Holistic Dentistry

What is Holistic Dentistry?

Holistic dentistry (also known as biological dentistry) is based on a health care philosophy that takes a whole-body approach to healing patients. Holistic dentists believe that the state of your oral health has a direct relationship to your overall health. In other words, any issues going on in your mouth have an impact on your entire body. Therefore, treatments done to your mouth can have an important effect on your physical and emotional well-being.

What does this mean in practical terms? The fact is, holistic dentistry is a whole lot more than replacing amalgam fillings with mercury-free fillings. At MD Periodontics, our practice is committed to providing toxin-free alternatives in every treatment we perform, whether it’s treating periodontal (gum) disease, extracting fractured teeth, or restoring lost teeth.

But beyond using “good for you” dental materials, our holistic approach is centered on becoming familiar with your entire health picture and lifestyle. This way, we can recommend dental care that doesn’t worsen any existing medical conditions you may have and that doesn’t stress your immune system in any way.

Why holistic dentistry? The link between your oral health and your overall health

Having good oral health has a serious impact on your overall health and sense of well-being. A holistic approach is important because:

1. The mouth is the entry point for many bacteria that can enter your bloodstream, causing serious infections that can spread throughout the rest of the body.
2. Poor oral health is an important risk factor for many health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke (cerebrovascular disease). Did you know that people with gum disease have more difficulty than others in controlling their blood sugar? This is a serious matter because over 95% of Americans have gum disease.
3. Poor oral health can contribute to depression and low self-esteem, affecting your social interactions and personal relationships.

By becoming familiar with your health issues, lifestyle, activities, and family and work stressors, a holistic dental practitioner can put your oral condition into the proper context and offer practical solutions and dental procedures that make sense for you.

MD Periodontics is one of Los Angeles’ foremost holistic dentistry practices because:

1. We focus on treating the entire patient, not just the dental symptom. When evaluating our patients, we look at their physical and emotional health and lifestyle, because this provides context for their oral conditions. Similarly, when we diagnose oral conditions that can impact our patient’s overall health or are an early sign of a systemic disease, we refer them promptly to an appropriate medical doctor for treatment. We’re here for your whole body health, not just your dental health.
2. We focus on having the patient take an active role in their oral care.  The key to successful outcomes is teaching our patients holistic practices they can incorporate into their daily routine to prevent future dental problems. We encourage our patients to participate in managing their oral health by using the latest technology to educate them on their condition.
   One state-of-the-art tool that we use for this is the Trios Oral Scanner. This is a wireless wand that is inserted in your mouth and passed over the front and back surfaces of your teeth in one minute. The Trios wand captures digital images of your teeth and bite that show us what’s going on in your mouth. In fact, they’re so precise they can be used instead of a gum dental impression to create restoration pieces like crowns, bridges, and implants.
   And gliding a Trios wand over your teeth is so much more pleasant than having to bite down on (and gag on) that goopy material to obtain a dental impression!

3. We focus on high-tech, minimally invasive technology designed to improve patient safety and comfort and cut down on office visits. We have invested in technology designed with your comfort and well-being in mind, such as:
   • 3D Digital X-rays. Digital X-rays provide unsurpassed crisp images of bone and soft tissue that exceed anything previously possible. With these, we can diagnose tooth decay and cavitations (holes in the bone) with a fraction of the radiation exposure of traditional X-rays.
   • High-tech laser treatments for gum disease mean no surgery nor anesthesia, and a more comfortable treatment experience, often in a single office visit.
     MD Periodontics uses WaterLase Laser Dentistry™ a patented technology that combines focused light energy with a stream of water. This technology can perform highly precise, exceptionally gentle procedures, including deep gum cleaning, sculpting excess gum tissue, and even treating cavities.
   • Your dental chair is not only comfortable, but it also performs state-of-the-art sterilization after every patient. The chair disinfects all suction and water lines after each and every patient, giving you the highest level of safety available in dental equipment today. What’s more, the KaVo KerrTM Estetica™ E-80 chair has an ergonomic design that adjusts for patient size and height. So no matter what your size, you’re comfortable during your dental treatment.
     
4. We focus on offering bio-compatible, non-toxic materials to those patients who wish to have metal-free tooth restoration. At MD Periodontics we don’t use amalgam or nickel to fill cavities, but instead, use composite resin for dental fillings. This type of material has many advantages. The color is natural so the restoration will blend with the surrounding teeth. The resin is very strong and requires only minimal removal of the healthy tooth to complete the restoration. Most importantly, it contains no metal.
   The American Dental Association (ADA) lists mercury amalgam fillings as safe, and they are commonly used in traditional dentistry. However, in holistic dentistry, metal has no place in the body. 
   At MD Periodontics, our implantologists are specially trained in fitting dental restorations that have posts made of a special ceramic known as zirconium. Zirconium is a strong alternative to titanium and can be used for crowns or bridges.
   
5. We focus on achieving the right balance between cosmetic and functional needs.
   The overriding philosophy of holistic dentistry is to first do no harm. At MD Periodontics, we won’t recommend performing a procedure for cosmetic reasons if we feel it will do structural harm to your mouth. Say, removing a sound, chipped tooth to replace it with an implant when a crown will preserve your natural tooth.

MD Periodontics: One of Los Angeles’ premier certified holistic dental practices

At MD Periodontics, we are board-certified dentists who specialize in periodontics, dental implants, and surgery.  
 
Like conventional dentists, we received the same traditional dental training and are licensed to practice dentistry. But unlike dentists, we have taken our education one step further and have received additional certification as periodontists as well as holistic dental practitioners by the Holistic Dental Association (HDA) to provide a higher level of care to our patients. 

As one of Los Angeles’ top-tier periodontal specialty practices, the husband and wife team at MD Periodontics has been treating a myriad of dental and periodontal issues for over two decades.
 
Why Holistic Dentistry? Because we have seen first-hand how closely linked oral health is related to systemic health. That is why our practice has adopted holistic methods so our patients with metal sensitivities and allergies can still be provided the highest level of care possible. After all, that’s what we would want for our own families.

To schedule an appointment, click here or call (310) 859-9449.

We are conveniently located to patients throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area. Our Beverly Hills office is conveniently located near West Los Angeles, Culver City, West Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Sherman Oaks, and Encino.