Description
In Part One, you will learn how best to avoid dental problems, some surprising information about what can cause oral disorders such as periodontal disease—stress is high on that list—and the most natural treatments available for such problems.
Got a toothache? The pain, and maybe even its cause, can be relieved through herbs and homeopathic remedies. You will learn exactly which herbs are best for you, and how to use homeopathy to improve your health.
We will also be looking at diseases elsewhere in the body, and learning how symptoms that appear in your mouth—like the discoloration of the tongue—can serve as an early warning to you that something is wrong. A visit to the dentist, in fact, may save you from a heart attack!
You will also learn all about acidity in the mouth—a prime cause of harmful bacterial infection—and what you can do about it.
Acidity is usually caused by too much sugar, dairy products, and animal fats in your diet instead of plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. The more acid your body liquids become, the happier the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease.
I will give you a diet to change all this, and also explain how vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can help you normalize your acid environment. You will also learn how to cleanse your body of toxins before you even begin this new diet.
There are many controversies in the dental industry—from the potential hazards of fillings containing mercury, to the pros and cons of fluoridation. Even the way root canal surgery is done is open to debate. In this book, you will get all the facts about these controversies so that you can make up your own mind.
In Part Two, I will share with you many of my treatments for a variety of dental problems—from gum disease to bad breath. I also talk about “energy dentistry”—the use of techniques such as magnets, kinesiology, laser technology, and much more.
Believe it or not, in 1998 an estimated 60 million root canals were performed. I find this shocking, because I consider root canal problems almost as dangerous as mercury fillings. In fact, I devote an entire chapter to root canals—and why you should avoid them when possible.
I also go into some depth about cavitations—holes in the jaw that don’t heal properly after a tooth is pulled. If your dentist is getting ready to pull that tooth, read this chapter carefully to avoid later problems after the extraction.
Much is being written nowadays about the potential dangers of amalgams. Why? Because mercury can wind up in body tissue and result in everything from birth defects to brain damage. Yet, amalgam fillings are still being used by many American dentists because the American Dental Society has not taken a strong stand against it, as have other health groups in countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Germany.
If you have mercury in your mouth—and which of us doesn’t? —You will learn what you can do to remedy this problem, including how to detox from this and any other harmful metals that may be lodged in your body. As a holistic dentist, I’m not happy about the idea of putting anything metallic in a person’s mouth—from bridges to implants.
Even if you currently have no major dental problems, this book will be of enormous value to you. Prevention is always the key to good health, and what you learn here will help keep your smile bright and your gums healthy.
So, finally, what is holistic dentistry? It is largely a matter of philosophy—the way your practitioner views dental health. A holistic dentist realizes that your oral health intimately affects, and is affected by, your physical health and vice versa.
A holistic dentist follows the Hippocratic ethic of “do no harm,” and uses nontoxic methods and noninvasive techniques whenever possible.
Holistic health means taking a look at the entire body, finding out what the problems are, and changing the body from the teeth to the toes so that it can be a healthier place for you to inhabit.