“The mouth and teeth are the ‘pearly gates’ to the whole body,” says Dr. Daniel Strader, of Dallas Designer Smiles. He was personally mentored by Dr. Hal Huggins in biological dentistry starting in 1984. Strader explains that dentistry is an essential piece to the puzzle of wellness, along with dietetics, naturopathy, chiropractic, integrative medicine and more. “We all work together to support whole body health,” he states. His focus for the past 30-plus years has been on holistic, or biological, dentistry, which prioritizes patient safety in terms of materials used and protocols followed during treatments. He is a third-generation dentist who takes the same personalized approach to dental care as his father and grandfather did, while incorporating the latest tools and technologies.

Patients throughout the DFW area, distant areas of Texas and even from other states come for treatment at Dallas Designer Smiles. “We’ve been practicing holistic dentistry since 1984, and continuously keep up-to-date about the latest research and findings in integrative dental health,” notes Strader.

A frequent service that Strader provides is safe mercury/amalgam filling removal. “Silver” fillings are comprised an alloy of mercury, copper, silver, zinc and tin—materials that may not only be allergens to patients, but toxic threats if care is not taken during their removal. Patients with such fillings are exposed to mercury on a daily basis, as particulates and vapors are released through chewing, drinking hot beverages and even breathing.

Mercury exposure is linked by scientific data to fertility, kidney, immunological and neurological problems. Strader is a certified member of the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine and accredited by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology in removing mercury fillings and replacing them with healthy alternative restorations. Protection measures include a bonnet, special eye protection, cover gown and protective masks that pipe in safe air for patients so that they are not breathing in mercury dust or vapors.

An ionizer in the room takes any mercury from the air and deposits it onto a receiver plate in an isolation chamber; there are protective masks for the dentist and staff that allow them to move freely while also breathing in safe air; and an amalgam separator so the mercury is not dumped into the community water supply. “The EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] has just started to ask dental practitioners to use these amalgam separators, but we’ve been using one for the last 12 years,” says Strader. “Many traditional dentists do not follow any of these protocols, and in the process expose themselves, their patients and the environment to toxic mercury.”

Dentists will often use porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns. These crowns have porcelain tops with nickel metal below, which the patient is often unaware of, as the dentist simply refers to them as porcelain crowns or caps. Strader points out that many patients are allergic to nickel, and even if they’re not allergic, these PFMs create an ugly, noticeable black line where the tooth meets the gums. “The holistic and cosmetic aspects of dentistry run very close together in my opinion; because the holistic fillings that we use are a tooth-colored and the crowns are made of ceramic that is 10 times stronger than porcelain so they do not need the unsightly metal support,”. Says Strader. As a result, patients enjoy safe, biologically compatible, metal-free and BPA-free ceramic fillings that are virtually indistinguishable from the natural tooth.

Strader is very selective with the products he uses, and offers biocompatibility testing to patients. Through these tests, antibodies from the blood are drawn and sent to a lab to determine what items and ingredients the patient may be sensitive to out of the thousands of dental products that practitioners can potentially choose from. “Many people request these blood tests because they have allergies and sensitivities; and we want to make sure that everything we put into a patient’s mouth is safe,” says Strader.

Dallas Designer Smiles is also a fluoride-free office and does not recommend or use fluoride on patients, as it is a known neurotoxin. Instead, Strader recommends xylitol and tea tree oil products and toothpastes. Further, the office uses digital X-rays, which produce far less radiation than the majority of dental offices. Strader also uses a Rita Meter that helps gauge which areas of the mouth should be treated first due to the electrical currents from the galvanism of the metals in the mouth.

Dallas Designer Smiles is located at 8222 Douglas Ave., Ste. 810, in Dallas. For appointments, call 214-363-7777. For more information, visit 2Grin.com.