Biological Dentistry

The term “Biological Dentistry” (also called “Holistic Dentistry”) refers to the close connection between your dental health and your overall health and well being. A biological dentist recognizes that the disease and materials in your mouth can have long-term, harmful affects on other systems in your body, such as your immune and central nervous systems. As practitioners of biological dentistry, we at the Princeton Center for Dental Aesthetics, keep your whole body in mind—not just the condition of your teeth and mouth—when considering your treatment options.

Biological dentists are especially concerned with:

Removal of Amalgam (“Silver”) Fillings—Tradition amalgam fillings are 50 percent mercury, a powerful poison that is banned in many parts of the world. Research demonstrates that mercury is more toxic than lead or arsenic; it has produced brain cell deterioration identical to that seen in Alzheimer patients. Biological dentists practice “mercury-free dentistry.” They never use amalgam fillings and recommend removing existing amalgam fillings in your mouth at the appropriate time. However—and this is important—not all dentist who advocate the removal of amalgam fillings are true biological dentists. True biological dentists are properly trained to follow specific protective protocols, while removing amalgam fillings, to prevent further mercury exposure. These protocols were established by the IAOMT (International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology), a network of dental, medical and research professionals who seek to raise the standards of scientific biocompatibility in the dental profession. At the Princeton Center for Dental Aesthetics, we employ IAOMT safety protocols, ensuring that your amalgam “silver” fillings are removed safely every time.

Nutrition— Biological dentists are aware of the intimate connection between diet and dental health. Many work closely with other like-minded health professionals (e.g., MDs and nutritionists) to provide nutritional support to patients prior to the removal of mercury fillings, and, if necessary, detoxification from the damaging affects of oral toxins.

Biocompatibility Testing—When choosing dental and other materials that are used in the body, testing can be crucial. Material is well tolerated by one individual may cause a hazardous reaction in another. Biological dentist and physicians offer biocompatibility testing (called Clifford Materials Reactivity Testing) to determine each patient’s individual vulnerabilities. This enables the doctor to select the least harmful materials for use in individual treatment planning, resulting in a higher standard of care. Relatively inexpensive, Clifford Materials Reactivity Testing, evaluates over 6,300 dental products for individual appropriateness. If you are interested in this testing, please call our office for more information. Clifford Materials Reactivity Testing must be ordered by a dentist or other health care provider.

Oral Galvanism— Oral Galvanism is a health issue associated with the use of amalgam (“silver”) fillings. The combination of metal and saliva actually produce internal electrical currents, which increase the amount of mercury vapor and abraded particles released into the mouth. In addition to amplifying the process of corrosion and the release of mercury into the mouth, research suggests that these internal electrical currents can cause unexplained pain, ulcerations, and inflammation in certain individuals.

Cavitations— Cavitations are pockets of infection left behind when teeth are extracted, or from other dental procedures. They harbor low-grade bacterial infection and are resistant to standard antibiotics. Bacteria or bacterial toxins move from the cavitation into the blood stream, where they can cause damage to other organs and tissues. Most cavitations never cause pain and typically go undetected. However, some cavitations can produce trigeminal pain (facial nerve pain) and headaches. Anyone who has had dental extractions or procedures and feels unwell afterwards should consider visiting a biological dentist to assess if cavitations remain.

Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Problems—The temporo-mandibular joint or TMJ is the ball-and-socket joint on each side of the head where the lower jawbone meets the skull. Misalignment or stress on this joint, which is fairly common, may be due to an imperfect bite, missing teeth, dental appliances, teeth grinding, arthritis and other forms of inflammation. The condition can cause fatigue, headaches, neck aches, facial ticks, disturbed sleep and other symptoms. Patients with TMJ problems often hear or feel a slight clicking sound or sensation when opening or closing their mouth. By correcting the alignment of the joint, these symptoms may diminish.