{"id":335,"date":"2011-12-18T20:37:47","date_gmt":"2011-12-18T20:37:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/?page_id=335"},"modified":"2019-10-25T15:14:50","modified_gmt":"2019-10-25T15:14:50","slug":"holistic-dentist","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/?page_id=335","title":{"rendered":"Holistic Dentist:"},"content":{"rendered":"

What does it mean to be a “Holistic Dentist”?<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0(also known as biological, mercury- free, alternative or whole person dentist)
\nThe Simple Answer:<\/strong>
\n“Holistic dentistry”, as such, \u00a0is not a formally recognized “specialty” in dentistry. \u00a0Rather it may be considered an alternative approach to dentistry that believes your oral health is \u00a0interconnected to your overall health.\u00a0 It focuses on using bio-compatible (low-toxicity) restorative materials, eliminating infections, and promoting optimal teeth \/ jaw \/ head \/ neck structural relationships.\u00a0 Because no dentist can \u201cdo it all,\u201d they often work together with a variety of healthcare professionals promoting integrated, complimentary care. \u00a0One focus of a true “Holistic Dentist” is to identify areas of oral disease and structural dysfunction that may be negatively impacting the health and well-being of the patient. \u00a0 \u00a0True holistic care supports the body\u2019s natural abilities of self-healing and regeneration.
\nThe Detailed Answer:<\/em><\/strong>
\nAll holistic dentists have in common that they have graduated from a Post Graduate (Doctoral) Program for Dentistry and are certified with the credentials DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine).\u00a0 Beyond that things get a little complicated\u2026.\u00a0 For the most part, \u00a0a \u201cHolistic Dentist\u201d at some point came to the conclusion that the impacts of dental therapies could be seen\u00a0throughout the body<\/strong>.\u00a0 They came to believe that the mouth is not disconnected from the rest of the body, and that anything done in the mouth can have significant positive or negative effects on overall health.
\nBecause there is no \u201cSchool of Holistic Dentistry,\u201d there is no standard by which the consumer can evaluate a “holistic dentist”.\u00a0 Every “Holistic Dentist\u2019s” path is unique because their post-dental school education is unique and different.\u00a0 The education of some may have emphasized heavy metal (mercury) toxicity, or orthopedic orthodontics, while others may have focused on nutrition and preventative programs. \u00a0 Knowing a dentist\u2019s educational background will give you a good idea what their beliefs and philosophies are, and will therefore help you determine who may be a good fit with your own personal beliefs.
\nThese are some of the different beliefs \/ philosophies of holistic dentists \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0Not Using Amalgam \/ Mercury Fillings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Knowing and Practicing Proper Mercury Removal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Consideration of Heavy Metal Issues (Electrical \/ Toxic)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Multi-disciplinary (Integrated) Healthcare<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Nutritional \/ Preventative Therapies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0 TMJ Therapy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Non-surgical Periodontal Therapy for Periodontal Disease Association of Dental Health with Whole Body Health<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

**NOTE:\u00a0 It is increasingly popular for dentists to call themselves holistic, mercury-free, or biological dentists simply because they no longer use mercury \/ silver fillings.\u00a0 Make sure any dentist you are considering has received advanced training in the proper handling of mercury \/ silver fillings that are already in your mouth \u2013 as prescribed by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT \u2013\u00a0www.iaomt.org<\/a>).\u00a0 According to the IAOMT, Mercury \/ amalgam \/ silver filling removal without following these guidelines may be hazardous to your health as well as the health of the dental practice team.**<\/p>\n

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What does it mean to be a “Holistic Dentist”?\u00a0\u00a0(also known as biological, mercury- free, alternative or whole person dentist) The Simple Answer: “Holistic dentistry”, as such, \u00a0is not a formally recognized “specialty” in dentistry. \u00a0Rather it may be considered an … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":47,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/335"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=335"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/335\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1160,"href":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/335\/revisions\/1160"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/47"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iowamercuryfreedentistry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}