Did you know that there are natural and holistic options when it comes to choosing dental care? Though these terms are more commonly associated with general health and medical care, dental care guided by the same principles of treating the whole patient in a natural and minimally invasive way is available and growing in popularity. With holistic dental care, getting to the root cause of the disease is the priority and there is a heavy emphasis on promoting oral and overall heath and wellness.   

Simply stated, holistic dental care takes a full-body wellness approach towards oral health care. The basic principles of holistic dental care include:

• Comprehensive diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Prevention and treatment of gum disease.
• Prevention and treatment of teeth grinding or clenching (which can lead to tension headaches, migraines and physical imbalance).
• Avoidance and elimination of toxins from dental materials like mercury or lead.
• Patient education and nutrition counseling for the prevention and reversal of tooth decay.

The advantages of holistic dental care are numerous, as it can become the first line of defense for preventative medicine. This is because dentists often see patients before they are noticeably ill—periodontal diagnosis and systemic diagnosis are intertwined. While holistic dentistry is not considered a specialty, there are dentists dedicated to practicing in this manner exclusively.

As owner of a local dental practice, Richmond Family Dentistry, I have taken the holistic concept a step further by introducing “eco-friendly dentistry”—we have removed many of the known toxins from the practice’s environment and ensure that all materials are as eco-friendly as possible. Additionally, there are only digital X-rays and all water and air in the office is filtered.

Holistic and eco-friendly dentistry enhances the patients’ overall dental experience, treatment and general health. Richmond Family Dentistry is proud to promote this approach.

Dr. Cheryl Bradford Billingsley, DDS, ND, is board certified in Naturopathic Medicine and an award-winning dental surgeon.