Holistic Dentistry
We intentionally work to provide you and your family with safe and biocompatible material choices while avoiding concerning substances like mercury, fluoride, BPA, and unnecessary radiation. You deserve to feel safe asking questions about your dental care.
Many people don’t realize how much the health of their mouth affects their whole body. Poor oral health can lead to or worsen other serious health problems like cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory infections, and even heart attack and stroke. Gum disease and infected teeth create chronic inflammation that puts your health at risk. A healthy mouth is an important step to protecting your whole body.
Holistic Dentistry Services
Holistic Dentistry focuses on the direct link between your oral health and the health of your entire body. We aim to treat the causes of any oral health challenges you are facing. Simply treating symptoms is never enough, as your issues will likely resurface. Rather, we want to work with you to create lasting solutions that will allow you to have the kind of health and well-being that make you want to smile.
Safe Mercury Removal
Mercury-safe dentistry is the use of specifically developed protocols to minimize your exposure to mercury during the removal and replacement of mercury containing amalgam restorations (silver colored metal fillings).
Metal-Free Dentistry
Metal-free dentistry is focused on using biocompatible materials to restore teeth. We exclusively use metal and BPA-free, bonded composite resins (“white fillings”) and metal-free all ceramic crowns, bridges, and veneers. We also have the ability to replace missing teeth with zirconia implants and a completely metal free implant abutment and crown that attach to the implant.
Gum Disease Treatment
Modern research is constantly teaching us how interconnected the mouth and the rest of the body are. Part of our commitment to addressing the whole-body health of our patients is educating them on how interrelated gum disease is to many other systemic illnesses and risk factors.
Ozone Therapy
We utilize ozone in a variety of ways during our treatment of many dental and oral health conditions
Metal-Free and Mercury-Safe Dentistry
We follow strict protocols to keep you safe during the removal of dangerous materials like mercury and have intentionally chosen biocompatible resin and ceramic materials to be used as replacements to keep you healthy now and for years to come.
What is Metal-Free Dentistry?
In the past, mercury amalgam silver fillings, porcelain fused to metal (PFM), and gold crowns and bridges were the norm in restoring damaged teeth. Although not visually appealing, these metals were regarded as the best solution for managing tooth restoration. A vigorous debate has arisen in the dental profession about health risks resulting from having these various metals in a patient’s mouth for long durations. Today, metal-free dentistry, as practiced by our team at Nashville Restorative Dentistry, eliminates the concern about metals of any type by offering BPA-free resin fillings, ceramic and zirconia crowns and bridges, and zirconia dental implants to replace missing teeth.
Why Is Mercury-Safe Dentistry Important?
Mercury-safe dentistry is the use of specifically developed protocols to minimize your exposure to mercury during the removal and replacement of mercury-containing amalgam fillings.
These silver colored mercury-amalgam dental fillings that have been traditionally used in the past (and still today in some places) contain between 48-55% mercury, which is a potent neurotoxin. Amalgam fillings are made from liquid mercury mixed with a powder containing silver, tin, copper, zinc, and other metals. It was once thought that the mercury in fillings was permanently trapped in the amalgam. Not anymore. When people chew or the teeth are heated, the fillings emit mercury vapor that is absorbed by the body. Since mercury is toxic even at very low levels, there’s growing concern that the mercury in fillings could be contributing to systemic health problems. Scientific studies have demonstrated that mercury, even in small amounts, can cause damage to organs, glands, blood cells, enzymes, hormones, and have been shown to suppress the body’s immune system.
World wide, the dental community is moving away from mercury amalgam fillings of the past and towards better, safer options. Here are just a few resources if you want to learn more:
How We Do Things Differently
As an alternative, metal-free and mercury safe dentistry is focused on using biocompatible materials to restore teeth. We exclusively use metal and BPA-free, bonded composite resins (“white fillings”) and metal-free all ceramic crowns, bridges, and veneers. We also have the ability to replace missing teeth with zirconia implants and a completely metal free implant abutment and crown that attach to the implant.
What If I Want My Old Mercury-Amalgam Fillings Removed?
It’s understandable that you might want or need your potentially dangerous old fillings removed and replaced with a safer, more modern alternative. We here at Nashville Restorative Dentistry have a thorough Huggins and IAOMT SMART protocol based process that we go through with each patient to minimize the risks of additional mercury exposure.
- Patients undergo a three-day course of Lypospheric Vitamin C leading up to mercury removal
- Head and neck of the patient are covered with a disposable Tyvek hood
- The patient is covered with a disposable drape to prevent mercury particles from getting onto their body or clothing
- Doctor and dental assistant are protected by Tyvek protective wear, filtered respirator masks, and non-latex gloves
- An alternative source of air (oxygen) is given to the patient via nasal mask
- A non-latex rubber dam is placed to isolate the quadrant of teeth involved
- The Dental AirVac is placed within 8 inches of the patient’s mouth, providing added vacuum and elimination to mercury vapors and particles
- A saliva ejector is placed under the dental dam during mercury filling removal to retrieve any vapors that will pass through the dental dam
- High volume suction (“Clean Up”) and copious irrigation with water is used during the sectioning and removal of mercury
- After the rubber dam is removed, all areas of the mouth are thoroughly rinsed with water
- The patient is given 2 capsules of activated charcoal at the end of the procedure to bind with any particles that may find their way into the intestines
- Detoxifying and immune system supplements are considered and evaluated for optimal health
- A whole office system of 5 Hepa filters is constantly utilized to provide the cleanest air possible
- Our office utilizes a centralized mercury separating unit that collects 99% of mercury before it is passed into waste water
Gum (Periodontal) Disease Treatment
Gum disease is a common and often undiagnosed oral health issue that can lead to a number of other significant health problems.
- Between 50-75% of American adults, depending on age, have periodontal disease (ranging from mild to severe).
- Periodontal disease increases inflammatory markers throughout your entire body and significantly increases a patient’s risk of suffering from high blood pressure or even a stroke and/or heart attack.
- Diabetic control is severely inhibited by untreated periodontal infection, and diabetics are at a much higher risk of developing periodontal disease.
Modern research is constantly teaching us how interconnected the mouth and the rest of the body are. Part of our commitment to addressing the whole-body health of our patients is educating them on how interrelated gum disease is to many other systemic illnesses and risk factors. For example, the oral bacteria that cause gum disease have been found in the clots of both stroke and heart attack victims, showing they enter the bloodstream from diseased gum tissue and cause damage elsewhere in the body.
Because it is so common, the infection and inflammation from untreated gum disease is one of the most studied connections between poor oral and overall health risks. We develop a detailed treatment plan to treat the source of the infection and a customized maintenance program to help you maintain health moving forward.
Healthier gums mean a healthier you.
Ozone Therapy
More than just a layer of atmosphere, we use ozone for a variety of treatments and procedures.
- Ozone can be used to destroy bacteria that cause tooth decay.
- Ozone can destroy the bacteria that cause gum inflammation and bone loss.
- Ozone is completely safe for virtually all patients.
- Ozone can eliminate microorganisms in extraction sockets.
We convert pure, medical-grade oxygen into ozone in our office with a special machine, which can then be used in gas, liquid (ozonated water), ozonated oil (ex: olive) form. Healthy body cells have anti-oxidative properties to avoid harm from ozone, but bad cells, including bacteria, mold, fungus, and viruses, do not, which allows us to use ozone to destroy them on contact.
In addition to destroying vulnerable bacteria, ozone can be used to better sterilize a tooth for a root canal, resolve infections at a surgical site and even assist in pain relief & healing for TMJ/TMD treatment.