What makes Smile In Style a truly holistic dental practice?

The Smile In Style dental practice has been serving the patients of Moonee Ponds and Sunbury for over 30 years.  During this time we have invested heavily in training our staff and educating our patients about the link between oral health and general wellbeing.  We continue to strive to be at the forefront of new techniques and technologies that enable us to practise holistic dentistry. Your family’s health and safety are our priority and our holistic approach to dental care distinguishes us from other dental providers in Melbourne, Victoria and Australia. 

You are more than your teeth and gums. 

Dr Terry Rose, who has been accredited by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) as a Biological Dentist, leads our team to approach each patient as a “whole person,” not just a set of teeth and gums. We consider the link between your dental health and your wellbeing to be of utmost importance.  So we spend time with you to look at your medical history, your medications and comorbidities as they can influence your  oral health.  Our approach is to provide you with individual holistic dental care based on prevention, restorative dentistry, and ongoing “maintenance.” We also work closely with other healthcare practitioners to provide integrative care for you and your family.

For new and existing patients at Smile In Style, you will find that your  preventative care appointment with our hygienist and dentist, will include the assessment of the structure and function of your teeth and gums.  The  gingival tissues are the supporting structure for your teeth and gums. So we look for inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and gum disease (periodontitis).  Our team also looks out for conditions such as built up tartar that bacteria adhere to causing gingivitis and periodontitis, dental decay, teeth crowding that may need braces, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJDs), chronic teeth grinding (bruxism), snoring and sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea is a potentially dangerous condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts while sleeping. If symptoms of sleep apnoea are detected, we would recommend you speak to your  GP for  further assessment from a Sleep Physician.  Upon diagnosis of sleep apnoea, we can help with adjunctive therapy such as a mandibular advancement splint (MAS) and/or Laser Treatment called Nightlase. For children, we assess how their teeth and jaws are developing and if they are experiencing any problems with their breathing or snoring.  Ideally, problems can be picked up early and can be treated holistically.  Sometimes we may refer children with enlarged tonsils or airway issues to an Ear, Nose and Throat  (ENT) specialist for further assessment. 

Most importantly, the health of your mouth allows you to chew your food comfortably, to allow you to eat and enjoy a healthy diet, and to have proper nutrition and digestion. Good oral health promotes systemic health by helping to keep comorbidities like diabetes in check. It may also have a protective effect against the development of serious health concerns like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure,  and strokes. Notably, individuals with advanced gum disease are at elevated risk of developing heart problems, respiratory infections, and other serious disorders. 

What does Biocompatibility mean in Dentistry?

Biocompatibility in Dentistry refers to the compatibility of dental materials and products which work in harmony with the natural tissues of the body without causing adverse reactions.  Our dentists have carefully selected the materials, technologies, and techniques to use to make your dental treatment as biocompatible as possible. Our patients trust that anything we introduce to their mouths is safe and does not present additional risks of adverse health effects or reactions. For instance, a hallmark of biological and holistic dental care is avoiding silver-coloured fillings made from an amalgam or combination of metals. By weight, these amalgams also contain around 50% mercury. As a known toxin, mercury-containing fillings are not used at our office. Instead, Smile In Style only uses mercury-free ceramic or composite resins to make our fillings and other restorations.  

Our offices have also taken considerable steps to become “mercury-safe.” This distinction means that we have the training and safeguards in place to remove amalgam fillings in a way that minimises the risk of exposure to mercury vapour or particles. Mercury vapour  is released during the process of drilling out and removing amalgam fillings. Our equipment, protective garments, and other precautions ensure that in the process of removing amalgam fillings, we  do not present a threat to the health of our patients, our staff, the community, and the environment. 

This article has covered some of our holistic offerings, techniques, and options that we offer at Smile In Style. Additional capabilities that you may want to read about include use of dental lasers, dental ozone and use of  Platalet Rich Fibrin (PRF) as adjunctive treatments that encourage and promote natural healing. To experience holistic dentistry for yourself, phone our dedicated team at Smile In Style on 03 8001 6021 to reach our Sunbury rooms or 03 8400 4104 for our Moonee Ponds rooms. Or you can book anytime online at www.smileinstyle.com.au