A Dental Revolution: A Day in the Chair of a Biological Dentist

Eye-opening, enlightening and surprisingly fun. Words I never imagined I would use to describe a dentist appointment! But that was genuinely my experience when I went to see Dr Sebastien Lomas, or Dr Seb as he's known on his popular Instagram account, a Biological Dentist who takes a refreshingly different and cutting edge approach to dental care.

Written By  Marianne Sheena  - Nutritional Therapist specialising in gut, hormonal and adrenal health. Her approach focuses on combining dietary changes with lifestyle and biohacking techniques to rebalance and restore optimal health.

As a nutritional therapist, I am acutely aware of the fundamental role oral wellness plays in overall health. Recent research has established increasingly strong associations between poor oral health and cardiovascular disease, with studies demonstrating that people with gum disease are significantly more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. This link is thought to be driven by pathogenic bacteria in the mouth entering the bloodstream through diseased gums and forming arterial plaques, which in turn cause atherosclerosis, leading to greater risk of cardiovascular events. Moreover, research has indicated a bidirectional relationship between oral health and diabetes. Inflammation caused by periodontal disease can impair the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, while poorly controlled diabetes can heighten the risk of periodontal disease. Surprisingly, flossing has also been shown to have remarkable longevity benefits. A comprehensive 17-year study demonstrated a staggering 30 percent increase in all-cause mortality among individuals over 50 who never flossed their teeth, compared to those who flossed daily.

Given this, I'm incredibly ashamed to admit I hadn't seen a dentist in over 10 years. Aside from the typical lack of enthusiasm for having unpleasant dental implements poking around in my mouth, the main reason is that modern dentistry deviates significantly from the principles of naturopathy that underpin my nutrition practice. Even the holistic dentists I've researched use products such as fluoride and procedures such as root canals which, although accepted as safe and effective treatments in mainstream dentistry, have been shown to have negative health consequences and which I prefer to avoid if at all possible. I'd come across some ground-breaking holistic dentists based in other countries but I couldn't find a truly biological dentist in the UK… until I came across Dr Seb through his social media videos. I was immediately inspired by the quality of the information he provides and his alignment to the holistic approach that I follow when seeing nutrition clients. I also loved his dedication to educating people on alternative and progressive approaches to looking after dental health. So, after a few months’ wait to get an appointment (he is, unsurprisingly, very much in demand) I didn't hesitate to take an afternoon off work and embark on the three-hour train journey from London to his Wonder of Wellness clinic in Huddersfield which he set up with his wife Ally.

The moment I arrived at the clinic it was evident that everything embodies this holistic approach. From the natural toiletries in the bathroom, to the AquaTru reverse osmosis filtered water and the nutrition books in the waiting room, there is a clear focus on all aspects of health.

The appointment itself was unlike any dentist appointment I've had before. I do my best to take care of my teeth, supplementing the usual brushing routine with flossing, as well as Ayurvedic practices such as tongue-scraping and oil pulling. Nevertheless, despite that, I generally experience considerable pain and sensitivity. This, coupled with the length of time since my last check up, caused some serious nerves before my appointment!

But from the moment the appointment kicked off, Dr Seb made me feel immediately at ease. He started with a chat about my specific concerns and what I was looking to get out of the session. I explained my worries about possible cavities, given the sensitivity I was experiencing, and also some concerns about potential jaw clenching. I was interested to understand whether this could be related to the headaches and neck pain I tend to experience despite my clean diet and use of biohacking techniques.

Before even looking at my teeth, Dr Seb spent the first 15 minutes meticulously examining my jaw, my airway functionality, my breathing, my nostrils, my tongue and my lymph nodes. My approach to nutrition hinges on the foundational principle of identifying the root cause of health issues and the recognition of the intricate interplay between bodily systems. So this thorough assessment was a welcome deviation from a standard dentist consultation. Only after all of this did we come to the inspection of my gums and teeth. The clinic’s meticulous attention to detail was reinforced by the rosemary essential oil I was given to apply topically after my dental X-ray. Dr Seb explained that this provides a protective effect against any cellular damage from the scan.

Dr Seb is particularly passionate about supporting his patients to breathe restoratively and much of his practice is focused on identifying and addressing sleep disordered breathing. He explained that if our breathing is impaired while we're sleeping, our cells are not getting enough oxygen and our bodies spend the night in sympathetic "fight or flight" mode. This is a problem because it means we're in a stress state throughout the time we're asleep which is when our bodies should be repairing themselves and undergoing cellular restoration. When this happens night after night, it can have a monumental impact on our health. We are fatigued, our brain function is impaired and our risk of many diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's increases.

This can be caused by many different factors. According to Dr Seb, some of the key drivers include tongue position, tongue tie, airway integrity, mouth versus nasal breathing and nasal cartilage strength.

Tongue Position - Dr Seb explains that the ideal tongue position is for it to rest along the roof of your mouth. Not only does this create a clearer airway space for air to pass from the nasal passage through to the pharynx, but in this position the tongue also connects to many nerve endings that support the body in moving out of a stress state and into a more restorative "rest and digest" state.

Tongue Tie - A common topic in the context of babies and breast-feeding but not something we tend to consider when it comes to adult health, tongue tie refers to a condition where excess tissue tethers the tip of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. This can impair the tongue's ability to reach the roof of the mouth and as a result negatively impacts tongue positioning and increases the likelihood that the tongue falls into the airway during sleep and causes airway obstruction and teeth clenching.

Airway Integrity - When the muscle tone in the tongue and airway is poor, they are more collapsable at night which commonly leads to snoring and mouth breathing, and as a result creates more stress and inflammation in the body.

Mouth Breathing - Nasal breathing is now a growing area of focus for holistic health practitioners due to the fundamental role it plays in supporting our systemic health. Dr Seb explains that some of the key benefits include:

• Air humidification in the nasal passage - this reduces irritation, with the moisture acting as a protective barrier

• Ensuring better exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs and also therefore in the tissues, reducing the incidence of asthma, coughs and colds

• Increase in nitric oxide production, which causes dilation of the blood vessels in the lungs, enhancing the oxygen-absorbing capacity of the lungs

• Air filtration, reducing irritants entering the lungs

• Reduced tonsil inflammation

If we are mouth breathing, we are losing out on all of these benefits and leaving ourselves in more of a stressed state.

Nasal Strength - Many of us have nasal cartilage which collapses when we breath in. This further impairs our ability to breathe effectively through our noses.