A New Trend in Dental Health... Holistically Speaking by Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer
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bout 15 years ago, when Dr. Martina Mallery received her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the University of Southern California and became a licensed dentist, she was just on the threshold of a remarkable career trajectory. This relocated her from the West Coast of Orange Country, where she practiced in a major corporate setting, to the Gulf Coast of Bradenton, where she opened her own practice called White Sands Dentistry. A native of the former Czechoslovakia who studied to become a dietary nurse in Prague before her immigration to the United States, Dr. Mallery’s passion has always been healthcare. But it was not until 2016 that she chose to separate from the model of conventional mainstream dentistry and embrace a more holistic biological approach instead. “Holistic dentistry is still on the fringes, but the public awareness of it continues to grow, and I predict it will eventually be the norm,” Dr. Mallery explains. “I first began to take notice of holistic biological dentistry as a result of pressure from my patients who refused to have fluoride treatments due to the chemical toxicity. I viewed their concern as an opportunity to research and learn about new scientific methodologies in oral medicine, and this information urged me to convert my practice from mainstream to holistic biological—a transition of four years and counting.” 24
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This process included becoming accredited as a biological dentist by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, and to become an active member of Holistic Dental Association, and International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine. Her practice is also the only dental office in Manatee County so far to earn a SMART certification which stands for “safe mercury amalgam removal technique.” In fact, this elimination of both fluoride and mercury from the dental procedures and materials she uses is what distinguishes Dr. Mallery’s modus operandi. “These chemicals are not biocompatible with the human body which can lead to chronic disease in certain susceptible individuals. So holistic dentistry seeks to minimize that exposure,” she adds. Her practice tackles this mission with a two-pronged method of conservative treatment and preventative education. “I teach my patients about the importance of making sure their mouths and bodies are protected from toxins in the environment. This includes clean water, organic nutrition, naturopathic remedies and biocompatible modalities like ozone therapy which uses ozone gas to disinfect and revitalize the teeth, gums and surgical sites.” She continues, “I also focus more effort and attention on a patient’s health over financial gain. Rather than a quick and invasive dental crown preparation, I want to spend the time necessary to rebuild a tooth and restore its function, using composite resin material to preserve as much of a healthy tooth structure as possible. Teeth are organs connected to the rest of the body—they contain their own blood supply, nervous system and lymphatic drainage—so I care for each patient’s teeth meticulously and ethically.” As a result, her office is metal-free since these elements can impair both immune and brain function over time. In addition to finding safer alternatives, Dr. Mallery also offers dental-material biocompatibility testing for her patients to help minimize a negative reaction to the materials before any dental work takes place in order to prioritize their well-being. “I am especially committed to the safe and environmentally sound removal of mercury, as dental practices are the numberone mercury polluters. The dental amalgam fillings often used to treat cavities are made of 50% mercury which is the second most dangerous toxin to humans after radioactive plutonium. “When a patient receives one of these fillings, a trace amount of mercury is vaporized on a recurring basis and released into the bloodstream where it can bioaccumulate in the organs and cause numerous chronic—or even terminal—diseases in some people,” she warns. Another mainstream procedure that Dr. Mallery cautions against is root canal therapy, in which an infected or abscessed tooth is embalmed in the mouth, so it can be preserved without needing to be extracted. However, this dead tooth harbors unsafe bacteria and pressures the immune system into overdrive which can lead to cancers or autoimmune disorders in individuals who are susceptible. “I make a point to educate my patients on the science behind why root canals can be harmful in the long run, and I offer biological extraction as a more holistic option instead. This procedure
