Holistic and Biological Dentistry

by Victoria Klubok

"Holistic" and "biological" dentistry refer to two different aspects of dental health incorporated into the Integrative Dental Practice of Carey O'Rielly, DDS.

Generally speaking the term ‘holistic’ refers to the fact that the body is one whole or holistic system. For this reason the dental materials Dr. O'Rielly uses are meant to contribute to overall health, such as anesthetics that break down into substances less stressful to the body. Dentistry requires many different types of materials: for bonding, cementing, fillings and crowns. Of the thousands that are available, those used by Dr. O'Rielly are always the most bio-compatible, based on his extensive research.

The guiding light of his practice has always been the Hippocratic Oath: First do no harm. Therefore Dr. O'Rielly has created an environment that is as toxin-free as possible. He feels having access to fresh air and open windows is important, as is the use of non-toxic substances for cleaning and sterilization. He has created a pleasant and supportive environment for his dental patient's peace of mind. From the holistic perspective, care of body, mind and spirit are all aspects of health and well-being. This includes the use of music, aromatherapy and homeopathics where appropriate.

As a biological dentist, Dr. O'Rielly has paid attention to the work of Dr. Weston Price, whose ground-breaking work demonstrated what has been termed the "focal infection" theory. In his experiments, Dr. Price took an infected tooth from a person with a particular illness and implanted it in a rabbit, creating in the rabbit the same symptoms as those of the person who was ill. This experiment was done repeatedly with the same results, leading to a hypothesis that ill health can readily begin in the mouth. Dr. O'Rielly has reinforced his goal of supporting the health of the mouth and over-all well-being with an extensive network of complementary health care providers.

Dr. O'Rielly also takes into account the energetic connections between each of the teeth and the different organs of the body. Bio-compatibility is one factor in the choice of dental materials and metal toxicology is another. Dr. O'Rielly understands that galvanism - different and dissimilar electrical patterns, can be set up in the mouth through the use of metallic dental materials. He also follows a strict protocol when removing silver amalgams in accordance with guidelines set by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.

As an integrative dentist Dr. O’Rielly uses the best that modern medicine has to offer. Which means he makes use of panorexes, provides customized dental materials testing and has individual sterilization lines in every operatory. He will always use antibiotics whenever this approach is called for, and at the same time recommends taking probiotics to offset any imbalance. These are some of the ways Dr. O’Rielly continues to demonstrate to his patients that, in the hands of a caring, holistic/biological practitioner, dentistry can be a most positive, even life-enhancing experience.

Dr. Carey O'Rielly, a holistic and biological dentist practicing in San Diego's North County, would be happy to answer any questions you may have at (760)632-1304.