You Practice Natural Medicine, But What About Natural Dental Care?

Alternative medicine provides a more natural approach to general health care, but what about teeth? Learn what makes natural dental care different and how you can benefit.

natural dental care

Biological dentists acknowledge the toxicity of mercury, fluoride, and bleaching creams.

© Pawel Talajkowski | Dreamstime.com

People with tooth infections are at a higher risk of developing heart disease, hepatitis, inflammation, and even cancer. (Read a detailed discussion of these risks in the blog about meridians.) There now exists a branch of dentistry that acknowledges the connections between the teeth and the body and focuses on natural dental care. The field is known as biological dentistry, and it consists of doctors of dental surgery and medicine (DDS and DMD) who understand the dangers of bleaching, polishing, root canals, mercury fillings, and fluoride poisoning.

How You Can Benefit From A Biological Dentist

Cancer, hepatitis, and heart disease can occur for many different reasons, but anyone with a history of tooth or gum infections should consider that these may be contributing factors. Root canals are also a reason for concern, as they harbor bacteria that can spread into the bloodstream.[1,2,3,4]

Many biological dentists suggest the immediate extraction of any teeth that have undergone root canals. This is the only certain way to prevent bacterial infection and migration because the immune system often fails to effectively combat the bacteria inside many of these teeth.[2,3] Rather than following the standard practice of using antibiotics or conducting a deeper root canal, a biological dentist will remove the entire tooth and replace it with a safe, non-mercury implant.

Philosophy of Natural Dental Care

Biological dentistry has several unique philosophies that include:

  • Prohibiting the use of mercury and other toxic materials
  • Removing all implanted mercury
  • Encouraging a positive lifestyle, diet, environment, and systemic health
  • Considering the entire state of physical and emotional health of the patient
  • Integrating holistic, naturopathic, and Chinese medicine into dental care
  • Educating others on the health connection between the teeth and body [5]

Biological dentists acknowledge the toxicity of mercury, fluoride, and bleaching creams. Instead, they use non-toxic materials such as amalgam when dealing with cavities and implants, and are extremely careful to prevent bacterial infection. For this, biological dentists may prefer natural antiseptics such as ozone and colloidal silver over antibiotic medication.

Biological dentists may also suggest chelation therapy to remove toxic materials and heavy metals from the body, as well as acupuncture, electromagnetics, and homeopathy to establish a good state of overall health.

How to Find a Practitioner of Natural Dental Care

Biological dentistry may be worth considering if you agree with this type of philosophy or if you have systemic health problems that do not seem to have easily explainable origins.

In order to be a biological dentist, a dental physician must complete research, training, examinations, and fellowship through the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine. Depending on their level of training, dentists can earn the titles of certified, fellow, or master. Ask for these credentials when searching for a dentist. You can also check here to search for a biological dentist, or you can use the physician finder.

If you are unable to find a local biological dentist, ask your current dentist what type of material he or she uses for fillings and implants. Always ask for non-mercury amalgam when fillings are necessary, and decline pastes, pills, or liquids that contain fluoride. Many dentists will accommodate these requests.

Share Your Experience

Have you been to a biological dentist or a natural dental care provider? How did it compare to a typical dental exam? Did it help solve any health problems? Share your experience in the comments section below.

—Jeff Riddle


This article was originally published in 2014. It has since been updated. 


[1] J Clin Microbiol. Nov 2008; 46(11): 3599–3606.
[2] Int Endod J. 1997 Sep;30(5):297-306.
[3] Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2010 Dec;110(6):795-9.
[4] Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. Jan 2014; 19(1): e67–e73.
[5] IABDM Standards of Practice.


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UHN Staff

University Health News is produced by the award-winning editors and authors of Belvoir Media Group’s Health & Wellness Division. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., with editorial offices in Florida, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, … Read More

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