Holistic dentistry is an up and coming streak in the dental industry. Holistic dentistry is another approach to dentistry that generally believes your oral health is in every way connected to your overall health. It focuses on using non-toxic restorative materials, eliminating infections, and promoting optimal teeth / jaw / head / neck structural relationships. The focus of a true Holistic Dentist is to identify areas of oral disease and structural dysfunction that may be negatively impacting the health and wellbeing of the patient. As a rule, they will then use for the least invasive, least traumatic, and least toxic means of diagnosis and treatment. True holistic care supports the body’s natural abilities of self-healing and regeneration.
While holistic dentistry can be a great alternative form of care when plausible, traditional dentistry mainly focuses on your oral health instead of the health of your body overall. While there is no “right” and “wrong” when making the decision to go holistic or traditional, it is always important to keep your total health in mind. Along with your regular oral health checkups you should keep in touch with your general practice physician as well.
Many times traditional dentists will lean to the side of holistic dentistry and vice versa. A dentist that typically places mercury fillings may decide that a composite filling would do much better for a particular patient that others. There is no one size fits all when it comes to dental care, and this is why it is so important to keep yourself educated. Always ask questions when visiting the dentist and make sure you know your options before choosing what needs to be done with your oral health.
