle changes that are good for your overall health and wellness. For instance, they’ll advise against consuming too much alcohol and tobacco, as these can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and other health problems. They’ll also recommend getting more exercise, focusing on quality of sleep, and eating a healthier diet. All of these things will positively impact your mental and emotional well-being as well, and contribute to a happier life.