Holistic dentistry is the alternative to conventional dentistry

“Whoever touches a flower can disturb a star.” What did Antoine de Saint Exupéry mean with this phrase from The little Prince? That everything is interconnected. As I am a stomatologist (oral specialist), applying this principle to our body, I can say that there is an interconnection between our teeth and our physical, mental, biological and emotional realities.

This is the starting point of holistic dentistry, whose practice is radically different from that of a conventional dentist. The holistic dentist’s relationship with his patient is not a simple “open your mouth.” You should know your life story to be able to cure not only his teeth, but whatever may have caused his pathology both physically and emotionally.

A holistic dentist understands that any oral or dental problem may be the sign of a general imbalance or inadequate hygiene of life. Besides, problems in the mouth can generate consequences at a distance, in an organ or in an area of ​​the body far from the mouth.

Holistic dentistry uses various complementary therapies

In the practice of holistic, energetic or natural dentistry, each professional has at their disposal a series of effective therapies to address the disorders. For example:

neural therapy You can treat energy blockages (due to a scar, for example) with a very mild anesthetic.homeopathy It can be used as a background treatment to prevent cavities in children.essential oils They are effective for treating thrush, inflammation of the gums, sensitivity to cold and heat, herpes, etc.Floors such as calendula or echinacea in rinses are very useful for inflammation of the gums and for their healing effect.

The teeth are related to the whole organism.

There is a close relationship between the teeth and the rest of the body that goes back to the embryonic phase. Our teeth come from the outer layer of the embryo, the ectoderm, as well as the brain and skin. In the seventh week of intrauterine life, milk teeth are already being formed. It is a frenetic activity that is lived inside the maternal womb. For this reason, a situation that can affect the mother both physically and emotionally can have an impact, for example, on the formation of defective enamel.

For the development and health of the teeth, a correct supply of nutrients is obviously essential throughout life. With a good diet, energy is generated that supports the structure of the mouth. We refer to that energy that cannot be seen, but is there and that the Greeks called “pneuma”, the Hindus, “pana” and the Chinese, “chi”.

Teeth are sensors. Chinese medicine tells us that this energy circulates through twelve channels or meridians. Each of the teeth is related to a meridian, Therefore, it participates in the circulation of energy and is capable of capturing unconscious emotions or energies from our environment. When situations of blockage or conflict occur in these energies, the teeth can express them with the appearance of pathologies.

Therefore, the holistic, natural or energetic dentist tries to understand tooth health and the role it plays in our overall health. The 32 definitive teeth (this amount is equal, by the way, to the number of vertebrae) tell us about our emotions and our unconscious, as suggested by psychoneurodontology, another discipline that provides us with its knowledge.

Kinesiology also helps us diagnose the alterations of the “stomatognathic system” (the set of structures that form part of the head and neck) and its relationship with the rest of the body through the information provided by the muscular chains.

Breathing and tongue position

One of the main tasks of any holistic dentist is the prevention of cavities and malpositions of teeth and jaws, that can produce a postural imbalance in children and adolescents (in the long run they can develop, for example, a deviation of the spine). To avoid these problems we offer two important tips:

Breathe always through the nose so that the development and functioning of the organism is harmonious.When swallowing, the tongue should be on the palate. to avoid malpositions of teeth and jaws.

These tips work like a “functional orthodontics”, with which we can get thatLet the children grow in harmony and without problems. But if the orthodontic prosthesis becomes unavoidable, it is important to accompany it with a complementary treatment. For example, osteopathy can compensate for the stresses that can be placed on the bones of the skull and spine.

Another aid is posturology, a multidisciplinary specialty whose objective is that the patient regains the equilibrium position with elements such as templates, prisms in the glasses, osteopathic and dental treatment.

There are other common problems that can be addressed sensitively and in depth. For example, sleep apnea can be treated without the need for very uncomfortable treatments for the patient (the conventional option may be to sleep with a mask that increases air pressure). In short, in holistic dentistry each professional works from their vision and background to achieve the restitution of the lost balance.