BY DR. INGO MAHN, DDS, AIAOMT
A trip to the dentist is perhaps the last thing on your mind when you consider achieving optimum health. After all, aren’t we only talking about things like fillings, cleanings, and braces? Also, as it turns out, the oral cavity has a significant impact on your overall health.
Enter integrated dentistry, a cutting-edge method that connects the dots between your mouth and the rest of your body. Holistic dentists ( also known as biological dentists ) have been aware of the health effects of bacteria from gum disease and infected root canals as well as toxic metals ( such as mercury in silver fillings ) for thousands of years.
The medical profession has just discovered the effects of poor breathing on restful sleep. Let’s take a look at precisely what alternative dentistry means and why it has changed the way you think about your health.
BEYOND THE DRILL:
THE MAGIC OF HOLISTIC DENTISTRY
The mouth is viewed as a gateway to general health in systematic dentistry. It’s important to recognize how dental health influences your whole body as well as fixing teeth. In the early 1900s, a group of 100 European physicians spent 40 years researching this connection. According to them, “80 % of all disease was either directly or indirectly related to disease of the dental cavity.” In fact, they also created a chart that revealed a relationship between each tooth and a particular organ system!
Sadly, alternative dentistry was once ridiculed for this theory in the past. Interestingly enough, though, these concepts are now widely accepted in the regular medical community.
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES IN HOLISTIC DENTISTRY
While the term “holistic dentistry” may sound older- created, it should actually be considered the dentistry of the future. Just as in medicine, we have discovered some of our “modern” medical techniques to be harmful to the health of our patients.
Here are some of the cutting-edge methods being used by physiological dentists:
• Safe materials: In addition to removing toxic materials carefully, they ensure that the replacement options are very compatible. There are also non-metallic medical implants.
• Ozone Therapy: A organic however effective way to kill disease producing organisms.
• Low-dose x-rays: These minimize radiation exposure through modern technology and by reducing frequency.
• No Fluoride: Safer alternatives to fluoride, like compound, are used to help keep teeth strong.
BETTER SLEEP WITH HOLISTIC DENTISTRY ,
Nothing has a greater impact on our health than suitable sleep and breathing. Unfortunately, obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ) is a prevalent problem in our country. Sleep disordered breathing ( SDSB), a milder form of OSA, is even more prevalent and just as harmful to health as it is to OSA.
Our jaws are underdeveloped because of our sweet present diet and other environmental factors ( there is a reason why kids need braces and wisdom teeth removed ). This causes airflow to be less restricted and results in a smaller airway. During sleep, when our bodies should be regenerating, we preferably are in fight or flight mode —not a recipe for good health!
AN OTHER WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR ZZZs
Conventional medicine and dentistry do no have a working solution to this issue. They either prescribe a CPAP machine to force air into the lungs or use an appliance that keeps the jaw in an unusual, ahead position until the problem is severe.
Alternately, a device known as the Homeoblock has been shown to be extremely successful in treating the root cause of SDB by toning the airway muscles and even calming the nervous system.
THE MOUTH-BOD Y CONNECTION
Holistic dentistry teaches us that our mouths are more than just a smile; they are also a reflection of our overall state. By opting for this method, you’re not simply setting the groundwork for a happier, healthier you, but even by protecting your teeth!
