Functional Dental Care

The guiding philosophy of functional medicine is that the body works as a whole and each body part's health is interconnected with the health of all the other parts.

When looking at oral health under the lens of the functional medicine philosophy, it is believed that many oral health concerns could stem from other issues within the body such as poor diet, stress, and inflammation and that addressing these wider health concerns can help to improve oral health.

A dentist taking a functional medicine approach to dental care believes in looking to full-body health markers such as blood pressure, medical history, diet, and lifestyle choices as clues to the possible underlying causes of oral health issues.

The whole body approach advocated by functional medicine principles can be applied to almost any oral health condition.

Some specific concerns that can often be treated using functional dental services include TMJ disorders, teeth grinding, tooth health, bad breath, and sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and snoring.

Root canals can be an effective way to relieve the pain of an infected tooth and restore a tooth's structure.

That said, we believe that avoiding the need for a root canal is always best. 

A functional dental care approach to dealing with dental health problems that may require root canal treatment typically involves a discussion about the possible underlying causes of the damage to your tooth, why a root canal may be necessary, alternative treatment options, and what actions you can take to help you avoid the need for this procedure in the future.

Fluoride treatments are not typically part of a functional approach to dental care.

A functional approach to protecting the strength of teeth is based on addressing dietary choices, nutrition and oral hygiene. At Popp Dentistry, we use alternative remineralizing agents in place of fluoride. 

Yes. Fillings can be an effective way to treat an existing cavity, and we opt to use ceramic, composite or gold rather than silver amalgam fillings as part of our functional dental services. 

Your dentist will also take the time to consider why you may have developed a cavity, and work with you to develop a plan to help you prevent future cavities.

Our Aylmer dentists believe that the very best time to begin thinking about preventing oral health issues is right from the arrival of a child's first tooth.

Looking at dental care for children under the lens of functional medicine means considering how diet and lifestyle affect a child's developing smile.

Functional medicine services may be used to help address childhood oral health concerns including tooth decay and misaligned or crowded teeth, or to help children who are tongue-tied.