Find Out More About Holistic Dentistry
Probably the biggest thing that distinguishes a holistic dentist from most other dentists is a concern about dental materials and what materials are considered the most appropriate for every patient. We select our materials based on materials testing that our patients have gone through, and we wind up calling that list down to the ones that are effective and least harmful for our patients. That’s a primary focus. Part of that is a concern for the materials that are used and how they affect the rest of our body. If we have materials that are causing problems, obviously those are ones we should avoid. The one that’s probably most suspicious right now is mercury-containing fillings, or mercury amalgam fillings. They’re the silver fillings that you’ve heard of for years. They contain 50 percent mercury. People that are now aware, have done their own research, don’t want those.
The training I’ve received from the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology has been life changing for me. It’s been something that I’ve been able to impart information that I’ve learned there to my patients. They’ve learned now how important dental materials are and what the adverse effects of certain types of materials are. One of the big questions we have is, Is fluoride important? Is fluoride something that we should be doing, using on a regular basis on our teeth? The academy’s position is no, it’s not. It’s not a safe material. The academy’s position on mercury-based fillings is the same. It’s not safe. It’s not something that should be utilized with patients anymore. Most importantly, if patients have desire to have those mercury fillings or silver fillings removed, they want to follow a technique that’s called the SMART protocol, Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique. It’s something only IAOMT dentists are trained to do.
If you want that counsel, you want that advice or input before you make a decision as to how you’re having your mercury fillings removed, come to our office so we can have that conversation. I’d love to give you all the information you need to help you make an informed decision.