Holistic Dentistry
Formed in 1978, the Holistic Dental Association has an overall goal of educating and supporting an educational approach to holistic dentistry. That simply means understanding that your oral health care is just one element of the total infrastructure of your body. There are many parts that make up the whole. Holistic dumfries dentist looks at your overall health first then the role of your oral health in conjunction with that bigger picture. Your entire body picture which will include your mental health, your physical and emotional health as well as your social well-being. All of these contribute to the whole body.
Alternative medical treatments like acupuncture and herbal treatments have been around for some time. Dentists that have holistic dentistry training may offer unconventional methods for a treatment of an oral ailment.
That Big Picture Approach
We take for granted that everything we need to eat or drink to sustain life enters through the portal of the mouth. All necessary nutrition starts with our mouths. A holistic dentist may review your nutrition habits and make suggestions with optional programs that might improve your habits from the whole-body perspective. The holistic dentist might make some suggestions based on basic foundational principles of prevention and the reversal of degenerative dental diseases. They can teach you how to avoid toxins and how to address the prevention of gum disease.
Some Examples of Common Holistic Dentistry
One example of holistic dentistry is identifying the use of mercury. The most common filling material still used today is a heavy metal called amalgam. This metal can contain over 50% mercury and in theory can damage the central nervous system and immune systems. The ADA, American Dental Association, claims no risk, but you may be of the opinion then why risk it at all. Most of us when asked had absolutely no idea there was mercury in their fillings.
A holistic dentist will also not use fluoride in treatment but instead will chose to use herbal methods. The holistic practice also believes that through a root canal procedure there is more harm done to the body’s infrastructure than is warranted.
The Environmental Results
Holistic dentistry is very aware of basic dental waste, which will have negative effects on our water source and threaten wildlife and their natural food chain. Remember the mercury in the filling? This problem is evident with the fishing industry and the mercury levels found in fish. Holistic dentistry also prefers cotton swabs and gauze to be incinerated versus just throwing them in the trash.
Good Oral Hygiene and Common Sense
Stop for a moment and just think about the role your oral health care plays in the overall health of your body. Strong suggestions from the dental industry state you brush twice a day and to floss once a day. These suggestions are of a preventative nature. They also suggest you schedule appointments twice a year with your dentist for regular examinations. They will build a history of your oral health and make suggestions with prevention in mind. It is still wise for you to be versed on holistic dentistry and know that you always have alternatives.
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