What Is A Holistic Dentist: Unique Approach In Treating Dental Problems
What is a holistic dentist? Holistic dentistry is also known as integrative dentistry. This type of dental approach believes that oral health is a great contributor to overall health. A holistic dentist uses complementary and alternative methods in treating patients. Read some tips listed by an experienced dentist in Pyrmont if you are planning to get treated by a holistic dentist.
Holistic Dentistry Approach
Dentists who practice a holistic approach also consider their field as:
progressive dentistry- unconventional dentistry
- natural dentistry
- alternative dentistry
The method practically sees oral health as an integral part of keeping overall health in the best state. Hence, a holistic dentist treats several dental problems by giving respect to other health aspects. This includes spiritual, psychological, emotional, and physical health.
Traditional Vs. Holistic Dentist
So what makes a holistic dentist different from traditional dentists? Technically, traditional dentists treat their patients by focusing on their dental and oral health alone. They believe that whatever pain or discomfort that a patient feels, it all goes down to oral care and teeth hygiene.
On the contrary, a holistic dentist treats their patient by considering their overall health. They resolve dental problems by seeing the person as a whole. They believe that the whole body is greatly affected if something is happening to the teeth.
Methods Used By Holistic Dentists
If traditional dentists treat patients with their knowledge gained in educational training, a holistic dentist takes a different approach. In holistic dentistry, providing services to patients such as fillings, flossing, and brushing are not enough.
Here are some of the methods and strategies used in holistic dentistry:
- Diet and nutritional advice
- Herb treatments
- Homeopathy
- Spiritual healing
- Aromatherapy
- Acupuncture
- Hypnosis
For better understanding, let us site an example. If the patient is diagnosed with gum disease, a holistic dentist will mainly discuss diet and nutritional facts with them. A traditional dentist will do the same but a holistic dentist will treat a patient without root canals.
Holistic dentists do not recommend performing root canal treatments on patients because they firmly believe that it is a dangerous practice due to the invasiveness of the procedure. In short, holistic dentists treat tooth decay, cavities, infection, and many more by educating their patients about proper oral hygiene instead of invasive approaches.
Services Of A Holistic Dentist
Just like general dentists, holistic dentists are also aiming to provide oral care to their patients. But what makes them different is their approach. A holistic dentist might offer services like acupuncture, aromatherapy, and massage among other things. These kinds of treatments are what make a holistic dentist more expensive than regular dentists.
In addition, they can also perform the following treatments:
- Dental fillings
- Regular checkup and examination
- Professional teeth cleaning
- Evaluating overall health
- Educating patients on how to properly care for teeth
- Other treatments for jaw and neck pain
The prices for these treatments may vary and could change depending on your dentist.
What To Expect
If this is your first time seeing a holistic dentist, do not be surprised if the following tests are asked of you:
- Dental X-ray
- Blood sugar and blood pressure reading
- Reviewing medical history
You will also be asked the following questions that would seem irrelevant to dental problems:
- Diet, food plans, usual meals
- Physical activities and hobbies
- Lifestyle (smoking habits and alcohol consumption)
- Emotional matters
Their approach includes dental care as well as emotional, spiritual, and physical care. The treatments do not solely focus on the person’s dental health but on their overall well-being. Holistic dentists believe that apart from oral care, the patient should also learn to prevent the recurrence of the problem by leading a healthy lifestyle.
Benefits Of Holistic Dentistry
Despite the natural and safe procedures performed by holistic dentists, dental experts are still quite unsure about the method’s efficiency, safety, and benefits. But if you are the kind of person who despises surgical operations, chemically induced treatments, and invasive procedures, then you might find the holistic approach a promising viewpoint in treating patients.
Listed below are the reasons why some people opt for holistic dentistry:
- Natural remedies. Holistic dentists do not use medicines that are manufactured with too many chemicals. Instead, they recommend natural remedies to their clients, decreasing the risk of side effects.
- Safe materials. They take pride in using materials that are biocompatible. This means that their
tools do not cause harm to the tissues that they will get in contact with. - Overall health treatments. You will not only get treatment for your teeth but for your overall wellbeing as well.
- Free of chemicals. One of their main objectives is to treat patients without having the need to use harmful chemicals like mercury.
- Alternative treatments. How they treat the patients do not end in dental approaches, they look for conventional methods that they know will help the patient in a broader manner.
Risks and Complications
Sadly, holistic dentistry may not be the one for you if you have the following conditions:
- Tooth decay or cavities. Holistic dentists are known to reject the use of fluoride in treatments. This can put you at risk because fluoride is medically proven to be effective in treating and preventing tooth decay.
- Serious dental infection. If your dental infection is too severe, it might require a root canal treatment for better output. However, holistic dentists do not perform root canals which might make your situation worse than it already is. Click here for further information on root canals.
- Regular medication. The natural remedies that holistic dentists use might interfere with your medication, hence resulting in untreated disease.
- Chronic illness. There are very few studies that will attest to the safety of holistic dentistry. It’s much safer for patients with chronic illnesses to consult a traditional dentist instead.
If you are interested in a traditional, general dentist, check this page.
