A biological dentist seeks the safest, least toxic and most conservative way to accomplish modern dentistry that is safe, functional, durable and esthetic. It is interesting how the term alternative medicine refers to a new holistic, integrative, and functional approach to health…yet it has been in existence for thousands of years, and “modern medicine” is only about 100 years old.
Most people seek alternative treatments due to a personal medical condition that has not been resolved. Others are well-versed in holistic ways and understand and live by it. We have known for a long time that there is a connection between the mouth and the body. Bacteria from the mouth travel through the bloodstream to the organs. As a biological dentist, my mantra remains: A healthy mouth is a healthy body and a healthy life.
Dentistry Is Changing
Science is dynamic and constantly changing mostly when it shows that theories do not conform to observation. The absolutes I learned in dental school have changed, and they continue to change everyday. I was taught to combine mercury with other metals and place in the mouth as a restoration, and that this was completely safe. A toxic compound became “safe” when placed in a tooth. I was taught to recommend traditional orthodontics to crooked teeth, never mind if there was a deficiency in growth patterns, underdeveloped jaws, tongue and lip ties (a dealbreaker for being able to nurse) or, most important, upper airway deficiencies. We believed that clenching, grinding, or bruxism was purely stress related. Today we know better.
Our bite is directly related to our posture, our breathing, chewing, and our gut health and microbiome to name a few. There is always a root cause. We just need to dig deep to find it. There is no “one-shot” appliance that will fix myofunctional disorders, just like there is no one pill that will cure you. Research shows that the diaphragm and the back of the tongue work together. The tongue has sixteen muscles and some consider it an organ, yet today we know that chewing is a lost art. Why are so many Americans taking digestive enzymes when the parotid gland is the largest maker of enzymes? They have even discovered an extra set of salivary glands in the throat that no one ever knew existed.
Biological Dentistry Deals with Systemic Issues
When we change our mindset and think outside the box, we realize that what we thought was absolute law in science is just an interpretation of a moment in time. These interpretations are indirectly affected by politics, social circumstances, and religious practices and beliefs.
Today, we recognize that traditional dentistry focuses on mechanical issues, whereas biological dentistry addresses systemic and nontoxic concerns. If more health care providers communicated with each other and collaborated in their patients’ health, the root cause would be easier to identify.
How Do You Find a Biological Dentist?
Ask questions! Most dentists today are mercury-free; however, very few are mercury-safe. Being mercury-safe means protecting the patient from harmful mercury vapors while removing them. Specialized equipment is necessary, along with a strict protocol. A practice needs to be SMART-certified. The safe mercury amalgam removal technique (SMART) is designed to minimize exposure to mercury vapors and particles for both patients and dental staff during the removal process.
A SMART-certified dentist has completed extensive training to safely remove mercury amalgam fillings using specialized techniques, equipment, and personal protective gear to minimize harm to patients and staff. Our office protocols have always included universal precautions, but our SMART certification enables us to take even greater and additional precautionary measures than a traditional dental office. Our office is already biological, so we have been following these protocols for a long time. Here are a few of the state-of-the-art offerings we have in our practice.
Compatibility Testing
Every person is different, and every person’s toxicity level is unique. This is why the most critical variable is finding the root cause. We encourage compatibility testing with everyone. It is extremely important to ensure that each person is compatible with the materials and only then choose the appropriate ones. We all want to enjoy a high quality of life. I work hard to find the root cause so that patients can know their own bodies and can live, play, travel, and dance to their heart’s content. It all begins with good food – and food is medicine.
Air and Water Purification Systems
We have state-of-the-art air purification and water purification systems. Our air conditioner has always had MERV 14 or better filters. Our air is surgical-grade, which not only traps bacteria, VOCs, mold spores, off-gassing, parasites, and other toxins but also kills them. We have specialized evacuation systems for aerosols, which we use on every patient, even for routine cleaning. This aerosol EVAC system has silver-impregnated activated carbon and an electrostatic filter. We have invested in specialized UV-C filters (222 nm–254 nm) that are left on overnight.
Our ozone machine produces fresh ozonated water throughout the day. In fact, this ozonated water runs through our systems, ensuring that no biofilms form in any of the water lines. We have specialized PPE made to order, and our masks are P100 respirators.
Homeopathy
We use homeopathics as much as possible and have them available pre- and post-treatments. We encourage healing with high-grade supplements and disinfect with laser and ozone/O2 treatments. We are also completely metal-free. Our restorations are BPA-free and BisGMA-free. We also use fluoride alternatives and educate our patients on biomimetic toothpastes and adjuncts.
We manufacture our own sanitizers using 151-proof alcohol and high-grade, non-GMO, expeller-pressed, and/or cold-pressed organic essential oils, which we also offer to our patients. Our patients are offered a choice of pre-treatment rinses: essential oil mouthwash, colloidal silver mouthwash, ozonated water, or a peroxide rinse, all for 60 seconds.
We collaborate with integrative doctors, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, healers, anti-aging specialists, and the broader medical community because it’s all interconnected. What happens in your mouth does not stay in your mouth. Be proactive, not reactive.
What we do as a profession is not compartmentalized. Compatibility matters, technique matters, isolation matters, quality materials matter, overall health of a patient matters, ability to process toxins matters, and genetics matter. Our staff is regularly trained in this comprehensive protocol. We go above and beyond the required standards set by the CDC, FDA, and ADA for the health and well-being of patients and staff. . This choreography is constantly evolving, allowing us to become better and healthier. We are a team, and we are all learning every day; we even learn from our own patients. We embrace change and welcome challenges.
Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD, has been practicing dentistry for almost 35 years. She is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dentistry in Boston and interned at the New Orleans Coast Guard/Navy Base. Her holistic approach to dentistry encompasses each person’s unique and entire (or whole—holistic) state of physical and emotional well-being. Maintaining health through preventive measures and oral disease treatments is her priority. Dr. Perez focuses on the underlying condition rather than just treating the symptoms, testing for biocompatibility to identify pathways that reduce inflammation, and applying biocompatible and biomimetic materials, supplements, and essential oils to restore and strengthen the oral cavity, ultimately benefiting the whole body. After decades of restoring and transforming smiles, Dr. Perez has integrated total wellness into her oral health enhancement practice—a revolutionary style of dentistry.
Visit Pure Dental in Naples at 4444 Tamiami Trail N, Ste. 6–7, call 239.692.9623 or visit: www.puredentalnaples.com.