Episode #34: What's The Future of Functional Dentistry?

Published: Nov. 2, 2021, 7 a.m.

As a functional dentist, Dr. B is used to being asked what functional dentistry is. However, this week, this question comes with a twist as fans ask Dr. B what he is most excited about in functional dentistry. Tune in to discover Dr. B's journey to functional dentistry, from sleuthing as a child to setting up a directory globally for fellow functional dentists. Find out how functional dentistry ultimately saves lives and money, and why (despite this) the ADA doesn’t yet accept it as a specialization. We discuss diseases that functional dentistry can prevent, and Dr. B's book recommendations that cover functional topics. From nasal breathing to flat dental plates, Alzheimer’s disease to sleep apnoea, Dr. B takes us through his tips and research into the pathologies that he has applied to functional dentistry, to benefit his patients and family members. Join us to hear all this and more about the future of functional dentistry. 


Key Points From This Episode:

  • Dr. B's weekend plans: why getting out from behind a screen post-vaccination is so important
  • Why most people ask what functional dentistry is
  • Today's question: what Dr. B is most excited about in functional dentistry
  • How Dr. Mark Hyman is an inspiration for functional practitioners
  • What motivated Dr. B to become a functional dentist
  • Working upstream: how functional dentistry ultimately saves lives and money
  • How the body compensating causes pathology and why it’s important to intercept these compensations early on
  • Recognizing functional dentists: one patient and one practitioner at a time
  • Teaching functional dentistry: learning beyond your official education
  • The systems that interact to affect your dental health
  • Becoming a practitioner of the oral-microbiome
  • Dr. B's "aha" moment about sleep apnea and prevention through dentistry
  • The oral-systemic connection: what happens in the mouth affects the body
  • How root cause thinking can save the entire healthcare system 
  • The importance of promoting nasal breathing
  • Understanding the P. gingivalis bug and its link to Alzheimer’s disease
  • Why the future of dentistry is functional
  • Functional dentistry throughout the world: From Brazil to Japan


How to Submit Your Question:

Record your question for Dr. B at speakpipe.com/askthedentist 


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Functional Dentistry: Everything You Need to Know - Ask the Dentist

The future of dentistry is functional. Here's why. - Ask the Dentist

Dr. Mark Hyman on LinkedIn

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

Ask the Dentist: 5 Sleep Apnoea Questions

Can gingivitis cause Alzheimer's Disease? [A Scientific Review]

Ask the Dentist

About Dr. Mark Burhenne

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