Our practice, located in Iowa City, is designed with our patients in mind. Dr. Larry Hanus devotes the time, and quality of care for you to gain knowledge of how to make improvements in your oral and overall health as it relates to dentistry.
Our practice incorporates philosophies often associated with terms such as holistic dentistry, biological dentistry, or alternative dentistry. We don’t title our practice according to those terms, but instead follow what we feel is most effective, and safest for our patients long term health.
A Different Style of Dentistry.
People present with a wide range of knowledge about and experience in alternative health and dentistry. We respect your experience level and meet you on your learning curve. To receive the most out of your visit, we encourage you to begin to develop a background on these matters and suggest that you take some time to go over information posted on our site.
Our family practice is committed to educating people about their options. We provide a broad array of services including:
· Mercury-free fillings and cosmetic dentistry
· Porcelain and ceramic inlays and onlays
· Tooth Extractions
· Treatment for TMJ related jaw pain and headaches
· Non-surgical management of periodontal gum disease.
Beyond Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry often focuses on replacing mercury “silver” amalgam fillings with white composites. Many “holistic / biological” dentists are concerned with mercury exposure to patients and staff during amalgam removal. When removing mercury fillings, Dr Hanus’ procedures are consistent with protocols currently deemed safe by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT.org) of which he is a member. We encourage you to participate in choosing the materials placed in your teeth. This may be particularly important for people with chemical sensitivities.
Metal free
Many of these “different style” dentists choose to avoid metal restorations. The EPA has determined that many metals commonly used in dentistry can be toxic to humans. This can include platinum and paladium, often used to harden gold crowns, or metals such as chromium, nickel and molybdenum used in non-precious “silver colored” crowns. These metals can also have potential adverse health effects due to the electrical currents of oral galvanism.
Porcelain onlays
When a tooth is badly broken down, cracked or decayed, a conservative tooth colored porcelain or ceramic onlay may be recommended. These restorations, consistent with the research of scientists like Dr. Ralph Steinman, help to maintain the tooth’s natural dentinal fluid flow. Traditional full tooth coverage crowns may restrict this fluid flow, and compromise the health of the tooth.
TMJ / jaw problems / headaches
Many times head, neck and jaw pain, including migraines, can be related to your tooth and jaw alignment or “bite”. Often this can be alleviated by dental splint therapy. It is also important to be aware of the impact of stress and nutrition on these problems and approach them from a multi-factorial perspective. In some cases, orthodontic treatment or ceramic restorations on posterior teeth may be indicated.
Periodontal / gum disease
Periodontal disease which can cause tooth loss and contribute to systemic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes or other conditions, affects up to 80 % of Americans. Periodontitis can occur in age groups from adolescence to senior citizens. It is important to treat periodontal disease as the chronic systemic infection it is now recognized as. We emphasize non-surgical management including implementation of creative personalized home care programs and nutritional and dietary support.