Lifetime Holistic Dental’s chief dentist, Dr Chris Darby has been dedicated to holistic forms of dental care for over 30-years. This form of dentistry is concerned with much more than treating teeth and gums, it’s about restoring the normal function, beauty and health of the mouth without causing damage to the rest of the body.
So, Why Should I Choose a Holistic Dentist
Holistic dentistry has a range of benefits over conventional forms, including the general philosophy, Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body. We see the mouth as a window to the rest of the body, so we’re interested in how your oral health contributes to your general health and vice-versa.
For example, issues with your mouth can be a sign of nutritional deficiencies or a widespread infection. Inflammation of the gums has also been linked to heart disease, arterial blockage, diabetes, stroke, and bacterial pneumonia, and pregnant women with gum disease are more likely to deliver a preterm and/or low birth weight babies. That’s why we’re so focused on the overall picture, instead of just dealing with the symptom.
Our in-practice procedures are always complemented with education. By showing you how to brush, floss and lead the type of lifestyle that promotes oral health we give you a far greater chance of enjoying lifelong dental health.
We also encourage you to build a relationship with our practice, by visiting us every six months for a professional clean. This clean is essential in removing plaque and tartar that you just can’t get rid of with at-home brushing and flossing. If this plaque and tartar are allowed to remain on your teeth and gums, it traps bacteria and causes tooth decay, gum disease and even the loss of jaw bone density.
Every aspect of holistic dentistry is centred on prevention. This saves you both money, and the need to go through painful and invasive procedures further down the track.
The Holistic Dentist’s Approach
We consider the whole before the part, which is why the first step is always a discussion with you, so we can understand you as a person, and your concerns and worries. We also discuss what you want to achieve in terms of overall health and cosmetics.
For example, if you breathe through your mouth when awake or asleep, we will put steps in place to correct this, because optimal health is never possible if you can only breathe through your mouth. Mouth breathers, in particular, are far more likely to suffer from tooth decay, as well as sleep apnoea and sinus infections.
We also look at your diet and see how this is affecting your health. The link between sugar and tooth decay is well documented, but a diet heavy in gluten and lactose can lead to a whole range of issues including colic, eczema, glue ear, asthma, sinusitis, rhinitis, acne, hives and even rheumatoid arthritis. These dietary agents can also promote mouth breathing, as the excess production of mucus causes sinus and nasal blockages.
This is just a sample of the factors we weigh up, with the ultimate goal being to create a scientific based diagnosis that will give you the best possible chance of enjoying lifelong oral health, and prevent any other diseases along the way.
Holistic Dentistry for Your Children
We encourage parents to bring their babies along for a visit as soon as possible. In fact, it’s even better if we meet the parents before the baby is born.
Facial growth is completed by 21 for girls and about 26 for boys, and it’s essential that this growth is continually monitored to ensure there is the best possible environment for jaw and tooth development, as well as breathing. We even have a separate department dedicated to this field, called the “An Orthodontic Early Growth and Development Centre.”
We also offer a family-based preventive general dental practice that provides education and support staff to ensure parents and children know how to look after their teeth and facial development.
A Few More Reasons
- We only use biocompatible and entirely safe treatments. That means no amalgam fillings, no nasty chemicals just treatments that won’t make your health worse in the long run.
- We monitor your gum health and check that you’re not losing any jaw bone.
- We offer advice on the type of toothpaste and floss you should be using. We also suggest any other products you could include to increase your oral health.
- We pick up on small problems before they progress and become serious diseases or issues.
- We treat your entire body, instead of just patching holes in your teeth and making them look whiter.
- We understand the link between confidence and general health, which is why we see cosmetic dentistry as a genuine health issue.