If you’re a regular visitor to the Aesthetic Family Dentistry blog, you will often see the term “holistic dentistry” used. We are holistic dentists and are proud of that fact. This philosophy, defines how we work, what materials and procedures we use and our entire approach to patient care. But what is holistic dentistry and what does it do for you? Let’s find out! Essentially, holistic dentists do everything a regular dentist does but also offers complementary treatments to ensure your entire wellbeing. Holistic dentistry isn’t a thing, it’s more of an approach to dental treatment. It encompasses your entire wellbeing, from oral health, conventional medicine, alternative treatments, complementary therapy and much more. Rather than just care for your mouth in a purely medical sense, holistic dentistry concerns itself with the surrounding causes and effects of any dental issues. Holistic dentistry isn’t quackery, it isn’t concerned with far out, unproven methodologies. It uses proven medical techniques alongside complementary therapies to treat patients. For example, to treat TMJ, or Temporomandibular Joint Disorders, we use standard dental techniques to address the physical issues. We may also use complementary techniques to address the underlying causes or effects, such as neuromuscular corrrections, chiropractic, orthopedics, electromyography. We may prescribe massage to ease any discomfort or to relax. We may also suggest acupuncture to provide the same kinds of solutions. Both massage and acupuncture are proven to alleviate discomfort, relax and provide improvements in both mental and physical wellbeing. You are what you eat As well as physical therapies, holistic dentistry has a specific view on materials such as amalgam, toothpaste and other toxic compounds you may ingest as part of your daily life. So as well as treating any underlying dental issues, we can also offer advice around diet, nutrition and other lifestyle choices that may influence your oral health and overall wellbeing. Drugs form a part of modern dentistry too. They can be in the form of pain medication, anesthetic, antibiotics and so on. As holistic dentists, we still use these medications but we are very careful about selecting the types of drugs we use and about how we use them. Medication plays an important part in dentistry and we couldn’t achieve what we do without them. However, careful consideration when selecting the types of drugs to administer can make a real difference to how a patient feels during and recovers after a procedure. As you can see, there’s more to holistic dentistry than you might think. It’s not about prescribing flower remedies or herbs for conditions. It is about being selective about the materials, procedures and medications we administer. But primarily, it’s about offering a complete wellness regimen to all our patients. If you would like to learn more about holistic dentistry, and live in Denville, Dover, Morristown, Morris Plains, Mountain Lakes, Randolph, Rockaway contact Aesthetic Family Dentistry today! – See more at: https://aestheticfamilydentistry.com/blog/what-is-holistic-dentistry/#sthash.uZXF8Ffu.dpuf
