Career Opportunities

At The Center for Natural Dentistry, we are always looking for great people to add to our team. If you’re interested on working for us and believe you have the skills, experience, and attitude to be a part of our team, please check out the openings we have listed below.

To apply for a job, please visit Careers at The Center for Natural Dentistry. Emails and phone calls associated with any postings will not be accepted. Thanks!

We Currently Have No Open Positions. Please Check Back Regularly!

What is Holistic Dentistry… and Why Should You Care?

Episode 16 of Dangers in Dentistry, originally aired on KPRZ in San Diego.

Holistic dentistry. It’s a term that gets tossed around a lot. But what does it actually mean? Is it just another fad or way to charge more? Well, this episode of Dangers in Dentistry will give you the answers you need to make an informed decision.

Holistic dentistry is science-based dentistry that looks at the mouth’s affect on the whole body. Rather than focusing on the topical problem, we seek out the root cause and develop treatment based on the idea that what goes into the mouth affects the body.

Find out more about holistic dentistry in this week’s episode of Dangers in Dentistry, with America’s Holistic Dentist, Dr. Marvin.

Enjoy!
Dr. Marvin
San Diego, Encinitas Holistic and Natural Dentist

The Alternatives to Root Canals

We talk a lot about the alternatives to root canals typically the only alternative mentioned is extraction of the tooth. But is that really the only alternative? Surely there must be other options, right? This was the question posed by Sean after listening to recent podcasts (Root Canals, Infections, Formaldehyde, Oh My!).

The truth is, there are other alternatives depending on the situation. We’ll try to explain it all in detail, here.

First off, if you really need a root canal, then that means the damage has gone too far and you are having serious symptoms (toothache or swelling). At that point, the healthiest option is to extract the tooth and replace it.

Root canals, however, are often recommended for the wrong reasons (such as when a dentist has exhausted or ruled out other sources or causes for tooth pain). A common incident is when the bite is off and the problem tooth is sore and causing pain. Another common example is when the gums have receded and the tooth is painful because of exposed dentin. Of course, taking out the nerve will cut sensation or feeling to the tooth, but it by no means is the source of the problem is cured.

The reason root canals are so often recommended is because many dentists don’t spend enough time diagnosing the root cause of the problem. Diagnosis is time-consuming and inefficient. For every minute a dentist spends diagnosing the source of your dental pain, he or she loses money (because that time could have been spent seeing more patients). While many dentists will dedicate the time to properly diagnose problems, far too many take the easy route and make assumptions in order to quickly provide a solution. Root canals will most often remove the cause of the pain (again, because you’ve removed the nerve), therefore, root canal therapy is often recommended.

Now, if the dentist has properly diagnosed the cause of your problems and if you really have a true need for a root canal (infection or deep cavity), then the damage is too great to reverse. The healthiest alternative to a root canal is simply to take out the infection by removing the tooth.

Does this sound barbaric when you can “save” the tooth with root canal therapy? Probably at first. But what dentists are unaware of are the links between leaving an infected tooth in the body and other systemic illnesses (such as breast cancer). It’s called the focal infection theory. A better question would be, “Would you jeopardize your health to ‘save’ a tooth?”

If you have an infection or severe decay that has caused a deep cavity and a root canal is recommended, your only two options are extraction or root canal therapy. That’s why knowledge and prevention is of utmost importance: learn how to prevent decay and the spread of tooth decay and you’ll never have to deal with a root canal.

If a root canal is recommended to you, you should definitely get a second or third opinion to confirm the true need for the procedure. Unfortunately, too many dentists do root canals for the wrong reasons and you may have other, less “barbaric” solutions if you were misdiagnosed and don’t need to undergo the procedure.

If you already have a root canal and are wondering if there’s a link with that tooth and the rest of the body, view a tooth meridian chart (we have an interactive meridian chart here: Tooth Meridian Chart) or visit a natural or holistic dentist. A lot of times, extracting the problem tooth can help alleviate or eliminate problems (not always, so again, get a second or third opinion before taking action).

The short answer to the alternatives to a root canal question is… If you really, truly need a root canal, you have only two options: root canal therapy or extraction. However, there is always the chance that you have been misdiagnosed and have many, safer, more appealing options available to you.

Case Study: Health Problems Caused by Mercury Amalgam Dental Fillings?

A few days ago I received an email from a friend who had read our article on Orange Juice (Orange Juice — The Silent Tooth Killer?). The letter is a poignant reminder of how our diet affects our dental health.

Mike had been drinking orange juice his entire life, and has considerable erosion because of the acid in the juice. More to the point, he was very concerned with the effects of the acid on his amalgam fillings. For the past few years his overall health has been declining and he’s concerned that the old amalgam fillings he has may be the root cause.

While there’s no evidence we’ve seen that would indicate the acid in the juice could release higher levels of mercury from the fillings, the temperature of the juice CAN release more mercury vapor (temperature fluctuations can stimulate the mercury in the filling and release higher quantities of vapor).

Check out Mike’s email and my response, below. It’s a good reminder of how what goes into our mouths affects our overall well-being.

Hi DR Marvin, Thanks for your email and website.

I already sadly know the perils of drinking to much orange juice. From a kid I never ever had tea or coffee. I hated the taste of both, so from there on I have been drinking fresh juices for nearly 37 years. My teeth are eroded quite badly now. My concern though is what’s this done to my amalgam filling over the years? Have they also been effected by the juice like my teeth, are the fillings eroding away to? I have hardly had an illness in my life until the last few years. Over the last few years my immune system has been getting weaker and weaker. Any sign of a cold or illness would bring me down. I have been experiencing extreme tiredness events lasting a few weeks at a time, my vision has been effected also during these events. Been getting chest pains, brain fog, not able to concentrate and now CFS for past year or so. I have had all the blood tests done and all came back OK. Heart has been checked on ECG treadmill test here in the UK, nothing found other than the heart will beat to fast. Over 100 bpm resting is the norm for me. Endoscope camera down the throat found nothing either. Reading your website I discovered the amalgam fillings information which I believe could be my problem. I am going to have them removed and see if this makes any difference. I only have 6 amalgams, some of them small, but I guess that’s enough to cause issues.

Once again thanks for your website and for informing others.
Mike

My response to Mike:

Hi Mike,

Even small mercury fillings can cause problems.  Low level chronic mercury exposure is dangerous and could certainly cause many of the problems you’ve been experiencing. I’d highly recommend you have your mercury levels tested before and after you have the fillings removed to see if there was a link in your particular case. We can do testing here (just give us a call) or you can find many mail-in tests online. In fact, Green Peace is offering a $25 testing kit by mail (https://secureusa.greenpeace.org/mercury/). It’s not quite as extensive and conclusive as what we can do here, but it would certainly give you a good idea of how your mercury levels have changed after removal of your fillings.

Good luck when you have your fillings removed. If you have any questions about what to look for in a doctor or what questions to ask, just let us know.

If you’ve had problems similar to Mike’s, I recommend the same thing I told him: have your mercury levels tested before and after you have the fillings removed. Not long after the fillings are removed your mercury levels should drop substantially.

As always, we welcome your questions and we always do everything we can to provide a complete answer, so if there’s anything you need, just let us know.

Dr. Marvin

PS: Thanks to Mike for allowing us to reprint his email. We wish you the best of luck with your health Mike… stay in touch and let us know how it goes!