Sustainable, Biocompatible, Healthy.
We tend not to use words like holistic and biological when we describe what we do. Not because think that they are bad words to describe us, more because they can be open to an astonishingly wide variety of interpretations.
For many people being holistic would mean not using fluoride, but we feel that the benefits of the carefully targeted use of fluoride make it worth using (find out more here ). So we find it easier and perhaps more helpful to describe our approach in our own terms.
We are Healthy
First and foremost we are all about health, your whole body health, not just your teeth. We don’t see your mouth as a separate thing from your body, it’s connected, directly to your gut, and in other ways to the rest of your body, so we treat it that way. Your mouth health can also be an indicator of so many different health conditions from heart attacks diabetes and cancer to stress, diet issues and poor posture. To isolate a tooth and put a filling in it without working out what’s caused the problem in the first place is an opportunity missed.
That isn’t to say that we don’t offer cosmetic treatments – we often find that a beautifully crafted filling has better function than a poorly made one, this is called biomimetic – mimicking natures designs. There is also more information coming out about the benefits of aligners in creating the self-cleansing mouth… but our focus first and foremost is and always will be on your health.
We are Biocompatible and Bioactive
If you need to have dental treatment our view is that at the very least the materials we put in your body are not harmful to it, (Biocompatible). A good example of this is Admira Fusion the filling material we use. most of the common white filling materials use a mix of glass and resin and are bonded using a range of plastics. Admira is ceramic based and does not contain the classic monomer (BPA GMA) plastics that all other white fillings do, at the same time being hard wearing and producing excellent aesthetic results.
We also use a material that can promote healing in the tooth (Bioactive) – Biodentine. Biodentine is a replacement for dentine that has been lost, and we have successfully saved otherwise lost teeth by using it, it doesn’t guarantee success but we have found that it is your best chance. At the Natural Smile we have pioneered the use of it in all sorts of dental applications since 2009, we are amongst the most experienced and skilled users of this fantastic materials in the country. Here is a link to a video of the basic procedure shot by the company who make Biodentine – Septodont As a guide for other dentist to learn from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-OFNMDIjqs
We are Sustainable
We want every treatment we do to last. Right from when we first see you for your first appointment with us we will be considering your mouth and body health in your very old age, it’s the old adage – begin with the end in mind. The other side of the sustainability coin relates to how we operate our practice. We believe that the biggest risk to human health is global warming. Because our focus is on health believe that we have a duty to operate with as minimal impact on the environment as we can. This is not marketing for us, it’s part of who we are as people and a business for the last 15 years, and touches on every aspect of our work, from recruiting staff to spending hours researching products that work dentally, look beautiful and are as sustainable as possible.
For more detail on our view on specific areas of dental controversy, such as root canal treatments, fluoride, Amalgam fillings, and others see this page: