Dr. Daniel Strader is a biological dentist and owner of Dallas Designer Smiles. His father and grandfather were also dentists.  “I was convinced early on by my dad that being a dentist would be the best profession in the world,” Strader recalls. "I have always enjoyed working with people and have a knack for fixing little things. Dentistry is like building a ship in a bottle. It’s intricate work in a small space.”

After completing his undergraduate studies at University of North Texas, he went on to Baylor College of Dentistry (now Texas A&M College of Dentistry) and graduated in 1976. Strader soon learned how dentistry has continuously changed since his father and grandfather had practiced and has continued his learning every year with prestigious schools such as Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies, Harvard School of Dental Medicine and The Pankey Institute.

One day, a couple of noteworthy encounters with patients led him toward holistic dentistry. “I had a 97-year-old patient who was still driving and working full-time. She was mentally and physically sharp,” he relates. “That same day, a much younger patient was wheeled in by her daughter and slowly shuffled into the dental chair. The 97-year-old had a gold inlay, whereas the one who was sick and in a wheelchair had mouthful of old, corroded mercury fillings. That got me thinking how in Third World countries where they don’t have mercury fillings, you go to the ancient people for wisdom, but in our country, the elders are put into nursing homes.”

That prompted Strader to research mercury, nickel and other toxic metals used in dental materials, and he learned of their potential health effects. Strader studied under Dr. Hal Huggins, founder of the Huggins Protocol, a technique that safely removes amalgam (mercury-based) fillings, as well as treatment for other toxic conditions.

Strader is accredited by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, (IAOMT), a nonprofit organization of health professionals that research the biocompatibility of dental products and risks of mercury fillings, fluoride and root canals. Strader is also certified through the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and IAOMT’s Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART). Dallas Designer Smiles uses compatibility testing to check for dental material allergies and determine which dental materials are best for each patient.

Strader studied non-surgical gum treatment under Dr. Paul Keyes and learned how gum disease is really a bacterial infection versus a physical defect. By identifying what kinds of bacteria are causing the gum disease and ridding the mouth of those particular bacteria, the gums can heal without surgery.

“We’re one of the first dental offices to treat gum disease without surgery, and have been safely removing mercury fillings following the Huggins Protocol since 1986,” Strader says. “My whole office would fly to Colorado and study under Huggins as our mentor.”

Through his continuing education with IAOMT, Strader has also become versed on the potential dangers of fluoride, a known neurotoxin. “Studies sponsored by Harvard and other major institutions show reduced IQs of children born to mothers that drank fluoridated water while pregnant or used fluoridated water to make formula for their babies,” Strader says. He notes that any box of fluoride toothpaste on the market includes a warning to call poison control immediately if toothpaste is swallowed.

Dallas Designer Smiles is a fluoride-free clinic, and Strader has spoken to the Dallas City Council against adding fluoride to the municipal water supply. Strader recommends that his patients use fluoride-free toothpaste and fluoride-free water. He says reverse osmosis systems and special filters to remove fine fluoride particles are good choices, because not all bottled water is fluoride-free.

Strader also cautions against root canals, a procedure that kills the tooth, thus cutting off the blood supply to the area and allowing dangerous bacteria to grow, causing problems for people with weakened immune systems. Instead or root canals, Strader uses ceramic implants, which he says are safer and more attractive than titanium implants.

“I receive great satisfaction from making people healthier and hearing them tell me how much better they feel after their treatment, and they’re also proud of their new whiter, brighter and stronger smiles,” he says.

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

Sheila Julson is a freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines throughout the country.