How Do You Know If Your Dentist Really Is “Biological”?

Search for a “biological dentist” or “holistic dentist” in your area, and you may get quite a few results. That doesn’t mean that all of them are necessarily doing that kind of dentistry, though.

That’s because neither biological dentistry nor holistic is a specific dental specialty in the way that, say, orthodontics is. If you want to become an orthodontist, you can’t just decide to call yourself one. You undergo years of additional specialized training after you finish dental school. There are strict requirements, examinations, and certifications you must complete.

These don’t exist for biological or holistic dentistry. In fact, some “holistic” dentists may have done little more than taken a weekend course and added some buzzwords to their website. Anyone can claim to practice holistic or biological dentistry, regardless of their actual training or expertise.

Yet even though there’s no formal course of study, dentists who are truly committed to practicing holistically and biologically do undergo an incredible amount of additional education and training. Common coursework includes extensive study in areas such as

• Physical and energetic connections between oral health and whole body health.
• The role of nutrition in mouth/body health.
• Dental ozone.
• Advanced diagnostics that look beyond just teeth.
• Biocompatible materials and biocompatibility testing.
• Protocols for safely removing and detoxing from mercury amalgam fillings.
• Surgical techniques for addressing hidden infections in the jaw.
• Microbiome assessment and management.

In addition, they may also study Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, energy medicine, or other complementary therapies.

Biological dentistry also operates from a fundamentally different philosophy than conventional dentistry. Our focus is on treating the whole person, not just isolated dental problems. It’s about understanding all the ways in which your mouth is connected to the rest of you and that dental issues often have deeper, even non-dental root causes that need to be addressed.

Instead of focusing on fixing problems, we ask, “Why did this problem develop in the first place?” We want to address the why, not just the symptoms. This might mean looking at your nutrition, assessing your airway, testing for biocompatibility, or examining the bacterial environment in your mouth.

If you’re seeking biological dental care, you’re likely dealing with complex health issues or want to take a more preventive, whole-body approach to your oral health. This makes it all the more important to make sure you find a dentist who has the depth of knowledge and experience to truly help you. The wrong choice could mean not only wasted time and money, but potentially missing underlying issues that a true biological dentist would catch.

So how do you know whether a dentist you’re considering is actually doing biological dentistry? That was the subject of a past episode of Dr. T’s podcast, Your Mouth Matters, in which she shared a detailed list of questions you should ask any dental office you’re considering – before you make a first appointment.

They’re not casual questions either. They’re designed to reveal whether you’re dealing with someone who has invested in learning how to practice biologically or someone who’s taken a superficial approach. Dr. T also shares some red flags to watch out for, as well as what you can expect from a comprehensive biological dental experience.

Finding the right biological dentist can be a game-changer for your health, but it means doing your due-diligence, becoming an informed patient who knows what standards to expect.

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