Holistic Dental Care: The Complete Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums

by Nadine Artemis, Victor Zeines D.D.S. (Foreword)

The essential guide to integrative dental health—safe, effective, and toxin-free steps to all-natural oral care and a vibrant, healthy smile

Bestselling author Nadine Artemis reveals the 8 steps to successful self-dentistry

Holistic Dental Care introduces simple, at-home dental techniques that anyone can do. With more than 50 full-color photos and illustrations, this book offers oral self-care strategies to address every dental concern—from everyday maintenance to bite and alignment, gum health to heavy metal detox.

Bestselling author Nadine Artemis also shares the 8 Steps to Successful Self-Dentistry , 8 holistic oral care guidelines. You’ll also


Offering an integrative approach to treat the real cause of your dental concerns—not just the symptoms— Holistic Dental Care helps bring your entire being back into balance and whole-body health, starting with all-natural biological dentistry and chemical-free oral care.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Food, Nutrition, Reference, Self Help

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Nadine Artemis is the author of Renegade Beauty: Reveal and Revive Your Natural Radiance, Holistic Dental Care: The Complete Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums and a frequent commentator on health and beauty for media outlets. Alanis Morissette calls her “a true-sense visionary.”
Nadine is the creator of Living Libations, an exquisite line of botanical health and beauty products that are the purest of the pure on the planet. As an innovative aromacologist, Nadine has formulated a stunning collection of rare and exceptional botanical compounds. Her potent dental serums are used worldwide and provide optimal oral care. She, and her products, have received rave reviews in the New York Times, the National Post, and the Hollywood Reporter.

Her relationship to the cosmos informs her concept of Renegade Beauty, which encourages effortlessness, eschews regimes, and inspire people to rethink conventional notions of beauty and wellness. This revolutionary vision allows the life-force of flowers, dewdrops, plants, sun, and water to be the ingredients of healthy living, and lets everything unessential, contrived, and artificial fall away.

Reviews

[Ariadna73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a life changer for me. After reading this fantastic book, I gave up toothpaste for good, and my gums stopped bleeding the next day. My teeth have never been healthier, and I have even lost a couple of pounds! This book was a miracle for me. I hope the authors take the time to write something equally valuable for other parts of the body. Thank you!

8 steps to keep a healthy mouth:

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading for people who care about their health.

I'm absolutely shocked out how many things are wrong with brushing my teeth how I've always been doing it.

11 Highlights

1. Brush softly. You are brushing too hard if your toothbrush eventually becomes frayed.

2. Don't use commercial toothpaste. It's full of harmful shit, some even completely unecessary but just added in there to compensate for other shitty ingredients like sodium laurel sulfate, fluoride, and a bunch of other nasty bozos.

3. Millions of root canals are performed every year but the majority are completely unnecessary or harmful. Root canals remove the alive part of the tooth that is connected to every other organ in your body. It opens your mouth up to bacterial infection.

4. Sugar and sucrose don't necessarily harm the teeth by being ON the teeth, but rather sugar supresses 'dentinal flow', disrupting the processes that bring vitamins and good stuff to the active insides of your teeth.

5. Phosphorus (a natural mineral) is awesome for preventing/combating tooth decay.

6. Xylitol used in some 'natural toothpastes' is not completely absorbable. False claims are also made that it can kill bacteria, alkalize saliva etc... No conclusive evidence shows this.

7. No need to run your toothbrush under chlorinated/fluoridated water. Just chuck ya toothbrush in your mouth.

8. Mercury fillings are poisonous yet still widely used today. You are swallowing metals over time that causes all sorts of chaos in your body.

9. You need Vitamin K2 and Vit D3 for healthy teeth.

10. Braces completely changes the structure of your face. There are better alternatives to braces. If you do get braces, do your research. Your face can grow in such a way that you develop sleep apnea, and sleep apnea is extremely common (approx 15% in the US have it).

11. Rinse your mouth with salt water.

[Dorothy Vandezande · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much information and so many resources! A little overwhelming, but gave me a lot of useful tools and a lot to consider. This approach definitely fits with what I believe about health in general more then traditional dental care.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal. Modern dentistry has led to…….more modern dentistry……which has done nothing but create unhealthy teeth. Conventional dentistry fixes nothing. If you’re even going to go to a dentist, a biological dentist is the ONLY good option, but even at that, if we just ate correctly, dentistry would hardly be needed. Modern diets and tooth practices have destroyed both our teeth (fluoride lowers your IQ and calcifies your pineal gland) and alignment. And, oh yeah, you CAN heal cavities. This book is short and priceless. Not much I didn’t know before, but such great reminders.

UPDATE: I have been consistently implementing the 8 steps presented in this book for about 3 weeks and have seen improvement in the recession of my gums. I hope it continues to improve!

[Mary Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is some very helpful information in this book. I will be using some of the suggestions.
I have a coupe of cautions.
I feel that the author is a bit incautious with essential oils. The reader should do some more research on them if they are using them. I think they are great to use, but they are powerful and if a person is ingesting them, they need to know more about them.
She recommends music with binaural beats. This is bad advice. Binaural beats can cause serious problems, especially with someone that has special needs. Regressions have been observed by neurodevelopmentalists.

[SilverReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read. Eradicated some myths too. Already implemented all steps.
Let's see.

[Andrew1020 · Rating 3 out of 5]

baking soda + muối

[Danae Whitteker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know what you're thinking... Danae read a read a book about Dental Care? Weird. But I picked it up after a not-so-great dental visit and the information is invaluable! The writing is actually enjoyable and it's a short book. I read it in 24 hours. She gives a system of 8 steps to follow to radically change your dental health. They are simple and some are very inexpensive. I am excited to try them!

The only negative is I saw a few typos in the book. I know typos are inevitable, but they were so obvious (capitalization, etc) that they may make some readers doubt the accuracy of her information. I've done enough research that I'm confident she's legit, but typos like that do make you wonder.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend recommend this book, I read it, and it convinced me. Makes me doubt myself that I am so easily swayed.. or is the information that good?! Now I have switched to her 8 step process (it's been about 6 weeks now). It took me a few weeks to get used to it (since I was used to crazy intense mint taste after brushing)... but now that I am, I like it better. My breath is better, my teeth feel cleaner, and my teeth are even whiter. I can't believe after bleaching them randomly for years the only thing I needed to do was use baking soda several times a week. Like I said, I'm a believer now. Going to a holistic dentist for the first time for my next cleaning appointment.

[Pham Tung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sức khỏe răng miệng có thể được coi là vấn đề quan trọng nhất, đặc biệt đối với trẻ em, nhưng nhiều bậc cha mẹ lại không quan tâm đủ. Sức khỏe răng miệng không tốt không chỉ ảnh hưởng đến toàn bộ sức khỏe của cơ thể, gây ra những bệnh nguy hiểm mà còn ảnh hưởng đến sự tự tin, sự phát triển, chất lượng cuộc sống cũng như những thành tựu tương lai mà cá nhân có thể đạt được.

Việc sâu răng là một điều rất có hại và bất thường, nên được đề phòng một cách thật cẩn thận bằng các biện pháp chăm sóc răng miệng an toàn.

- Các phương pháp tẩy trắng răng làm mòn men răng, khiến răng dễ bị ố vàng. Nó còn có thể gây hại dây thần kinh của răng và gây tụt nướu. Cách tốt nhất làm trắng răng là từ bên trong. Ngà răng hấp thụ đủ chất dinh dưỡng sẽ tạo thành hàm răng trắng bóng.

-Các loại kem đánh răng thương mai đa số đều có hại cho cơ thể và không hoàn toàn bảo vệ bạn khỏi các bệnh răng miệng. Các loại hóa chất có thể gây hại cho dù bạn không nuốt, vì chúng có thể thẩm thấu qua khoang miệng, vào máu, tế bào. Bạn có thể dùng muối, baking soda, tinh dầu để chải răng.

- Các miếng trám răng, răng giả có thể chứa những chất độc hại và kim loại nặng như thủy ngân, niken, nhựa BPA,... Lựa chọn tốt nhất là ceramic, chúng tương thích sinh học với cơ thể và có thể dùng lâu dài.

- Việc rút tủy răng rất nguy hiểm vì làm yếu đi hệ miễn dịch và có thể gây ra nhiều bệnh tật.

- Các thực phẩm chế biến sẵn hoặc gia súc nuôi công nghiệp thường nghèo dinh dưỡng và dễ dẫn đến sâu răng.

- Niềng răng có thể làm mòn men răng và tổn thương chân răng, khuôn mặt có thể bị phát triển bất cân xứng.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still in somewhat shock that I both read and thoroughly enjoyed, let alone picked up, a book on teeth. I read this book a few days ago and am still taking notes.

Here's the thing. There is a lot of misconceptions about health (be it dental or otherwise) and while I am not a doctor or dentist I can say one thing resolutely, your health is in your hands. The body is truly incredible, both in how much damage it can take but also how quickly it can recover if you treat it right. This book covers a lot of major confusion out there about the mouth. The biggest thing to remember though is that your teeth are alive and everything is connected.

Once going vegan (and now whole foods plant-based) and later reading tremendous research on the topic, like that in The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure, I became enthralled with holistic health. A lot of people hear 'holistic health' and just think it's hippie dippie bullshit, and very quickly write it off. All holistic means is that you are considering the whole body. Typical medicine, for example, is not holistic - and it's why you have side effects of things and thus have to take another pill to rectify that side effect, because only the one part of the body was considered not the whole.

A quick story to show the power of holistic care. After months to years of a experiencing symptoms of hypothyroidism, I was tired of being tired. The thyroid is an underestimated part of your body that, when out of whack, messes with everything because it regulates your hormones. When your hormones are not in balance everything, and I mean everything, is not right. So for so long, all the way up until about a week and a half ago, I was experiencing extreme fatigue - to where you wake up and could pass out again (or even moments on the job when I thought I was going to pass out but had to keep it together), lack of desire to do anything, depression, 'brain fog' and other things. I was headed downhill very quickly and felt very frustrated. I don't have health insurance and if I did I knew the options the typical doctor would present me. For people who are hypothyroid they prescribe hormones (often taken from a pig or cow) and you then take those pills for the rest of your life. And unfortunately a very large portion of the population has thyroid issues. I knew there had to be a way out of this, back to my old self. After trying many things I reminded myself that diet is the key to everything. So I introduced two things, iodine (in natural forms - like seaweed and kelp) and Ashwagandha Extract (a little known plant used for centuries, known for balancing out hormones). I started the Ashwagandha, twice a day, about a week and a half ago and it was like a complete 180. I have so much more energy, can think clearly, am happier, excited for life and back to my old ambitious self wanting to explore and try new things.

Here is my point - your health is in your hands and you really are what you eat. Nutrition is the most powerful source you have for healing. I was always that person that had at least one cavity when I went to the dentist and I have parents who have had a lot of teeth issues. So, for so much of my young adult life, I just figured I was doomed to be a frequent visitor of the always dreaded dental chair. But after educating myself on diet, as pertains to the body, I began thinking about my teeth and wondering, is there something I can do to make my teeth as strong and healthy as possible (because clearly this whole brush, floss thing isn't working). So I made quite a few changes starting over a year ago to a few months ago. I now drink reverse osmosis water only (after learning about the dangers of fluoride and heavy metals), make my own toothpaste (free of all the crap they put in both conventional and 'natural' toothpastes), tongue scrapping, started daily oil pulling (seriously, look into it - there's a reason it's been done for centuries), cut down sugar (and am now starting this December added sugar free), and drink a whole lot more water (which is also discussed in this book), and got rid of store bought mouthwash. After noticing a huge difference in my teeth, with no problems and now years of not going to the dentist I still wanted to learn more. So when I saw this book, while working at the library - after someone returned it, I had to snag it.

Nadine covers all of those things and then some. She clears up major misconceptions like: the dangers of fluoride; why sugar is not good for you - and not in the way you think because it's not the sugar left on your teeth that's the problem but the lack of nutrition and minerals your teeth get from a poor diet high in sugar, processed foods and other things; that yes, enamel can be grown back; decay can be stopped and even reversed; and then some. After reading this book I have a whole other understanding of my mouth and have a very similar feeling I had after reading 'The China Study.' Honestly, I could ramble endlessly about this topic of holistic health, so I'll just say, read it, read The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health and take control of your health and wellness. It starts and ends with you.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of helpful basic info on the ecology of our mouths, debunking myths of dental care and such. In general I would lend this book to friends however it sucks to read so much financially inaccessible advice (specifically the recommendations on nutrition/diet are very extreme)

[Alison Cochran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was packed with so much information. I learned so much about holistic oral care. Definitely recommend if that’s something you’re interested in.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of the book (most of the first half) are very good, well researched, and informative, other parts less so.
I've yet to encounter a book that went into such depth on the function and structure of teeth, the effects of dental care, and traditional forms of dental treatment. However, when siting Dr. Price the author misrepresents his research to give the impression that his work supported alkaline diet theories, when the opposite is true.
The author also insists that only 'spring water' be drunk, a recommendation that would require the manufacture of millions more plastic bottles and endless added toxins to the environment. Essential oils are recommended constantly, but this isn't surprising as the author's business is apparently essential oils, however I do take issue with the fact that at least one of her recommended oils was made from a commonly poached herb and while she recommended neem oil highly she never mentioned neem sticks.
So, a lot of good anatomy and dentistry information, but the author's recommendations should be taken with more salt than she recommends brushing with.

[Helen W · Rating 5 out of 5]

A useful short guide to self-care tips you can easily adopt. I read this at a time a particular tooth cavity was worrying me and hurting a great deal (and let's say going to the dentist comes with additional complications for me given some other health issues...which means I will go, but can only face this ordeal at times of the year when health otherwise fairly stable). I adopted some of the routines advised, including the ionic toothbrush referred to, the use of essential oils and self-made toothpaste from bicarb and salt and, well put it this way, I haven't felt a twinge from the tooth in weeks. Our teeth can regenerate - so asserts the book...and why does that feel so much more "true" (and in sync with what some of us already believe about the body) than most of what we are told by the dental industry?

[Marcelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolute must-read for all! Not only does the author explain why you would want to consider self-dentistry (with plenty of cited sources) but she also walks you through how to implement the 8-step self-dentistry regime. She lists tons of resources in the back of the book to assist in your self-dentistry journey. I read this after a dentist told me I might be in need of a filling and it has totally blown my mind. Every chapter I learned something new and fascinating and I have full faith now that I will be able to heal my teeth without a dental professional's interference.

[Laura Hellsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must for everyone interested in taking good care of ones oral and over-all health

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this 3 stars because there are a few tips the normal person can use - baking soda for toothpaste, salt water rinses, and brushing tips. But the average person is never going to be able to afford to a lot of the other recommendations in this book. I can barely get my insurance to cover a root canal, I can guarantee that they're not going to be open to paying for any kind of holistic dental practices recommended here.

There's also the typical suggestions of all-organic, all-natural, pure foods, which - at least in today's economy - most of us are not going to be able to afford for both ourselves and our family, much less have the time to prepare everything from scratch.

Toward the end of the book are some unhelpful recommendations such as using homeopathic remedies, which very unscientific. Ingesting essential oils can be toxic. Some of the new-age stuff is a little silly and I feel should be backed up with some science.

If you're super rich and can afford the best of the best in medical and dental care, probably paying for it all out of pocket, this might be helpful. For everyone else, chapter 8 where the author delineates the basic daily tooth care routine is the only practical information that average person can use from this book.

I didn't dock any stars for the lack of discussion about policy because this is obviously a book focusing on tooth care. However, it's worth it to note how dental care is barely covered by medical care, even though, as the author states, it's a huge component of our physical health. I'd love to see a follow up book on how this information can be disseminated to impact policy makers regarding health (obviously from a US perspective here).

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Negative: Diagrams are vague and often time commentary is negative and fear-mongering, focusing on everything that can go wrong if you don’t follow this book to the T. It can be dramatic and claims about bacteria and health aren’t always accurate. Statements are repetitive and there is a lot of non-relevant information. Very little references for claims about vitamins, EOs, and homeopathy. Contradictory in the way negative effects of chemicals are mentioned but none of the negative effects of EOs or holistic practices are mentioned (even though there is plenty of evidence for this). There is very little elaboration for each section.

Positive: Definitely not the “complete” or comprehensive guide it claims to be, but a good start into the world of holistic (and general) dental care. Easy to read language for someone who is not in the dental or scientific field of study. The tour of the mouth is very interesting and the best written chapter of the entire book.

Overall, it’s frustrating not having logical evidence or references for the claims in this book—even if you believe in them and experience results. There are some practices I will include like the 8 steps, while others I will strongly avoid such as essential oil use and homeopathy. Others require a more detailed look, such as the heavy use of certain herbs. Nadine Artemis does include a lot of other books, dentists, and references to look into, so consider this a beginning to your holistic health journey and take everything… with a grain of salt ;)

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been using Nadine’s products from time to time over a number of years and thought it was about time to read her book. While I know she has a product line that supports her knowledge and eight step protocol outlined in the book, it is in no way a plug to buy her products. In fact, she rarely mentions them.

I chuckled to myself when she mentioned that she once thought that teeth were ‘dead’ and any staining/damage done was irreversible - I had never really put thought into it one way or another but I guess I sort of thought the same. Being able to relate with her on that point, I certainly felt less stupid. So when she was talking about the regenerative process of teeth and gums, I was hooked, mainly because I was relieved. I found this to be super fascinating, eye opening and informative - easy to read and follow along with just the right amount of information to digest and understand.

I will most DEFINITELY be following her protocol AND recommending this book to others.

Overall Rating - 4.8

SIDE NOTE: I am glad that she mentions that some people have sensitivity to cinnamon, I am one of them. It almost feels harsh and like a burning sensation. I say this just in case you are new to this and don’t know if you are sensitive or not; try something else if you end up reacting - or nothing at all - the essential oils are a bonus not a requirement for the process. Don’t let a reaction turn you off and be the reason not to reap the benefits of her suggestions.

[Ngoc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sách xuất bản 2013, khoảng 10 năm trước, hình như là khi bắt đầu nổi lên phong trào sống hòa mình với thiên nhiên, chỉ cần sống lành mạnh, bệnh tật sẽ tự khỏi, vv
Sách có 1 vài lời khuyên hữu ích nhưng mọi người nên cẩn trọng khi đọc và tiếp thu thông tin, đừng trở thành kiểu người anti vaccine hay anti hệ thống y tế nhé, vì nghe giọng văn của tác giả thì mang kha khá thành kiến đó.

Một vài lời khuyên hữu ích có thể kể đến:
- Răng là 1 hệ sống chứ k chỉ là cục đá vô tri, có cả 1 hệ thống tuần hoàn trong răng, kết nối răng với mọi nơi trên cơ thể, tự hồi phục ở mức độ nhất định
- Do đó, hãy chăm sóc sức khỏe toàn cơ thể tốt, tự nhiên răng cũng tốt: ăn đủ chất, hạn chế đồ chế biến sẵn, giảm căng thẳng, tập thể dục bla bla
- Nên dùng bàn chải điện, tăm nước, chỉ nha khoa, cạo lưỡi, baking soda và muối + nước muối
- Chải răng kỹ và nhẹ nhàng, để ý chăm sóc nướu

[vicinthemeadow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been a self-proclaimed “granola gracie” having been raised with a master herbalist auntie. I thought I had a good understanding of oral health care, but this book took it to the next level. The book is 90% education on the structure and anatomy of the mouth, and WHY we need to implement holistic care into dentistry and 10% the actual integrative tips on how to achieve that (which was super direct and to the point)! The knowledge in this book really helped me understand what is for me in dentistry and what isn’t. It was wordy at times and I was thankful for my own post-secondary science background to pull from with the anatomy and physiology talk, but with some googling along the way, it’s easy enough to grasp!

[Ariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an insightful book! The author speaks about the truth of modern dentistry. She opens up about all the harmful effects of dental procedures. The truth about root canals, fillings, etc. I will try to implement all she wrote in this book. Just very sad that we live in a culture where our lifestyle dooms our health. Our bodies are very strong in the sense that they battle all these horrible effects of our diet, etc. It would be so wonderful to live in a world where everywhere we go, we are not exposed to harmful particles in the air. But, alas, we live in this sad world. It’ll be a slow, painful process to rethink my daily decisions in order to begin nourishing my body instead of destroying it.

[Sergio · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 starts. Highly recommended if you want to understand what your teeth are really about. I enjoyed the first chapters describing the anatomy and functions of your denture, and how everything that happens in your mouth is connected with your body, and vice versa.

The tips and recommendations were nice, and I felt some improvement in my own teeth. However, I think the chapter about essential oils is quite biased, and also there is some pseudoscientific stuff mixed with the real scientific evidence that I did not like.

A good introduction and step forward towards integrative medicine, but flawed in some instances.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has great information, which helps free me from what I think is a mainstream dental dictatorship. I already follow some of the principles the author describes, but look forward to trying more. I love the holistic approach; our world already provides us with so many ways to keep our mouths and bodies healthy, as opposed to the mainstream products and procedures that further destroy our health. My main quibble with the book is that her explanations are uneven — sometimes very technical, sometimes not informative enough.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guide explains the connection of mouth health to the health of the brain and gut, including heart disease and other illness. You will learn that teeth are alive and the body has its own system for healing decay, but the wrong diet can reverse that natural healing process. There are tips for using natural oils, toothpaste, and an 8-step process to good oral health. There are also warnings about the potential health hazards associated with root canals and amalgam fillings. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a new, eye-opening perspective on dental care.

[Aggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Mind blowing. Sometimes I wonder why sickness is so prevalent and then I read a book like this one and wonder how anyone is healthy when we blindly follow advice that is so bad for our health. The good news is the book offers eight steps to successful self-dentistry which is great and I can't wait to start incorporating them into my teeth cleaning routine! There was a lot of information in here that was new to me, despite being a part of the natural health community for about a decade now. I'm so glad I read it!

[Stacey Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book 📖 has blown my mind. I’ve studied nutrition, yet I have learned more about the tooth and nutrition connection in the book than I ever could have imagined, and I am not even finished yet. Nadine clearly lays out the importance of diet and tooth care. She also goes in to detail regarding conventional dentistry and their practices are not always helpful at keeping your teeth healthy. I’ve started using her products to clean my teeth and love them. Well done Nadine, I am sharing this book with family and friends 🤩.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This book is informative and debunks a lot of what we think we know about modern dentistry. I will implement a lot of what she recommends as part of my oral care. I’m also cautious to go all the way as I would still like to research more. I also think this books relies too heavily on the use of essential oils, of which I don’t know how to use properly. Basically, the top advice is to eat whole foods, avoid sugar and chemicals as whatever we put into our bodies, it nourishes EVERY part of it, even our teeth.

[Deb L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this!

Health care, including dental care, in America is such an oxymoron. Dentists should be taught this, kids should be taught this! What we are encouraged to do and use as best if care is actually bad for our teeth and our bodies and ensures we will be life-long clients. The basic care suggested here is cheap and easy. Do it, do it now, and tell your friends and family! Im buying a paper copy of this book for my dentist, as well! Highest recommendation, and thank , bless you, Ms Artemis!