HOLISTIC CARE IN DENTISTRY

The link between Oral and General health has become all the more obvious in recent years, to the point that it is well documented today, that over 80% of chronic diseases start in the mouth. Making the connection between oral health and the food we eat is therefore a necessary step in order to be able to understand and prevent disease.

Awareness about the effect of sugar and processed foods is continuously growing, just as the benefit of choosing fresh organic produce is becoming increasingly obvious. Micro-flora (bacteria) of the mouth and the gut are very much interlinked, if bacterial balance (between good and bad bugs) is slipping at one end, the other will follow.

In short, a chain event of impaired absorbtion of nutrients, followed by inflammation and generation of toxins, capable of starting chronic conditions such as Diabetes and Auto-Immune diseases, which have all increased exponentially in recent years. Dental decay and gum disease, are btw chronic in nature as well.

Holistic in this context, means the Whole person.

In today’s environment, we must consider both Oral and General health as firmly interlinked, within a modern and scientific perspective, in which Prevention would possibly have an ever increasing role, and reducing later need for actual treatment.

To achieve the best outcome for our patients, I firmly believe dentists, doctors, naturopaths and nutritionists should work closely together rather than in isolation.

Dr Alex Dietz
May 2016