Most people don’t realize that dentists are doctors of dental surgery. That’s what the DDS stands for, in fact.

It starts to make sense if you think about what happens when you have a tooth filled. It’s a surgical procedure. There’s local anesthetic, removal of infection, and closure of the wound. And as with any other surgery, there can be risk.

Dental school teaches aspiring dentists to minimize risk. It provides the clinical knowledge and technical skills needed to work on patients. Students practice and develop their skills on real people – quite literally cutting their teeth.

It’s a huge responsibility to sit with a patient who places their trust in you. Dental students learn how to handle difficult situations while providing the best possible care given their skill level. Failure is part of the process. Along the way, things don’t always go as expected.

The journey to DDS is a journey of transformation – from student to Driller. By the time graduation happens, you hear the resonating chorus reverberate: I’m a doctor and I know it!

Leaving dental school is a beginning. After establishing their practice, newly minted drillers begin to learn on a different level. There are decisions to make and personal experiences that will create wisdom. But for now? Most just perform dentistry classically, the way it was taught in school.

But as you might imagine, before long, something clicks. Some students begin to wonder how the second most toxic element on the planet – mercury, the main component of so-called “silver” amalgam fillings – can be placed in the mouth and yet still be considered safe. Knowing there must be a better way opens the door to an opportunity for another uniquely individual, transformation.

Towards a More Mindful Dentistry

It can be scary when everything we think we know changes. Threatening. Angering. Exciting. Liberating.

No matter what your profession, once you start to question and apply critical thinking to what you were taught, you look for others who have journeyed this way, too. In dentistry, that means exploring two excellent holistic minded organizations, the IABDM and IAOMT. These organizations focus on continuing education for doctors and exceptional health information for patients.

The IABDM and IAOMT serve as a foundation for evolving views on the critical nature of oral health as it relates to whole body health. The classes Dr. Rehme took through these organizations were, in many ways, instrumental to the evolution of his practice.

Over time, he saw the detrimental effects diet can have on systematic health. Knowing changes in diet could have a powerful effect, he decided to go back to school. In 2015, Dr. Rehme received a degree in naturopathic medicine, so that he could help others realize, more fully, their potential for wellness.

These are just some of the services our practice provides today:

• Safe mercury removal
• Testing for material compatibility
• Non-preservative containing anesthetics
• Ozone therapy
• Cavitation therapy
• Vitamin C therapy, both orally and IV
• Nutritional therapy
• Detox protocols
• Dental homeopathy
• Fluoride-free homecare options

This transformation to biological dentistry means we now question everything we think we know. We’re fully aware that the old way of practicing dentistry, with its sole focus on function, is an incomplete view.

The fact is, the mechanical benefits of any tooth restoration is not only in relationship with the whole body; these restorations may affect the body biologically. Because these effects may be potentially harmful, we must not only work to educate ourselves but also commit to educating our clients.

We don’t want any patient ending up wondering “Why you gotta pull my tooth?” We want to help them keep their smiles healthy and whole for a lifetime. Education is key.

Another way Dr. Rehme supports patients is by educating other dentists about biological, whole body concepts. The goal is to pay it forward so biological concepts will not only be available in the future, but become the norm.

Encouraging and practicing biological dentistry serves as a reminder that good dentistry provides more than just clinical knowledge and technical skills. Good dentistry sees beyond what a doctor can do for the patient.

Good dentistry sees the whole person sitting there wondering why you have to pull their tooth and knows that part of the answer is an explanation. But the other part, the part that really matters, is what you teach the patient to do for themselves.

For this, and this alone, has the potential to empower wellness.