Meridian Dentistry

Biological Dentistry is a holistic approach which acknowledges that dental health affects not only the teeth, gums and jaw, but the entire body and vigor of the individual. Every organ and every part of your body is directly linked to a specific tooth or area of the mouth via these meridians or energy highways. This connection is so strong that a biological dentist can often accurately "guess" your dental history simply by reviewing your physical symptoms.

 

On one level, this is just common sense; after all, your mouth is physically connected to the rest of you. But, be that as it may, many dentists continue to treat the mouth in isolation, as if what happens there has no impact on the rest of the body. Luckily, though, many more dentists are finally beginning to appreciate the relationship between oral health and systemic health. 

The most obvious example is the connection between heart disease and gum disease. If you have chronic bleeding gums, you might run to your nearest dentist for a periodontal checkup, as well as to your physician to have a C - reactive protein (CRP) test done to check your cardiovascular system. 

But there is a deeper relationship, as well, and it stems from the influence of Traditional Chinese Medicine and its concept of the body’s meridians. Generally speaking, these are the channels along which qi (chi) flows through the body. As shown in charts such as the one below, each meridian runs through any number of body structures and organs.

                                       

If there are blockages or disruptions in any given meridian, dysfunction can occur in any organ or structure located on that meridian. For instance, it is not uncommon to find that people with problems in their first premolar may have gastrointestinal problems, since that tooth lies on the same meridian as the large intestine and stomach. And I actually had a patient recently whose chronic acid reflux disease actually abated within 24 hours of treating her first premolar. 

Knowing that the impact of dental treatment extends far beyond the teeth, it is important to keep your teeth and gums as healthy and as natural as possible. Your entire well-being depends on it. 

Here's an important personal experience from Whoopi Goldberg on this: 

                       
        
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