Did you know there are over 6 billion bacteria, including 700 different species that reside inside our mouth or what scientists term the Human Oral Microbiome? While some bacteria are helpful, others are harmful and can lead to all types of oral health issues such as cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease. Our special guest today is a holistic dentist. Holistic dentistry doesn’t treat your dental health as separate from your physical health. Instead, it focuses on the impacts your whole health might have on your oral health. Unlike traditional dentists, holistic dentists don’t favor the use of fluoride treatments and are also opposed to using amalgam materials for dental implants which contain mercury. Instead, they use Composite fillings which are tooth-colored and don’t discolor the tooth, contain mercury, and are made from non-toxic material.
Dr. Karaneh Jahan attended Oregon Health and Science University where she obtained her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. She is a certified Holistic Health and Lifestyle coach. She runs Brio Dental, in Portland which provides holistic general and cosmetic dentistry serving the whole person—from self-care to oral care and beyond.
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Narrator
How would you like to improve your health and keep your family safe? You're listening to that healthy home hacks podcast where we firmly believe enjoying optimal health shouldn't be a luxury. Healthy Home authorities and husband and wife team Ron and Lisa will help you create a home environment that will level up your health. It's time to hear from the experts. listen in on honest conversations and gain the best tips and advice. If you're ready to dive in and improve your well-being and increase your energy, you're in the right place. Alright, here are your hosts, Baubiologists, authors, media darlings, vicarious vegans and avocado aficionados, Ron and Lisa Beres.
Ron Beres
Today, we are going to discuss something that affects everyone listening. Oral Health. Did you know there are over 6 billion bacteria, including 700 Different species that reside inside our mouth are what scientists term the human oral microbiome. While some bacteria are helpful, others are harmful, and they lead to all types of oral health issues such as cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease. And oral bacteria are one just element when dealing with our immune system. The types of products and quality materials we put in our mouth, and their connection to our overall health are very important.
Lisa Beres
Someone who understands this and our special guests today is a holistic dentist. holistic dentistry doesn't treat your dental health as separate from your physical health. Instead, it focuses on the impacts your whole health might have on your oral health. In fact, a holistic dentist completes the same dental training as a traditional dentist by earning a DDS or DMD degree. Any dentist must have attended an accredited dental school. holistic dentist can also be referred to as natural dentistry, biological dentistry, alternative dentistry or preventative dentistry. So, you may have heard some of those terms. And unlike traditional dentists, holistic dentist do not favor the use of fluoride treatments. They're also opposed to using amalgam materials for dental implants. amalgams contain a Mercury. We're going to get into that later, so stay tuned. Instead, they use composite fillings, which are tooth colored and don't discolored the tooth or contain mercury and are made from nontoxic material.
Ron Beres
Dr. Karaneh Jahan received her Baccalaureate Degree in Public Health with a minor in Spanish from Portland State University. She later attended Oregon Health and Science University, where she obtained her Doctor of Dental Medicine Degree. Most recently, she completed vigorous training for the placement of dental implants to better serve her patients. Dr. Jahan is also a certified holistic health and lifestyle coach, helping our clients achieve their healthy mind and their body goals and ultimately, to lead happier lives. She runs Brio Dental in North Portland, which provides holistic general and cosmetic dentistry, serving the whole person from self-care to oral care and beyond.
Lisa Beres
And some fun facts you don't know about our guest today is just a horseback rider, a violinist and artist and a fellow animal lover and bird whisperer, which Brad and I can relate to. And maybe we'll have time to get into. We call ourselves dove whispers. So, we'll have to ask you about that. But welcome to the show. Dr. Jahan,
Dr. Jahan
thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited for this show.
Lisa Beres
We're so excited to have you. This is a topic that is really near and dear to our hearts because we visit holistic dentist ourselves and have for many, many, many years. Then the first one ever went to was, gosh, probably 20 years ago. I guess I was a pioneer.
Ron Beres
She was a baby.
Lisa Beres
I was a baby. Yeah. So, this is really important listeners. You are going to love this show. If you've never heard of holistic dentistry, you're going to learn a ton and I am just ready to dive right in.
Ron Beres
Let's do it. So, Dr. Jahan, apart from brushing and flossing. How else can our listeners re mineralize their teeth and prevent cavities? For example, do you use fluoride?
Dr. Jahan
Yeah, I mean, I get asked this question on a daily basis at Brio. We do offer fluoride but we also offer alternatives to fly for people who are not pro fluoride, just to show them that hey, there are other materials products out there that can do The same thing that fluoride does, which is strengthen and reorganize teeth, but you know possibly be less toxic or not toxic. Well here when we get asked this question, generally we like to tell our patients as long as the cavities are small enough and shallow enough still confined to the enamel layer of your tooth. They very well have the potential to reverse and heal and re mineralize so we talk about a lot of various ways to help remineralize teeth apart from just brushing and flossing which is great for you know, topical surface treatment. But in order to remineralize those small cavities, you need to take steps apart from just brushing and flossing. It is more of a holistic route. Things like supplementation, vitamin d3, calcium, magnesium, your fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K, stress management, getting enough water to help neutralize the acidity in your mouth, getting enough sleep so you can manage the stress that you've been probably experiencing throughout the day, etc. Lots of various routes to help revitalize your teeth holistically other than just brushing and flossing.
Lisa Beres
Very important. So, you're saying you can actually reverse a cavity if it's small enough and shallow enough and you catch it early? Absolutely. Oh, okay. That's interesting. I'm in avid believer in oil pulling. Ron and I have gone through waves where we'll do it for a couple months and then we stop and then we'll go back rounded it. Would you do, Ron?
Ron Beres
It was almost 12 months is all during the lockdown. I did it almost every day. And it was like 20 minutes. I've not done it in a few months. So, it's just a reminder for me to start again. But in the beginning, it was a long time. It's tough, but then it becomes like this habit that you just feel like you have to do it.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, yeah. Are you a proponent of that?
Dr. Jahan
Oh, absolutely. We generally recommend coconut oil. However, there are other oils that can very well be used for oil cooling such as sesame oil. Sesame actually has natural fluoride in the seeds, rinsing and swishing around sesame oil will actually almost do the same thing as let's say a toothpaste will do if you're brushing your teeth with a toothpaste with that has fluoride, but we coconut oil. And that's the one that we advocate most because coconut is a natural antibacterial. It's actually bonds to the lipid or outer membrane of the bacteria in your mouth, which are also made of lipids. So, oil attracts oil lipids, and they bond and therefore when you're swishing and spitting it out, you're literally pulling out the bacteria from underneath your gums and basically disposing of them. So, we're a huge advocates of coconut oil. Also, coconut oil will whiten your teeth if you use it chronically.
Lisa Beres
Okay, I read that someone did a guest post on our blog at Ron and Lisa calm and they talked about it helps with bad breath. it whitens obviously gets rid of plaque and all that and I had done some research. It's an ancient method right from fire Vedic medicine, they believe in that. And I was like, is all that true? You know, it doesn't really do. It's just the wonder oil for your mouth. And I had really incredible results when I was doing it. Where one dentist had all these six cavities. I did the oil pooling and religiously went back and they said I had none; a different dentist. I went to a different dentist. So, I'm a believer. But moving on. Oh, and you guys, I'll put some links in the show notes to some products, obviously, like Dr. Jahan said, you could use just regular coconut oil, but there are companies that make it. GuruNanda is one and they do use sesame seed oil. And then there's another one, I can't think of the name but they come in little packets. So, if you're traveling, you can take these little coconut packets. I don't know why you want to spend all the money on paying for these premiums. You know, they do have some essential oils in them. But the coconut oil is very inexpensive. And you can just do that.
Ron Beres
That's a great point. I got a quick question for Dr. Jahan. So, I've heard different things about how long the duration should be for this coconut oil pulling. Maybe it was I doing it too long every day for 20 minutes. Do I only need to do it for five or 10?
Dr. Jahan
No, I mean, 20 minutes is actually great. A common misconception people think about oil pulling is that oh my gosh, I have to be swishing around with this oil in my mouth for a full 20 minutes. Yes, that's not necessarily true. All you really need is like a half a teaspoon. Yeah, you're washing dishes, vacuuming, running chores and having that in your mouth. You can use your tongue to just kind of get it into all the crevices. And honestly, 20 minutes will go by super quick. Yeah, as long as my patients keep it in there for at least five minutes, I'm happy with that. It lubricates their mouth and it's still providing some form of benefit for them as well.
Lisa Beres
Okay, that's really good to know. Because anybody can do that. Wake up in the morning because you're supposed to do before you brush your teeth, right? It's the first thing you're supposed to do. Yeah, okay, get that and just swish while you're checking your email. That's what I used to do kind of get my computer ready and then do that. And then you're not supposed to spit it in the sink, right? You're not supposed to spit because it's very toxic right after you pulled all these toxins out of your mouth and then spit, you don't want to spit it down, and I've seen it harden. I spit it. Sorry, we're getting really personal here. I spit it in the toilet once and didn't flush the toilet and went back and it had hardened, like, you know how cold it was you that was? Wow, you know, coconut hardens at room temperature. Oh, my God, I was like, yeah, that's not going to be good for the pipes. So that was my little wake up call to spit it in a paper cup, as people say, and then put it in the trash can. Okay, we're going down a tangent here. But Dr. Jahan, how does oral and systemic pH balance affect cavity formation?
Dr. Jahan
Oh, this is such an important topic that a lot of people don't think about. So just to mention a fun fact here. So, a good pH in your mouth is somewhere around 6.8. And actually, you can't physically form cavities. If you have an alkaline or basic oral pH, so anything 6.8 and above, there's no way you can even get cavities, no matter how you're heating, as long as your saliva six points above, you can't throw cavities. Well, something that creates a lot of acidity in your mouth is actually stress. So, we advocate a lot of different ways to manage your stress. So chronic stress will actually yield systemic acidity, and of course having systemic acidity will yield an acidic oral environment, which basically creates a perfect environment for anaerobic bacteria in your mouth, which are the pathogenic bacteria, the ones that actually cause cavities and things like periodontal disease and whatnot to flourish. One of the best ways to actually manage cavities or cavity formation and actually have really great healthy gums is to just manage your stress, which was a neutral oral environment.
Lisa Beres
That is so interesting. I never thought stress would be connected to your mouth and your saliva and all of that. That's really interesting. I mean, let's be honest, stresses such a killer of so many things, right? I mean, it's linked to cancer and heart and all of these issues. So, reducing our stress, especially nowadays, I mean, people are under so much stress today in this crazy world, that having Stress management techniques, guys is like so so, so important. Go back to some of our podcast episodes, the meditation ones that we've done, because we have links to really great meditations that you can just download for free online, and really try to get that space into your day for self-care. It's not all about just go go go. What did I accomplish today? You really have to take care of yourself.
Ron Beres
Well, that's a great point. It's funny, you mentioned stress. I'm sure when you grind your teeth, that's a form of stress, right. So, I personally have had a mouthguard all these years too, because of grinding. So, I'm wondering if that's the case. Is that just because of stress? You think, Dr. Jahan, or do you suspect that it could be other issues?
Dr. Jahan
It's generally exasperated by stress. Yes. clenching and grinding. It's a common habit that a lot of people have. Most people have no idea they're actually doing it. But generally, when people are going through more stressful period in their lives, that's when they tend to clench and grind a lot more. So that's really great that you're wearing that night guard.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, he clenches so much. He's busted through a few.
Ron Beres
Yeah, I'm better now to get a little more Zen, but everyone smiles and still cracks the mouth guard. So, moving forward, Dr. Jahan, so is it true that dental crowding, misalignment and cavities are a distinctly modern issue?
Dr. Jahan
Yes, very much. So. ancient humans never had problems with deformations, misalignment, crooked teeth, things like that.
Ron Beres
They had no teeth.
Lisa Beres
And wooden teeth. That's right.
Dr. Jahan
I'm talking about ancient, ancient, ancient. Okay, they're actually their arches in their mouths are nice and broad, plenty of room for teeth, even your wisdom teeth to come out and erupt in proper alignment. But unfortunately, crowding and misalignment is a modern-day problem due to the modern diet. Our foods are softer, high sugar content, less fibrous. So, our job that's basically over time shrunken and narrowed, and that's not leaving much room for your teeth to come in, in the proper alignment anymore.
Lisa Beres
Wow. That's brilliant. Yeah, we've kind of adapted to the very SAD, Standard American Diet, the SAD diet, so much processed foods. So, Ron and I have had all of our mercury fillings removed many, many, many years ago. Yay, yay. How do you provide research back natural nontoxic care, especially in regards to metal dental restoration? Do you use dams to capture and enclose those vapors? And like what are the processes?
Dr. Jahan
So in regards to removing mercury or silver fillings or amalgam fillings, they're called a lot of different things. We actually use a little device called the dry shield base. Basically, it is a squishy suction device that sits in your mouth and blocks off your throat. And it's actually providing continuous suction. So therefore, you're actually not ingesting any of the particles that are dispersed when you're removing the silver fillings, and also, which is the most important, you're not inhaling the mercury vapors that are commonly released when you're removing silver fillings. And also, patients find it incredibly comfortable, much more comfortable than the dental dam.
Lisa Beres
Oh, okay. So, for people who are like, what are they talking about? I've never heard of this. Getting all of your amalgam fillings, your silver fillings removed and replaced with composite fillings is because the mercury in the amalgam fillings is slowly wearing, right? It's slowly getting absorbed in your body. Is that true? You're actually getting exposure to that over time over your lifetime?
Dr. Jahan
Yes, correct. Especially if they're a little older and had these mercury fillings in their mouth for a while. So, what happens with the mercury fillings is that over time, they actually corrode around the margins and the margin start opening up so that they start to leak that when the mercury is released the most. And through chewing and clenching, grinding, whatnot, that's when the vapors are released. So, if you have mercury fillings, or I would say, maybe five, seven years and older, or possibly some that weren't just done very well, and they're already leaking, I highly recommend getting them replaced.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, and the white ones look so much better let alone, the health aspects of it. I mean, you smile, and you don't see all that crazy metal.
Dr. Jahan
And they're actually healthier for your teeth as well, because mercury fillings they are just mechanically retained. It's almost like just putting together two puzzle pieces, or the tooth colored fillings, there's actually a chemical bond that basically makes the material homogenous with your own to structure. So, it's a lot more biocompatible, and just a lot healthier for your teeth as well.
Lisa Beres
And I did want to also say this, I know that a regular traditional dentist, if you go to them, let's just say for an example and say I want all my mercury fillings removed, they might not take those precautions like a holistic dentist will to make sure that you're not reabsorbing and inhaling those vapors. So do your due diligence and make sure if you're going to get that done. I mean, at the end of the day, find a holistic dentist, and I will put a link to that in the notes where you can find one near you. They're everywhere now, right? They're pretty common if you've never heard of them.
Ron Beres
Yeah, I think it's a great idea. So, if the EPA is going to go out and talk about the dangers of having mercury in the thermostat break and the procedure to clean that up, why wouldn't there be a protocol to protect your own right from inhaling all that?
Lisa Beres
Yeah, CFL, a compact fluorescent light bulb, if it breaks, it's considered hazardous waste in your house. And the EPA has a very long list of how to handle that correctly, so that you're not like Ron said, so you're not getting that exposure. But yeah, we have them in our teeth. And it's like, oh, well.
Dr. Jahan
It's just counterintuitive and just doesn't make sense.
Ron Beres
Yeah. That's great to see you're handling that too. What other kinds of technologies do you use it Brio Dental, that kind of elevate the patient experience?
Dr. Jahan
Yeah. So, something that a lot of people notice when they come into Brio is, we take a little bit of a minimalistic approach to dentistry. I mean, something that is common in the dental environment in general is just a lot of clutter, you have a lot of lights coming off the ceiling and the extra unit that comes out of the wall and theaters everywhere and cabinetry. We don't want patients to see any of that, quite frankly, when they walk into the dental room. All they see is this pretty cute orange chair.
Ron Beres
Okay, nice. Those chairs are expensive. By the way, I know that they're pricey.
Dr. Jahan
Yes, they are, especially if you try and get the good ones. So, they see the pretty orange chair and maybe just a few our hand pieces in the background. But other than that, we don't have any extra units in the rooms. We don't have any lights coming off the ceiling. We don't have cabinetry on the side, very little clutter that in and of itself provides a lot of soothing environment for the patient and reduces their anxiety not having to see any of that.
Lisa Beres
Oh yeah, that's actually true. I had to go to the dentist a couple times this year and had to get a crown fixed, a new crown and just seeing the medical instruments causes me a little anxiety the drill and specifically, and fact that the older I get, the more anxious I find myself going to the dentist and the sound of the drill really stresses me out, it really does. And so, your kind of really alluded to how your practice reduces dental anxiety. Is there anything else like calming music?
Dr. Jahan
In my opinion, to create a holistic environment because our practice isn't just holistic with the way we treat dental conditions, but it is holistic in its own setting as well. When you walk in, you will notice a lot of fun bright colors. So, it's spicy in some way but also, it's not spicy at all. It's actually very fun environment. Our music is pretty loud.
Lisa Beres
It's like a night club.
Dr. Jahan
And people seem to really enjoy that. It kind of shocks them when they come in because they expected but we play a lot with colors so we use a lot of orange and orange is scientifically proven to actually give you a feeling of excitement and joy. We use a lot of colors such as like blues and turquoise, which gives you a feeling of calmness and serenity.
Ron Beres
You feel calm now? I�m wearing light blue; do you feel better?
Lisa Beres
Yeah, Dr. Jahan, I used to be an interior designer and have studied that a lot. And that's why, like hospitals. There's so much greens and blues because it is very calming, and you don't see that if you go into say a fast food restaurant, it's very like high energy colors like reds and yellows. So yeah, the colors so much affect our mood. It's amazing.
Dr. Jahan
So, we call it color therapy. We have aromatherapy, music therapy. Actually, my father, he did all our artwork in the clinic custom for Brio. So, we have art everywhere. When they come in, they get a tour of the clinic and they get to see all the fun artwork. So that in and of itself is kind of unique. We offer TMJ massages with a CBD and Arnica ointments. Wow, pillows, blankets, earplugs, I mean, you name it.
Lisa Beres
Wow. Okay. So, you can put your earbuds in and then just tune out during your procedure. That's nice.
Ron Beres
So, we talked about the color therapy and some of these procedures. But what are some of the benefits of offering spa treatments and cosmetic options at your dental practice.
Dr. Jahan
But in regards to the cosmetic treatments, of course, one of my most favorite things to do in dentistry is cosmetic work. I think that's my specialty. And that's what I'm passionate about most. So, I love doing cosmetic work in your mouth. But I also love doing cosmetic work outside of your mouth, which includes the outside of your smile, which includes your lips and your smiling and also your face. So, I am certified to do Botox and fillers because who knows your face more than your dentist? I mean, we're looking at it all day.
Ron Beres
You are an artist like your dad, but you have a different canvas.
Lisa Beres
I've never heard of that. I've never heard of a dentist that does both. That's very interesting. Yeah, it's like a one stop shop. Now you just need to set up a little retail boutique. And then you can just go and get ready for your night out. All right, guys. Well, we had an integrative physician, Dr. Connealy on our podcast listeners. That's episode number 19, which is amazing. You don't want to miss that one. And she believes root canals are linked to cancer, because it creates a chronic infection that's very hard to get to due to the many miles of dental tubules. What are your thoughts on root canals?
Dr. Jahan
That is such a good question. And I do get asked this question pretty often. I myself, I am a very research backed provider. Of course, I'm a provider, but I generally cannot recommend something or promote it if it's not backed by science. In my personal opinion, root canal treatments, which falls under the very similar category of let's say fluoride and mercury into silver fillings, there's just not enough research and not enough long-term research to prove their safety. So, in my opinion, if let's say a tooth is abscess and someone might recommend a root canal treatment for this tooth, I look at the tooth holistically again, how much are the two structures left? Is this too strong enough and healthy enough to maybe outweigh the risk of getting the root canal in the first place? So, you know, it also depends on which tooth is a condition of the patient? How much will this affect the patient�s let's say bite or life if we were to take this tooth out. So, it really does require taking into consideration the whole picture. And so, in my personal opinion, you know, it is a case by case scenario. I think that's the best way I can put it.
Lisa Beres
So, you would do a root canal maybe as a last resort?
Dr. Jahan
Correct? Okay, possibly if the tooth is worth it, or if there's enough to structure to outweigh the potential risk of doing the root canal.
Lisa Beres
Yeah. Is there any alternative to a root canal if you really needed one?
Dr. Jahan
Well, the alternative is to take the tooth out and hopefully the patient has enough finances to get an implant placed.
Lisa Beres
Oh, okay, so literally just remove the tooth? Dental implants are expensive.
Ron Beres
They are pricey, right? So many years ago, actually, maybe gosh, maybe even 15 plus years ago, I got a root canal. And unfortunately, the person that performed that procedure didn't do such a great job because literally a few weeks later, I had this abscess, this almost infection on the side of my gum. And unbeknownst to me it was because of the root canal. Then they tried to do it again and fix it. Then I had to go to a gum specialist that didn't work and then finally, they pulled the tooth out. And when they pulled the tooth out, you can see at the root of the tooth, the little stem of the root canal job was done poorly. It was too long for my tooth and was going into my gum. Right. So, uh, yeah. I mean, so much so that it was like, it wasn't like off a little bit, it was off a lot. And it was a reminder to say, you know, make sure you take care of your teeth. This is before I was obviously doing oil pulling and those sorts of things. It changed my life from that experience. I wanted to take care of the teeth that I had. I was so passionate about it, then I wish I was earlier. But I had to go through that process. And you're absolutely right, getting an implant is so expensive. It's out of pocket. And you�ve got to make sure you go to a good endodontist. And so yeah, it's worth it to just be preventative.
Lisa Beres
Right. I know until you have that. And then I think your whole experience was what five grand that you had to pay, Ron, out of pocket that year?
Ron Beres
I spent $9,000 out of pocket dental 9000. So maybe I didn't tell you the details.
Lisa Beres
Oh, yeah, that was our Hawaii vacation. Hawaii vacation in Ron�s mouth. Ron swallowed our vacation.
Ron Beres
We didn�t go on too many trips that year. We had a little break.
Lisa Beres
I mean, hey, this goes for health in general too. Because I preach this, like I cannot stress this enough. I mean, our whole mission and Ron and my entire business model is trying to help people stay healthy before they get illness, right? Because it costs a lot more time energy and money to reverse illness than it does to prevent it in the first place. Well, this is another example like taking care of your teeth. And I've been completely guilty of this, like, oh, I don't need to floss. Oh, my teeth are fine. And you know, I have naturally straight teeth and never had braces. But you have one thing happen. And then you're like, oh my god, you know, I don't want to turn into one of the you know, as I get older, having gum issues, you see people dentures and all these things that are preventable, if you are proactive, but you really have to take the time, you know, to do those things. You know, speaking of a little side note here, how do you feel about flossing versus Waterpik? Both neither? Well, obviously one of them.
Dr. Jahan
I will say both. Flossing and using the water floss or the Waterpik. Honestly, nothing can replace floss. The friction that floss creates when you're flossing and the contact areas of your teeth just cannot be replicated by the Waterpik or the Water Flosser. Okay, you need that physical, basically swiping of the contact area or that friction that's created to break up the aggregation of the bacteria that forms right in between your teeth. Waterpik does a pretty good job with removing maybe bulk debris or maybe just some bacteria that reside on the gumline especially with people with deep gum pockets. Okay, it kind of just washes away the debris and bacteria in those deep gum pockets. But floss really just does the best job at breaking apart the bacterial aggregation right between your teeth. So, in my opinion, do both if you can, if you prefer the Waterpik use that on a daily basis and floss maybe two, three times a week.
Lisa Beres
Oh, that's a good tip. I love the Waterpik I just love it. I have a funny story to share. So, this was like years ago, I was eating a salad that has strawberries in it. And I guess one of the little tiny strawberry seeds found its way under my tooth somewhere in my gum, I don't know where it was somewhere where it was causing so much pain. It was like excruciating, little tiny, tiny seed. And I didn't know what it was I thought all of a sudden I was just having this crazy tooth pain and couldn't see you know, I think even you got me those rubber things that you can put on to get rid of the pain. Nothing was working. And then it was a Saturday and I called the dentist. She's like, oh my gosh, this sounds like we might need to do a root canal and we'll have to charge you a lot. And you can come in, you know, the weekend to get it done. And I was like, oh my god, I couldn't think I couldn't do anything. This pain was just excruciating. And go to bed that night. And for some reason in the middle of the night. I wake up and I have this idea. Maybe I should try Waterpik. We didn�t we have one. My amazing husband Ron goes, I'll go get you one. Yes, there was a CVS Pharmacy open. I called; I was online looking. There was a 24-hour CVS. Ron went to get the Waterpik. And oh my god, I did the Waterpik and boom out shot a little tiny seed. And I was like, oh my god, that was a $35 fix. That could have really, you know, they could have gouged me. They could have told me it was something else maybe but oh my god, if you think you're too small to make a difference, you've never been a strawberry seed. You know that famous quote if you think you're too small to make a difference, you've never slept with a mosquito? Yeah, that's my strawberry seed story. So yeah, ever since then. A huge believer in the Waterpik.
Ron Beres
We slept so well after that. That was the best sleep. Alright, well, Dr. Jahan, how did your demographics play a part at Brio Dental flourishing after opening in 2020?
Dr. Jahan
I have never imagined that my personal demographics would have contributed in any way to our success. But it's actually really refreshing to see and hear that there are a lot of people that are looking for a female dentists or they're looking for businesses that are female owned, or are looking for businesses that are minority owned, all these little things that I had no idea would make any difference. And our success suddenly has become a big deal for our community, which is awesome. That means that people are actually doing research. And they are looking to support particular types of businesses. And I guess we just fall into that category naturally. So, it's really refreshing and pretty heartwarming to see actual.
Lisa Beres
That's amazing. I think for me, too. I like a female because I feel like women tended to be more nurturing. And then it's like your teeth and you get anxious, like we talked about, and you feel like, you know, the woman's touch would be a little gentler, maybe. But that's obviously not completely true. I'm stereotyping. There are obviously incredible male dentists that are gentle too. Sorry, guys. I know your diverse team encourages an environment of inclusivity and welcoming others from all walks of life, which I think is amazing. Can you shed a little light on that?
Dr. Jahan
Yes. So, one of the main things that I want to accomplish with opening Brio was to just have a more diverse team, I worked with seven different clinics before I open for you. And you know, there was not much diversity in any of the seven clinics. And it made me feel a little awkward, I guess you could say or just out of place. So, when I decided open real, I wanted to change that. And quite frankly, it just naturally happened. And maybe we just draw team members that come from different backgrounds, lots of different ethnicities, different sexual orientations. And you know, when patients walk in, and they see that they really do feel like there's a place for them here. It's non-judgmental, it's inclusive, and we acknowledge you from whatever walk of life you're coming from. So that's something that also plays a little bit of a positive role in their overall success, I think.
Ron Beres
Well, Dr. Jahan, final question here, can you leave our listeners with some tips of incorporating a holistic approach to explore the impact of lifestyle choices on overall well-being?
Dr. Jahan
Yeah, I will give you my top three tips. And they're short and sweet. And we pretty much touched on all of them. But my number one tip really is to just manage your stress, because that plays such a huge role on your oral health overall oral health. Tip number two is supplementation. Take your vitamin D3, along with calcium, and your magnesium and you are giving your body the tools that it needs to help strengthen and remineralize your teeth. And tip number three, honestly, to drink more water. Staying hydrated plays such a key role in your oral health because then you're going to have more salivary flow, which is going to wash away the debris and bacteria and neutralize the acidity that ultimately causes the cavities in the first place.
Lisa Beres
Oh, wow. Yeah. What would you say are some foods that we could eat? I mean, it's probably just the ones you would assume. But are there particular foods that would have those particular vitamins that we need to be eating more of?
Dr. Jahan
So in regards to what foods you should eat? Of course, everybody knows that sugar is the ultimate food for the bacteria in your mouth. But there's one particular type of sugar that people don't really think about as sugar and that's carbs. So, potato chips, crackers, cookies, any kind of grain?
Lisa Beres
Yeah, no, it�s true; anything white, right? If you think of like the white foods.
Dr. Jahan
Yes, because carbs will ultimately turn into sugar in your mouth. And actually, carbs are sticky. So, they will get stuck to your teeth and they don't disintegrate for a very long time. They are slow dissolve or which is detrimental thing to your teeth. So, cars can be tricky. And I always talk to my patients about making sure that they're watching the type of cars they're eating. And if they do catch themselves having a carb rich food to rinse their mouth out. Waiting about 20 minutes when they're done eating.
Ron Beres
So in regards to foods, avoid sugar, and carbohydrate type foods, as you mentioned, right? Because they're sticking so forth. But what about do you recommend like avoiding certain nuts because I can crack your teeth? Is that ever an issue or should we just continue to stop live a plant, not life?
Dr. Jahan
I think nuts are great. So, I don't necessarily want to advocate against any particular nuts but I will say that you got to be a little careful with almonds that are the hardest and I definitely have had patients that have come in with broken teeth because of omens. So, something you should try to do before having almonds is maybe soaking your almonds in some water overnight, which actually softens them up they're actually more nutritious that way too.
Lisa Beres
Oh, that�s a great tip. There are a lot of granola to write certain granolas can really be hard.
Dr. Jahan
And some people have the habit of munching on ice chips. Very dangerous. And the last thing is just popcorn. The kernels I've actually broken one of my own teeth with it.
Lisa Beres
Oh, no. You're right seeds in fruit in general, like olive pits. I'm sure it's olive pits. Yeah, Ron, every time we eat olives, you're like watch for the pits.
Ron Beres
I�ll put them on a plate and I will fork it three times if they are going into the salad or whatever. Yeah, so I guess I'm a little paranoid that might cause stress my mouth and cause me to grind. I�m not going to crack my tooth from the pit.
Lisa Beres
Now those are great tips. Yeah, and of course, it just goes without saying right, eating more veggies. Eating fruits are okay. Are you kind of like, oh, fruits are too much sugar?
Dr. Jahan
Fruits are great. Okay. Again, balance is key. You know, do anything. If you find yourself having some super sweet fruit. You know what, wait about 20 minutes so that your saliva has the time that it needs to neutralize the acid and then rinse your mouth afterwards.
Lisa Beres
Rinse. Okay, yeah, I'm a big mouthwash person. I think it's great to have on hand. I do that kind of after lunch. I'll do the mouthwash and then like brush in the morning at night and then use my mouthwash more in the afternoon.
Dr. Jahan
Yeah, we'll say that. After waiting 20 minutes. If you rinse your mouth with water, I usually recommend swallowing it and sort of spreading it out. Well, because all the minerals I've leached out of your teeth are now on your saliva and you want to back into your body so you can recycle it again.
Lisa Beres
Oh, wow. Okay, don't do that with your mouthwash guys. How do you feel about charcoal-based toothpaste and charcoal based mouthwash?
Dr. Jahan
I will say that charcoal base toothpaste. I'm not a fan. Charcoal is pretty darn abrasive. So yes, it does whiten your teeth.
Lisa Beres
It�s what I've been using.
Dr. Jahan
Be careful because it actually whitens your teeth by basically erasing away very thin layers of enamel. So yeah, you will end up with a lot of sensitivity if you continue using it. So, if that's something you like maybe use it once a month, once or twice a month, but okay, to use it on a regular basis.
Ron Beres
It's a little different than twice a day.
Lisa Beres
I need an overhaul. I know I love it. What's the same would hold true for over whitening and bleaching your teeth, right? I mean, that's not good. Is that correct? Because then it makes your teeth very thin and porous if you over bleach.
Dr. Jahan
Not necessarily if you're getting it professionally done with the right kind of bleaching proportions as well. It's perfectly safe. How it works is it opens up the tubules and your enamel and allows the bleaching material to enter slightly to basically lift the stains but your tubules will close and it basically is harmless if it's getting done professionally.
Lisa Beres
Oh, okay, so that's okay. Just not the charcoal. The charcoal works differently than the bleach.
Dr. Jahan
The charcoal is eating away your enamel.
Lisa Beres
Oh, okay, darn, I love my toothpaste brand. I'll just have to. They have different they have different flavors.
Ron Beres
What about the charcoal mouthwash?
Dr. Jahan
Yeah, same thing. Fine. Yeah. Oh, it is fine. Okay, that's charcoal toothpaste. You're actually using your toothbrush to basically get the toothpaste all over and charcoal in and of itself is abrasive. So that's why dangerous because it can break away enamel. But if it's in mouthwash form, you're actually not rubbing it against your teeth.
Lisa Beres
You�re just swishing. Yeah. Okay,
Ron Beres
Another one. I thought about this now, the tongue scraper or you recommend that?
Dr. Jahan
Yes, I do. I love a tongue scraper.
Lisa Beres
I bet. Yeah, I bet you do. I know. We've partnered with the Wondrous Tongue Scraper. Is that the right name, I think?
Ron Beres
I believe that is and they went to great efforts to make sure that everything within the creation of that tool and product of that instrument I should say, was sustainable and healthy and all the right makeup make that a great product.
Lisa Beres
I know people get grossed out about I mean, I have to be honest, I don't do it. I don't know why I'd probably just have a preconceived notion like, Ooh, I don't know, scraping my tongue. But of course, like we have so much bacteria in our mouths, we would want to do that, right? But do you find that people get weirded out about it?
Dr. Jahan
Sometimes it can cause a little bit of a gag reflex for a lot of people. Train your body to use it. But I mean, it's just another great way to reduce the overall bacterial load in your mouth. Yeah, and if freshens your breathe, so why not?
Lisa Beres
Right. Nothing worse than halitosis. And that's the big thing about the tongue scraper. It's all about reducing that. And eek! Yeah, so we don't want bad breath. Oh, my gosh, so many questions. This has been really interesting. I've learned a lot. I hope you guys have to. Thank you for joining us Dr. Jahan. It was so fun and so informative.
Dr. Jahan
Thank you so much for having me. This was a blast for me. Thank you.
Lisa Beres
Oh, this is great. We got to get peek into your office here in the background. Friends to learn more head to Brio Smiles dot com. That's www.BrioSmiles.com. And to find a holistic dentist near you visit holisticdental.org. And I'll put that in the show notes at RonandLisa.com forward slash podcast.
Ron Beres
And be sure to tune in next episode to up level your health. Until then see everyone. Thanks for joining us. And bye Thank you.
Narrator
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Narrator
How would you like to improve your health and keep your family safe? You're listening to that healthy home hacks podcast where we firmly believe enjoying optimal health shouldn't be a luxury. Healthy Home authorities and husband and wife team Ron and Lisa will help you create a home environment that will level up your health. It's time to hear from the experts. listen in on honest conversations and gain the best tips and advice. If you're ready to dive in and improve your well-being and increase your energy, you're in the right place. Alright, here are your hosts, Baubiologists, authors, media darlings, vicarious vegans and avocado aficionados, Ron and Lisa Beres.
Ron Beres
Today, we are going to discuss something that affects everyone listening. Oral Health. Did you know there are over 6 billion bacteria, including 700 Different species that reside inside our mouth are what scientists term the human oral microbiome. While some bacteria are helpful, others are harmful, and they lead to all types of oral health issues such as cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease. And oral bacteria are one just element when dealing with our immune system. The types of products and quality materials we put in our mouth, and their connection to our overall health are very important.
Lisa Beres
Someone who understands this and our special guests today is a holistic dentist. holistic dentistry doesn't treat your dental health as separate from your physical health. Instead, it focuses on the impacts your whole health might have on your oral health. In fact, a holistic dentist completes the same dental training as a traditional dentist by earning a DDS or DMD degree. Any dentist must have attended an accredited dental school. holistic dentist can also be referred to as natural dentistry, biological dentistry, alternative dentistry or preventative dentistry. So, you may have heard some of those terms. And unlike traditional dentists, holistic dentist do not favor the use of fluoride treatments. They're also opposed to using amalgam materials for dental implants. amalgams contain a Mercury. We're going to get into that later, so stay tuned. Instead, they use composite fillings, which are tooth colored and don't discolored the tooth or contain mercury and are made from nontoxic material.
Ron Beres
Dr. Karaneh Jahan received her Baccalaureate Degree in Public Health with a minor in Spanish from Portland State University. She later attended Oregon Health and Science University, where she obtained her Doctor of Dental Medicine Degree. Most recently, she completed vigorous training for the placement of dental implants to better serve her patients. Dr. Jahan is also a certified holistic health and lifestyle coach, helping our clients achieve their healthy mind and their body goals and ultimately, to lead happier lives. She runs Brio Dental in North Portland, which provides holistic general and cosmetic dentistry, serving the whole person from self-care to oral care and beyond.
Lisa Beres
And some fun facts you don't know about our guest today is just a horseback rider, a violinist and artist and a fellow animal lover and bird whisperer, which Brad and I can relate to. And maybe we'll have time to get into. We call ourselves dove whispers. So, we'll have to ask you about that. But welcome to the show. Dr. Jahan,
Dr. Jahan
thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited for this show.
Lisa Beres
We're so excited to have you. This is a topic that is really near and dear to our hearts because we visit holistic dentist ourselves and have for many, many, many years. Then the first one ever went to was, gosh, probably 20 years ago. I guess I was a pioneer.
Ron Beres
She was a baby.
Lisa Beres
I was a baby. Yeah. So, this is really important listeners. You are going to love this show. If you've never heard of holistic dentistry, you're going to learn a ton and I am just ready to dive right in.
Ron Beres
Let's do it. So, Dr. Jahan, apart from brushing and flossing. How else can our listeners re mineralize their teeth and prevent cavities? For example, do you use fluoride?
Dr. Jahan
Yeah, I mean, I get asked this question on a daily basis at Brio. We do offer fluoride but we also offer alternatives to fly for people who are not pro fluoride, just to show them that hey, there are other materials products out there that can do The same thing that fluoride does, which is strengthen and reorganize teeth, but you know possibly be less toxic or not toxic. Well here when we get asked this question, generally we like to tell our patients as long as the cavities are small enough and shallow enough still confined to the enamel layer of your tooth. They very well have the potential to reverse and heal and re mineralize so we talk about a lot of various ways to help remineralize teeth apart from just brushing and flossing which is great for you know, topical surface treatment. But in order to remineralize those small cavities, you need to take steps apart from just brushing and flossing. It is more of a holistic route. Things like supplementation, vitamin d3, calcium, magnesium, your fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K, stress management, getting enough water to help neutralize the acidity in your mouth, getting enough sleep so you can manage the stress that you've been probably experiencing throughout the day, etc. Lots of various routes to help revitalize your teeth holistically other than just brushing and flossing.
Lisa Beres
Very important. So, you're saying you can actually reverse a cavity if it's small enough and shallow enough and you catch it early? Absolutely. Oh, okay. That's interesting. I'm in avid believer in oil pulling. Ron and I have gone through waves where we'll do it for a couple months and then we stop and then we'll go back rounded it. Would you do, Ron?
Ron Beres
It was almost 12 months is all during the lockdown. I did it almost every day. And it was like 20 minutes. I've not done it in a few months. So, it's just a reminder for me to start again. But in the beginning, it was a long time. It's tough, but then it becomes like this habit that you just feel like you have to do it.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, yeah. Are you a proponent of that?
Dr. Jahan
Oh, absolutely. We generally recommend coconut oil. However, there are other oils that can very well be used for oil cooling such as sesame oil. Sesame actually has natural fluoride in the seeds, rinsing and swishing around sesame oil will actually almost do the same thing as let's say a toothpaste will do if you're brushing your teeth with a toothpaste with that has fluoride, but we coconut oil. And that's the one that we advocate most because coconut is a natural antibacterial. It's actually bonds to the lipid or outer membrane of the bacteria in your mouth, which are also made of lipids. So, oil attracts oil lipids, and they bond and therefore when you're swishing and spitting it out, you're literally pulling out the bacteria from underneath your gums and basically disposing of them. So, we're a huge advocates of coconut oil. Also, coconut oil will whiten your teeth if you use it chronically.
Lisa Beres
Okay, I read that someone did a guest post on our blog at Ron and Lisa calm and they talked about it helps with bad breath. it whitens obviously gets rid of plaque and all that and I had done some research. It's an ancient method right from fire Vedic medicine, they believe in that. And I was like, is all that true? You know, it doesn't really do. It's just the wonder oil for your mouth. And I had really incredible results when I was doing it. Where one dentist had all these six cavities. I did the oil pooling and religiously went back and they said I had none; a different dentist. I went to a different dentist. So, I'm a believer. But moving on. Oh, and you guys, I'll put some links in the show notes to some products, obviously, like Dr. Jahan said, you could use just regular coconut oil, but there are companies that make it. GuruNanda is one and they do use sesame seed oil. And then there's another one, I can't think of the name but they come in little packets. So, if you're traveling, you can take these little coconut packets. I don't know why you want to spend all the money on paying for these premiums. You know, they do have some essential oils in them. But the coconut oil is very inexpensive. And you can just do that.
Ron Beres
That's a great point. I got a quick question for Dr. Jahan. So, I've heard different things about how long the duration should be for this coconut oil pulling. Maybe it was I doing it too long every day for 20 minutes. Do I only need to do it for five or 10?
Dr. Jahan
No, I mean, 20 minutes is actually great. A common misconception people think about oil pulling is that oh my gosh, I have to be swishing around with this oil in my mouth for a full 20 minutes. Yes, that's not necessarily true. All you really need is like a half a teaspoon. Yeah, you're washing dishes, vacuuming, running chores and having that in your mouth. You can use your tongue to just kind of get it into all the crevices. And honestly, 20 minutes will go by super quick. Yeah, as long as my patients keep it in there for at least five minutes, I'm happy with that. It lubricates their mouth and it's still providing some form of benefit for them as well.
Lisa Beres
Okay, that's really good to know. Because anybody can do that. Wake up in the morning because you're supposed to do before you brush your teeth, right? It's the first thing you're supposed to do. Yeah, okay, get that and just swish while you're checking your email. That's what I used to do kind of get my computer ready and then do that. And then you're not supposed to spit it in the sink, right? You're not supposed to spit because it's very toxic right after you pulled all these toxins out of your mouth and then spit, you don't want to spit it down, and I've seen it harden. I spit it. Sorry, we're getting really personal here. I spit it in the toilet once and didn't flush the toilet and went back and it had hardened, like, you know how cold it was you that was? Wow, you know, coconut hardens at room temperature. Oh, my God, I was like, yeah, that's not going to be good for the pipes. So that was my little wake up call to spit it in a paper cup, as people say, and then put it in the trash can. Okay, we're going down a tangent here. But Dr. Jahan, how does oral and systemic pH balance affect cavity formation?
Dr. Jahan
Oh, this is such an important topic that a lot of people don't think about. So just to mention a fun fact here. So, a good pH in your mouth is somewhere around 6.8. And actually, you can't physically form cavities. If you have an alkaline or basic oral pH, so anything 6.8 and above, there's no way you can even get cavities, no matter how you're heating, as long as your saliva six points above, you can't throw cavities. Well, something that creates a lot of acidity in your mouth is actually stress. So, we advocate a lot of different ways to manage your stress. So chronic stress will actually yield systemic acidity, and of course having systemic acidity will yield an acidic oral environment, which basically creates a perfect environment for anaerobic bacteria in your mouth, which are the pathogenic bacteria, the ones that actually cause cavities and things like periodontal disease and whatnot to flourish. One of the best ways to actually manage cavities or cavity formation and actually have really great healthy gums is to just manage your stress, which was a neutral oral environment.
Lisa Beres
That is so interesting. I never thought stress would be connected to your mouth and your saliva and all of that. That's really interesting. I mean, let's be honest, stresses such a killer of so many things, right? I mean, it's linked to cancer and heart and all of these issues. So, reducing our stress, especially nowadays, I mean, people are under so much stress today in this crazy world, that having Stress management techniques, guys is like so so, so important. Go back to some of our podcast episodes, the meditation ones that we've done, because we have links to really great meditations that you can just download for free online, and really try to get that space into your day for self-care. It's not all about just go go go. What did I accomplish today? You really have to take care of yourself.
Ron Beres
Well, that's a great point. It's funny, you mentioned stress. I'm sure when you grind your teeth, that's a form of stress, right. So, I personally have had a mouthguard all these years too, because of grinding. So, I'm wondering if that's the case. Is that just because of stress? You think, Dr. Jahan, or do you suspect that it could be other issues?
Dr. Jahan
It's generally exasperated by stress. Yes. clenching and grinding. It's a common habit that a lot of people have. Most people have no idea they're actually doing it. But generally, when people are going through more stressful period in their lives, that's when they tend to clench and grind a lot more. So that's really great that you're wearing that night guard.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, he clenches so much. He's busted through a few.
Ron Beres
Yeah, I'm better now to get a little more Zen, but everyone smiles and still cracks the mouth guard. So, moving forward, Dr. Jahan, so is it true that dental crowding, misalignment and cavities are a distinctly modern issue?
Dr. Jahan
Yes, very much. So. ancient humans never had problems with deformations, misalignment, crooked teeth, things like that.
Ron Beres
They had no teeth.
Lisa Beres
And wooden teeth. That's right.
Dr. Jahan
I'm talking about ancient, ancient, ancient. Okay, they're actually their arches in their mouths are nice and broad, plenty of room for teeth, even your wisdom teeth to come out and erupt in proper alignment. But unfortunately, crowding and misalignment is a modern-day problem due to the modern diet. Our foods are softer, high sugar content, less fibrous. So, our job that's basically over time shrunken and narrowed, and that's not leaving much room for your teeth to come in, in the proper alignment anymore.
Lisa Beres
Wow. That's brilliant. Yeah, we've kind of adapted to the very SAD, Standard American Diet, the SAD diet, so much processed foods. So, Ron and I have had all of our mercury fillings removed many, many, many years ago. Yay, yay. How do you provide research back natural nontoxic care, especially in regards to metal dental restoration? Do you use dams to capture and enclose those vapors? And like what are the processes?
Dr. Jahan
So in regards to removing mercury or silver fillings or amalgam fillings, they're called a lot of different things. We actually use a little device called the dry shield base. Basically, it is a squishy suction device that sits in your mouth and blocks off your throat. And it's actually providing continuous suction. So therefore, you're actually not ingesting any of the particles that are dispersed when you're removing the silver fillings, and also, which is the most important, you're not inhaling the mercury vapors that are commonly released when you're removing silver fillings. And also, patients find it incredibly comfortable, much more comfortable than the dental dam.
Lisa Beres
Oh, okay. So, for people who are like, what are they talking about? I've never heard of this. Getting all of your amalgam fillings, your silver fillings removed and replaced with composite fillings is because the mercury in the amalgam fillings is slowly wearing, right? It's slowly getting absorbed in your body. Is that true? You're actually getting exposure to that over time over your lifetime?
Dr. Jahan
Yes, correct. Especially if they're a little older and had these mercury fillings in their mouth for a while. So, what happens with the mercury fillings is that over time, they actually corrode around the margins and the margin start opening up so that they start to leak that when the mercury is released the most. And through chewing and clenching, grinding, whatnot, that's when the vapors are released. So, if you have mercury fillings, or I would say, maybe five, seven years and older, or possibly some that weren't just done very well, and they're already leaking, I highly recommend getting them replaced.
Lisa Beres
Yeah, and the white ones look so much better let alone, the health aspects of it. I mean, you smile, and you don't see all that crazy metal.
Dr. Jahan
And they're actually healthier for your teeth as well, because mercury fillings they are just mechanically retained. It's almost like just putting together two puzzle pieces, or the tooth colored fillings, there's actually a chemical bond that basically makes the material homogenous with your own to structure. So, it's a lot more biocompatible, and just a lot healthier for your teeth as well.
Lisa Beres
And I did want to also say this, I know that a regular traditional dentist, if you go to them, let's just say for an example and say I want all my mercury fillings removed, they might not take those precautions like a holistic dentist will to make sure that you're not reabsorbing and inhaling those vapors. So do your due diligence and make sure if you're going to get that done. I mean, at the end of the day, find a holistic dentist, and I will put a link to that in the notes where you can find one near you. They're everywhere now, right? They're pretty common if you've never heard of them.
Ron Beres
Yeah, I think it's a great idea. So, if the EPA is going to go out and talk about the dangers of having mercury in the thermostat break and the procedure to clean that up, why wouldn't there be a protocol to protect your own right from inhaling all that?
Lisa Beres
Yeah, CFL, a compact fluorescent light bulb, if it breaks, it's considered hazardous waste in your house. And the EPA has a very long list of how to handle that correctly, so that you're not like Ron said, so you're not getting that exposure. But yeah, we have them in our teeth. And it's like, oh, well.
Dr. Jahan
It's just counterintuitive and just doesn't make sense.
Ron Beres
Yeah. That's great to see you're handling that too. What other kinds of technologies do you use it Brio Dental, that kind of elevate the patient experience?
Dr. Jahan
Yeah. So, something that a lot of people notice when they come into Brio is, we take a little bit of a minimalistic approach to dentistry. I mean, something that is common in the dental environment in general is just a lot of clutter, you have a lot of lights coming off the ceiling and the extra unit that comes out of the wall and theaters everywhere and cabinetry. We don't want patients to see any of that, quite frankly, when they walk into the dental room. All they see is this pretty cute orange chair.
Ron Beres
Okay, nice. Those chairs are expensive. By the way, I know that they're pricey.
Dr. Jahan
Yes, they are, especially if you try and get the good ones. So, they see the pretty orange chair and maybe just a few our hand pieces in the background. But other than that, we don't have any extra units in the rooms. We don't have any lights coming off the ceiling. We don't have cabinetry on the side, very little clutter that in and of itself provides a lot of soothing environment for the patient and reduces their anxiety not having to see any of that.
Lisa Beres
Oh yeah, that's actually true. I had to go to the dentist a couple times this year and had to get a crown fixed, a new crown and just seeing the medical instruments causes me a little anxiety the drill and specifically, and fact that the older I get, the more anxious I find myself going to the dentist and the sound of the drill really stresses me out, it really does. And so, your kind of really alluded to how your practice reduces dental anxiety. Is there anything else like calming music?
Dr. Jahan
In my opinion, to create a holistic environment because our practice isn't just holistic with the way we treat dental conditions, but it is holistic in its own setting as well. When you walk in, you will notice a lot of fun bright colors. So, it's spicy in some way but also, it's not spicy at all. It's actually very fun environment. Our music is pretty loud.
Lisa Beres
It's like a night club.
Dr. Jahan
And people seem to really enjoy that. It kind of shocks them when they come in because they expected but we play a lot with colors so we use a lot of orange and orange is scientifically proven to actually give you a feeling of excitement and joy. We use a lot of colors such as like blues and turquoise, which gives you a feeling of calmness and serenity.
Ron Beres
You feel calm now? I�m wearing light blue; do you feel better?
Lisa Beres
Yeah, Dr. Jahan, I used to be an interior designer and have studied that a lot. And that's why, like hospitals. There's so much greens and blues because it is very calming, and you don't see that if you go into say a fast food restaurant, it's very like high energy colors like reds and yellows. So yeah, the colors so much affect our mood. It's amazing.
Dr. Jahan
So, we call it color therapy. We have aromatherapy, music therapy. Actually, my father, he did all our artwork in the clinic custom for Brio. So, we have art everywhere. When they come in, they get a tour of the clinic and they get to see all the fun artwork. So that in and of itself is kind of unique. We offer TMJ massages with a CBD and Arnica ointments. Wow, pillows, blankets, earplugs, I mean, you name it.
Lisa Beres
Wow. Okay. So, you can put your earbuds in and then just tune out during your procedure. That's nice.
Ron Beres
So, we talked about the color therapy and some of these procedures. But what are some of the benefits of offering spa treatments and cosmetic options at your dental practice.
Dr. Jahan
But in regards to the cosmetic treatments, of course, one of my most favorite things to do in dentistry is cosmetic work. I think that's my specialty. And that's what I'm passionate about most. So, I love doing cosmetic work in your mouth. But I also love doing cosmetic work outside of your mouth, which includes the outside of your smile, which includes your lips and your smiling and also your face. So, I am certified to do Botox and fillers because who knows your face more than your dentist? I mean, we're looking at it all day.
Ron Beres
You are an artist like your dad, but you have a different canvas.
Lisa Beres
I've never heard of that. I've never heard of a dentist that does both. That's very interesting. Yeah, it's like a one stop shop. Now you just need to set up a little retail boutique. And then you can just go and get ready for your night out. All right, guys. Well, we had an integrative physician, Dr. Connealy on our podcast listeners. That's episode number 19, which is amazing. You don't want to miss that one. And she believes root canals are linked to cancer, because it creates a chronic infection that's very hard to get to due to the many miles of dental tubules. What are your thoughts on root canals?
Dr. Jahan
That is such a good question. And I do get asked this question pretty often. I myself, I am a very research backed provider. Of course, I'm a provider, but I generally cannot recommend something or promote it if it's not backed by science. In my personal opinion, root canal treatments, which falls under the very similar category of let's say fluoride and mercury into silver fillings, there's just not enough research and not enough long-term research to prove their safety. So, in my opinion, if let's say a tooth is abscess and someone might recommend a root canal treatment for this tooth, I look at the tooth holistically again, how much are the two structures left? Is this too strong enough and healthy enough to maybe outweigh the risk of getting the root canal in the first place? So, you know, it also depends on which tooth is a condition of the patient? How much will this affect the patient�s let's say bite or life if we were to take this tooth out. So, it really does require taking into consideration the whole picture. And so, in my personal opinion, you know, it is a case by case scenario. I think that's the best way I can put it.
Lisa Beres
So, you would do a root canal maybe as a last resort?
Dr. Jahan
Correct? Okay, possibly if the tooth is worth it, or if there's enough to structure to outweigh the potential risk of doing the root canal.
Lisa Beres
Yeah. Is there any alternative to a root canal if you really needed one?
Dr. Jahan
Well, the alternative is to take the tooth out and hopefully the patient has enough finances to get an implant placed.
Lisa Beres
Oh, okay, so literally just remove the tooth? Dental implants are expensive.
Ron Beres
They are pricey, right? So many years ago, actually, maybe gosh, maybe even 15 plus years ago, I got a root canal. And unfortunately, the person that performed that procedure didn't do such a great job because literally a few weeks later, I had this abscess, this almost infection on the side of my gum. And unbeknownst to me it was because of the root canal. Then they tried to do it again and fix it. Then I had to go to a gum specialist that didn't work and then finally, they pulled the tooth out. And when they pulled the tooth out, you can see at the root of the tooth, the little stem of the root canal job was done poorly. It was too long for my tooth and was going into my gum. Right. So, uh, yeah. I mean, so much so that it was like, it wasn't like off a little bit, it was off a lot. And it was a reminder to say, you know, make sure you take care of your teeth. This is before I was obviously doing oil pulling and those sorts of things. It changed my life from that experience. I wanted to take care of the teeth that I had. I was so passionate about it, then I wish I was earlier. But I had to go through that process. And you're absolutely right, getting an implant is so expensive. It's out of pocket. And you�ve got to make sure you go to a good endodontist. And so yeah, it's worth it to just be preventative.
Lisa Beres
Right. I know until you have that. And then I think your whole experience was what five grand that you had to pay, Ron, out of pocket that year?
Ron Beres
I spent $9,000 out of pocket dental 9000. So maybe I didn't tell you the details.
Lisa Beres
Oh, yeah, that was our Hawaii vacation. Hawaii vacation in Ron�s mouth. Ron swallowed our vacation.
Ron Beres
We didn�t go on too many trips that year. We had a little break.
Lisa Beres
I mean, hey, this goes for health in general too. Because I preach this, like I cannot stress this enough. I mean, our whole mission and Ron and my entire business model is trying to help people stay healthy before they get illness, right? Because it costs a lot more time energy and money to reverse illness than it does to prevent it in the first place. Well, this is another example like taking care of your teeth. And I've been completely guilty of this, like, oh, I don't need to floss. Oh, my teeth are fine. And you know, I have naturally straight teeth and never had braces. But you have one thing happen. And then you're like, oh my god, you know, I don't want to turn into one of the you know, as I get older, having gum issues, you see people dentures and all these things that are preventable, if you are proactive, but you really have to take the time, you know, to do those things. You know, speaking of a little side note here, how do you feel about flossing versus Waterpik? Both neither? Well, obviously one of them.
Dr. Jahan
I will say both. Flossing and using the water floss or the Waterpik. Honestly, nothing can replace floss. The friction that floss creates when you're flossing and the contact areas of your teeth just cannot be replicated by the Waterpik or the Water Flosser. Okay, you need that physical, basically swiping of the contact area or that friction that's created to break up the aggregation of the bacteria that forms right in between your teeth. Waterpik does a pretty good job with removing maybe bulk debris or maybe just some bacteria that reside on the gumline especially with people with deep gum pockets. Okay, it kind of just washes away the debris and bacteria in those deep gum pockets. But floss really just does the best job at breaking apart the bacterial aggregation right between your teeth. So, in my opinion, do both if you can, if you prefer the Waterpik use that on a daily basis and floss maybe two, three times a week.
Lisa Beres
Oh, that's a good tip. I love the Waterpik I just love it. I have a funny story to share. So, this was like years ago, I was eating a salad that has strawberries in it. And I guess one of the little tiny strawberry seeds found its way under my tooth somewhere in my gum, I don't know where it was somewhere where it was causing so much pain. It was like excruciating, little tiny, tiny seed. And I didn't know what it was I thought all of a sudden I was just having this crazy tooth pain and couldn't see you know, I think even you got me those rubber things that you can put on to get rid of the pain. Nothing was working. And then it was a Saturday and I called the dentist. She's like, oh my gosh, this sounds like we might need to do a root canal and we'll have to charge you a lot. And you can come in, you know, the weekend to get it done. And I was like, oh my god, I couldn't think I couldn't do anything. This pain was just excruciating. And go to bed that night. And for some reason in the middle of the night. I wake up and I have this idea. Maybe I should try Waterpik. We didn�t we have one. My amazing husband Ron goes, I'll go get you one. Yes, there was a CVS Pharmacy open. I called; I was online looking. There was a 24-hour CVS. Ron went to get the Waterpik. And oh my god, I did the Waterpik and boom out shot a little tiny seed. And I was like, oh my god, that was a $35 fix. That could have really, you know, they could have gouged me. They could have told me it was something else maybe but oh my god, if you think you're too small to make a difference, you've never been a strawberry seed. You know that famous quote if you think you're too small to make a difference, you've never slept with a mosquito? Yeah, that's my strawberry seed story. So yeah, ever since then. A huge believer in the Waterpik.
Ron Beres
We slept so well after that. That was the best sleep. Alright, well, Dr. Jahan, how did your demographics play a part at Brio Dental flourishing after opening in 2020?
Dr. Jahan
I have never imagined that my personal demographics would have contributed in any way to our success. But it's actually really refreshing to see and hear that there are a lot of people that are looking for a female dentists or they're looking for businesses that are female owned, or are looking for businesses that are minority owned, all these little things that I had no idea would make any difference. And our success suddenly has become a big deal for our community, which is awesome. That means that people are actually doing research. And they are looking to support particular types of businesses. And I guess we just fall into that category naturally. So, it's really refreshing and pretty heartwarming to see actual.
Lisa Beres
That's amazing. I think for me, too. I like a female because I feel like women tended to be more nurturing. And then it's like your teeth and you get anxious, like we talked about, and you feel like, you know, the woman's touch would be a little gentler, maybe. But that's obviously not completely true. I'm stereotyping. There are obviously incredible male dentists that are gentle too. Sorry, guys. I know your diverse team encourages an environment of inclusivity and welcoming others from all walks of life, which I think is amazing. Can you shed a little light on that?
Dr. Jahan
Yes. So, one of the main things that I want to accomplish with opening Brio was to just have a more diverse team, I worked with seven different clinics before I open for you. And you know, there was not much diversity in any of the seven clinics. And it made me feel a little awkward, I guess you could say or just out of place. So, when I decided open real, I wanted to change that. And quite frankly, it just naturally happened. And maybe we just draw team members that come from different backgrounds, lots of different ethnicities, different sexual orientations. And you know, when patients walk in, and they see that they really do feel like there's a place for them here. It's non-judgmental, it's inclusive, and we acknowledge you from whatever walk of life you're coming from. So that's something that also plays a little bit of a positive role in their overall success, I think.
Ron Beres
Well, Dr. Jahan, final question here, can you leave our listeners with some tips of incorporating a holistic approach to explore the impact of lifestyle choices on overall well-being?
Dr. Jahan
Yeah, I will give you my top three tips. And they're short and sweet. And we pretty much touched on all of them. But my number one tip really is to just manage your stress, because that plays such a huge role on your oral health overall oral health. Tip number two is supplementation. Take your vitamin D3, along with calcium, and your magnesium and you are giving your body the tools that it needs to help strengthen and remineralize your teeth. And tip number three, honestly, to drink more water. Staying hydrated plays such a key role in your oral health because then you're going to have more salivary flow, which is going to wash away the debris and bacteria and neutralize the acidity that ultimately causes the cavities in the first place.
Lisa Beres
Oh, wow. Yeah. What would you say are some foods that we could eat? I mean, it's probably just the ones you would assume. But are there particular foods that would have those particular vitamins that we need to be eating more of?
Dr. Jahan
So in regards to what foods you should eat? Of course, everybody knows that sugar is the ultimate food for the bacteria in your mouth. But there's one particular type of sugar that people don't really think about as sugar and that's carbs. So, potato chips, crackers, cookies, any kind of grain?
Lisa Beres
Yeah, no, it�s true; anything white, right? If you think of like the white foods.
Dr. Jahan
Yes, because carbs will ultimately turn into sugar in your mouth. And actually, carbs are sticky. So, they will get stuck to your teeth and they don't disintegrate for a very long time. They are slow dissolve or which is detrimental thing to your teeth. So, cars can be tricky. And I always talk to my patients about making sure that they're watching the type of cars they're eating. And if they do catch themselves having a carb rich food to rinse their mouth out. Waiting about 20 minutes when they're done eating.
Ron Beres
So in regards to foods, avoid sugar, and carbohydrate type foods, as you mentioned, right? Because they're sticking so forth. But what about do you recommend like avoiding certain nuts because I can crack your teeth? Is that ever an issue or should we just continue to stop live a plant, not life?
Dr. Jahan
I think nuts are great. So, I don't necessarily want to advocate against any particular nuts but I will say that you got to be a little careful with almonds that are the hardest and I definitely have had patients that have come in with broken teeth because of omens. So, something you should try to do before having almonds is maybe soaking your almonds in some water overnight, which actually softens them up they're actually more nutritious that way too.
Lisa Beres
Oh, that�s a great tip. There are a lot of granola to write certain granolas can really be hard.
Dr. Jahan
And some people have the habit of munching on ice chips. Very dangerous. And the last thing is just popcorn. The kernels I've actually broken one of my own teeth with it.
Lisa Beres
Oh, no. You're right seeds in fruit in general, like olive pits. I'm sure it's olive pits. Yeah, Ron, every time we eat olives, you're like watch for the pits.
Ron Beres
I�ll put them on a plate and I will fork it three times if they are going into the salad or whatever. Yeah, so I guess I'm a little paranoid that might cause stress my mouth and cause me to grind. I�m not going to crack my tooth from the pit.
Lisa Beres
Now those are great tips. Yeah, and of course, it just goes without saying right, eating more veggies. Eating fruits are okay. Are you kind of like, oh, fruits are too much sugar?
Dr. Jahan
Fruits are great. Okay. Again, balance is key. You know, do anything. If you find yourself having some super sweet fruit. You know what, wait about 20 minutes so that your saliva has the time that it needs to neutralize the acid and then rinse your mouth afterwards.
Lisa Beres
Rinse. Okay, yeah, I'm a big mouthwash person. I think it's great to have on hand. I do that kind of after lunch. I'll do the mouthwash and then like brush in the morning at night and then use my mouthwash more in the afternoon.
Dr. Jahan
Yeah, we'll say that. After waiting 20 minutes. If you rinse your mouth with water, I usually recommend swallowing it and sort of spreading it out. Well, because all the minerals I've leached out of your teeth are now on your saliva and you want to back into your body so you can recycle it again.
Lisa Beres
Oh, wow. Okay, don't do that with your mouthwash guys. How do you feel about charcoal-based toothpaste and charcoal based mouthwash?
Dr. Jahan
I will say that charcoal base toothpaste. I'm not a fan. Charcoal is pretty darn abrasive. So yes, it does whiten your teeth.
Lisa Beres
It�s what I've been using.
Dr. Jahan
Be careful because it actually whitens your teeth by basically erasing away very thin layers of enamel. So yeah, you will end up with a lot of sensitivity if you continue using it. So, if that's something you like maybe use it once a month, once or twice a month, but okay, to use it on a regular basis.
Ron Beres
It's a little different than twice a day.
Lisa Beres
I need an overhaul. I know I love it. What's the same would hold true for over whitening and bleaching your teeth, right? I mean, that's not good. Is that correct? Because then it makes your teeth very thin and porous if you over bleach.
Dr. Jahan
Not necessarily if you're getting it professionally done with the right kind of bleaching proportions as well. It's perfectly safe. How it works is it opens up the tubules and your enamel and allows the bleaching material to enter slightly to basically lift the stains but your tubules will close and it basically is harmless if it's getting done professionally.
Lisa Beres
Oh, okay, so that's okay. Just not the charcoal. The charcoal works differently than the bleach.
Dr. Jahan
The charcoal is eating away your enamel.
Lisa Beres
Oh, okay, darn, I love my toothpaste brand. I'll just have to. They have different they have different flavors.
Ron Beres
What about the charcoal mouthwash?
Dr. Jahan
Yeah, same thing. Fine. Yeah. Oh, it is fine. Okay, that's charcoal toothpaste. You're actually using your toothbrush to basically get the toothpaste all over and charcoal in and of itself is abrasive. So that's why dangerous because it can break away enamel. But if it's in mouthwash form, you're actually not rubbing it against your teeth.
Lisa Beres
You�re just swishing. Yeah. Okay,
Ron Beres
Another one. I thought about this now, the tongue scraper or you recommend that?
Dr. Jahan
Yes, I do. I love a tongue scraper.
Lisa Beres
I bet. Yeah, I bet you do. I know. We've partnered with the Wondrous Tongue Scraper. Is that the right name, I think?
Ron Beres
I believe that is and they went to great efforts to make sure that everything within the creation of that tool and product of that instrument I should say, was sustainable and healthy and all the right makeup make that a great product.
Lisa Beres
I know people get grossed out about I mean, I have to be honest, I don't do it. I don't know why I'd probably just have a preconceived notion like, Ooh, I don't know, scraping my tongue. But of course, like we have so much bacteria in our mouths, we would want to do that, right? But do you find that people get weirded out about it?
Dr. Jahan
Sometimes it can cause a little bit of a gag reflex for a lot of people. Train your body to use it. But I mean, it's just another great way to reduce the overall bacterial load in your mouth. Yeah, and if freshens your breathe, so why not?
Lisa Beres
Right. Nothing worse than halitosis. And that's the big thing about the tongue scraper. It's all about reducing that. And eek! Yeah, so we don't want bad breath. Oh, my gosh, so many questions. This has been really interesting. I've learned a lot. I hope you guys have to. Thank you for joining us Dr. Jahan. It was so fun and so informative.
Dr. Jahan
Thank you so much for having me. This was a blast for me. Thank you.
Lisa Beres
Oh, this is great. We got to get peek into your office here in the background. Friends to learn more head to Brio Smiles dot com. That's www.BrioSmiles.com. And to find a holistic dentist near you visit holisticdental.org. And I'll put that in the show notes at RonandLisa.com forward slash podcast.
Ron Beres
And be sure to tune in next episode to up level your health. Until then see everyone. Thanks for joining us. And bye Thank you.
Narrator
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