Although mainstream dentistry seeks to improve oral health, the focus of our holistic dentistry practice is each patient’s overall health. We strive to see past the obvious symptoms and benefit a patient’s overall health by making the connection between the body and the mouth.

We are tied to our mouths quite literally. However, many people do not realize just how great an impact the state of oral health has on the body. At the core of our holistic dentistry practice is this very understanding. When consulting with a patient, Dr. Elizabeth Keith assesses the present issue and then looks beyond the symptoms to determine the underlying cause. In treating the body, the mouth will benefit, and vice versa.

Perhaps one of the things that holistic dentistry is best known for is its avoidance of the use of metal in restorative procedures. While the American Dental Association stands behind the use of amalgam fillings, which are the single greatest source of mercury exposure, your holistic dentist makes the decision not to use this material based on studies which have shown it to be detrimental to health. Some of these findings include:

• Mercury, which comprises 50% of the weight of a filling, is a known neurotoxin. While the FDA may consider this safe for adults and children over the age of six, it has been shown that neurotoxins are dangerous to both the mature and the developing nervous tissue. There is no safe level of mercury, one of the most toxic metal after plutonium.
• Some of the conditions that may come from exposure include memory impairment and dementia – also known as Alzheimer’s disease.Mercury from fillings is easily transported to other parts of the body, mainly through the lymph, blood, and nerves. Once in other parts of the body, those organs may begin to develop unhealthy ailments. Over 100 symptoms and syndromes have been attributed to chronic mercury exposure, such as tremors, heart disease, chronic fatigue, and depression, to name a few.
• The level of mercury in the brain is directly related to the number of mercury fillings in the mouth.

In our holistic practice, we have your best interest in mind. Dr. Elizabeth Keith is not only a mercury free dentists, she is a mercury safe dentists, which means that she has received specialized training in the area of mercury removal. Contact us to learn more about holistic dentistry, or to schedule your next visit at Pure Dental Care.