Every dentist has a unique angle to how they perform their dentistry work. Categorizing a dentist as either holistic or traditional may be a bit misinformed. That said, however, what is the distinction between a conventional dentist and a holistic dentist? A holistic dentist concentrates on the wholeness of a person’s body beginning with their mouth. The term holistic does not in any way accentuate the methods and practices applied by such dentists. It refers to the general philosophy of oral care responsibilities. The word is derived from the term wholistic referring to whole. Holistic dentists advise patients on matters of general health and the role that dentistry could play in their overall health.
Research reveals a relationship between gum sickness and heart health, pregnancy, and diabetes. It is for such a reason that a holistic dentist looks at oral health as a fundamental aspect of the general health of people. Most dentists, however, do not have the training on long term effects of dentistry to the entire body. This is the reason why holistic dentistry discipline was introduced.
Some dentists will call themselves holistic for purposes of differentiation and marketing but have no background or comprehension of what that entails. Often, the only holistic aspect of their practice is avoiding mercury fillings. The conventional dentist executing comprehensive dentistry by extending their work beyond gums and teeth and incorporating the neck, head, and face deserve the title holistic. Their work is complete even though they do not refer to themselves as holistic. It is more in what they do than the name they have.
The essence of natural dentistry has an emphasis on holistic and natural methods of dentistry. It is important to comprehend the difference between dentistry inclined to tradition and the dentistry that leans towards holistic. The obvious contemporary differences are:
Holistic dentistry
The network of holistic dentists defines the field as an approach encouraging both wellness and health rather than disease treatment alone. The approach entails application of modern knowledge and science derived from the greatest natural healing and global traditions. Holistic dentistry recognizes and handles the body, mind, and spirit of patients. They do not just pay exclusive attention to teeth. The principles of holistic dentists include: elimination and alleviation of toxic substances from dental appliances, healthy nutrition for the purpose of reversing and/or averting deteriorating dental formula, malocclusion (physical imbalances) treatment and deterrence, and treatment and alleviation of gum-related illnesses from the biological level.
Mercury fillings
This is the first thing that comes to mind when the word holistic dentist is mentioned. Most people do not seem to understand that there are a lot more issues differentiating holistic dental and traditional dental practices. Some traditional dentists are more inclined to holistic dentistry. A holistic dentist understands the toxic nature of mercury. Although amalgam fillings stay longer than the composite fillings, they impose great pressure on the tooth therefore weakening them. A holistic dentist avoids mercury.
Fluoride
Holistic dentists, unlike traditional ones, argue against the ingestion of fluoride. They claim that fluoride ingestion leads to cancer and bone issues. Some research has shown that fluoride has no benefit to the teeth when ingested.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are quite a few differences between a traditional and a holistic dentist. A traditional dentist will focus solely on the mouth (teeth and gums), while holistic dentists will connect the health of your teeth and gums to the rest of your body to ensure your overall health.
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