Holistic Practice
FAQ – Why We Consider Ourselves a Holistic Practice
Holistic: adjective
relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.
holistic medicine attempts to treat both the mind and the body
holistic ecology views humans and the environment as a single system
The Dental Team at Osborne Bay Dental Health Centre implements an integrative approach to oral and overall health and wellness where consideration for the entire body is made rather than just the teeth and gums. Below, you can find many of the examples we practise on a day-to-day basis.
Holistic Does Not Mean:
- avoiding all conventional tools like x-rays, fillings or root canal therapy without reason.
- using only natural remedies or herbal treatments instead of proven medical procedures.
- being anti-science or anti-technology.
Key principles of Holistic/Biological Dentistry: INTEGRATIVE DENTISTRY
Dental practitioners taking an integrative approach to oral and overall health and wellness where consideration for the entire body is considered rather than just the teeth and gums.
Use of Non-Toxic Materials:
- Avoids use of mercury fillings and other potentially harmful dental materials like Fluoride
- Uses digital scanner iTero for digital impressions (minimal use of alginate/stone)
- Offers fluoride alternative hydroxyapatite varnish (professional application)
FYGG: Feed Your Good Guys - Recommends Full Gold Crowns (FGCs) in molars: most likely the recommendation due to heavier occlusion in molars. FGCs are highly resistant to wear and fracture. Gold is extremely malleable allowing for more precise fit and seamless margins which can reduce risk of microleakage and recurrent decay. Ideal for bruxers as it minimizes damage to adjacent teeth. FGCs require less tooth structure to be removed compared to porcelain fused to metal crowns.
Whole-Body Health Focus:
- Recognizes the impact of oral health (teeth/biofilm) on the whole body
- Understands/Explains the links to possible health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, immune function, and inflammation.
Minimally Invasive procedures and “Wait and See Approach”:
- Prioritizes conservative treatment to preserve natural tooth structure.
- Decay is graded on a scale of R1-R4, R1 would be classified as a “watch”, R2 would be recommended for filling, R3 would be recommended for possible RCT if tooth is hermetically sealed and patient in good health condition and R4 would be considered for possible extraction due to poor prognosis.
- Wisdom teeth aren’t always recommended to be extracted just because they are present below or above gumline.
- Recommendation to update x-rays at 1 yr. mark if high caries risk, and every 2 years once stability is established.
Alternative Therapies in Patient-Centered Care:
Plasma Rich Fibrin:
- PRF is a regenerative technique that uses a patient’s own blood to promote healing and tissue regeneration in dental procedures. Used in tooth extractions, implants, bone grafting, gum recession treatment and sinus lifts. Benefits are: natural & biocompatible as its coming from the patient’s own blood so no risk of rejection, faster healing, minimizes infection risk and reduces pain.
Dentin Grinder Technique (Autograft):
- Advanced technique using patient’s own tooth (free of filling material) which is ground up, sterilized and placed as bone graft. This innovative technique uses patient’s own tooth as a bone graft to reduce rejection risk, to support faster healing & osseointegration, to maintain alveolar ridge structure.
Sleep Obstructive Disorders:
- Encouraging patients who think sleep apnea is present to seek sleep testing. Discusses possible custom-made snoring device like Panthera for mild-moderate sleep apnea. Device is worn to help bring lower jaw forward to open airway during sleep.
- Discussion of effects of Sleep Obstructive Disorders etc. on oral/overall health (i.e. decreased brain function/memory issues, cardiovascular health issues, depression, anxiety, metabolic disorders (link to insulin resistance & type 2 diabetes), bruxism, impacts on oral microbiome/dry mouth)
Myobrace:
- Preventative pre-orthodontic treatment that focuses on addressing the underlying causes of crooked teeth, often without the need for braces or extractions of teeth, unlocking natural growth and development. (suited for kids 3-15 yrs old) Involves a series of removable intraoral appliances that are worn for 1-2 hours each day plus during sleep. This treatment helps correct poor oral habits, develops & aligns jaw, straightens teeth, optimises facial development, improves overall health, and promotes healthy eating habits. How?? By allowing the child to breathe through the nose, correcting tongue posture, correcting swallowing and helping keep lips together.
- Discussion of possible myofunctional therapy & exercises to help retrain brain for proper tongue posture, & more effective breathing.
Parafunctional Habits:
- Recommendation for possible Invisalign to help properly align teeth to reduce wear on adjacent teeth.
- Recommendation for possible mandibular brux guard; helps reduce against incisal wear (better anterior guidance to encourage proper occlusion, reduce excessive anterior contact and reduce incisal edge wear), less bulky, easier to tolerate, easier to talk with, better for nasal breathers, less gag reflex triggering, more effective muscle deprograming where it helps relax masseter and temporalis muscles, reducing jaw tension and TMJ strain. Beneficial for TMJ disorders to help reduce clicking, popping, limited jaw opening.
Hygiene Program:
- recommendations not dictated by insurance policies (although considered & discussed with patient)
- Patients recommended to come in every 3-4 months depending on level of bleeding, periodontal inflammation, deposit buildup, caries risk, patient compliance.
- At 1 year, patients can be reassessed to either stay at 3-4 months or 6 months may be recommended.
- Patients recommended for 6 months when oral health is stable & healthy-minimal bleeding and minimal inflammation (still can have deposit)
Focus on Nutrition and Lifestyle:
- Encourages dietary considerations & habits that support healthy oral/gut microbiome (whole foods, healthy fats, fermented foods, VitD3/K2)
- Offers Ayurvedic medicine recommendations
- Encourages intentional movement like yoga, breathing
- Discussions around stress & offering stress reducing practices; grounding, hobbies, nature, pets, friends/family, laughter.
Alternative and Natural Therapies:
- Encourages use of water flosser to oxygenate oral biofilm
- Recommendation for hydroxyapatite toothpastes like Himalaya Whitening & hydroxyapatite or Green Beaver Enamel Protect (and others) that feed microbiome & are biocompatible.
- Oil pulling with coconut oil & tongue scraping
- Possible recommendation for Ayurveda or other alternative therapies such as acupuncture, massage, meditation
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