In the last decade, we’ve seen the food industry change the way it markets what we consume. Nowadays there is much more concern about how our food is produced, packaged and distributed, and the whole organic food industry, free of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and pesticides has really impacted this process.
We even have supermarkets totally focused on this premise. At the end of the day, we are what we eat, and the healthier our diet, the healthier we will be. I also believe that the more organic dental treatments are, the healthier a person will be overall, which ultimately boosts longevity. Therefore, we should begin to look beyond just mechanical and aesthetic treatments and start to better understand the inflammation and toxicity of some old treatments. A few years ago, I began asking a simple question: «What would the organic food movement look like in relation to dentistry?» It’s a difficult question to answer. In dentistry, we are always looking to eliminate infections and restore chewing function, and we have done this with the best of intentions, but sometimes, potentially, with materials that may not be the best choice.
Just as we need «bio» and «organic» labels on our food, because many of the products that are on the market contain toxins, and just as many processed foods contain harmful chemicals, shouldn’t we also have that premise in dentistry and medicine in general? I believe so. For me, this is a future trend in healthcare. For example, despite many people thinking otherwise, the mercury present in amalgam fillings is a known neurotoxic. It has recently been banned by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for use in pregnant women and children. The negative health effects of mercury are more than evident, the data is solid and there is even a growing concern about this metal in the fish we consume. High levels of mercury in the blood can lead to neurological problems. So why use it in our teeth, inside our heads, near our brains?
In many countries, it is forbidden to advocate swapping ‘lead’ for the more organic option in composite resin. I am happy to say that in over 24 years of private practice, I have never done an amalgam filling.
We are pioneers in «organic dentistry» and have studied all the ways to eliminate inflammation and toxicity in the oral cavity, as well as restoring smiles.
By Miguel Stanley
