Overview
What this book is about
Holistic Dental Care is a comprehensive guide to achieving and maintaining excellent oral health through natural means, self-care, and an understanding of the mouth as an integrated living system rather than a set of inert bones to be drilled and filled. Artemis, founder of the botanical skincare and oral care company Living Libations, argues that the standard Western model of dentistry — fluoride, mercury amalgams, root canals, braces, and twice-yearly cleanings — treats symptoms rather than causes, and that informed individuals can largely become dentally self-sufficient.
The book's central scientific claim draws on the forty-year research of Dr. Ralph Steinman and endocrinologist John Leonora: teeth contain an active internal fluid system — dentinal fluid — that flows outward from the pulp through miles of microscopic tubules to the enamel surface, carrying nutrients and flushing toxins. This flow is regulated by a hormone from the hypothalamus acting through the parotid gland. When the system is healthy, this "invisible toothbrush" prevents decay and allows teeth to remineralize. When diet, stress, blood sugar imbalances, or hormonal disruption reverse the flow, bacteria and acids are actively drawn inward and decay begins. This systemic understanding reframes cavities not as a surface-hygiene failure but as a metabolic and nutritional event.
Artemis pairs this physiological framework with an eight-step daily oral care protocol, extensive botanical medicine (essential oils, neem, clove, cinnamon, sea-buckthorn, and others), and sharp critiques of conventional dental materials and procedures including mercury amalgam, fluoride, commercial toothpastes, root canals, and orthodontic extractions. The foreword is written by co-author Victor Zeines, DDS, MS, a holistic dentist of over 25 years, who validates the book's accuracy and notes it covers meridian-tooth relationships that most dental literature ignores.
The book also applies its framework to children and families — addressing prenatal nutrition, breast-feeding, teething, early dietary choices, and why childhood cavities are a nutritional problem, not an inevitable rite of passage — making it directly relevant for parents who want to raise children with healthy, decay-free teeth.
Key Ideas
The core frameworks and findings
1
Teeth are alive and can regenerate
Enamel, dentine, and pulp are living tissues. Teeth have their own stem cells (odontoblasts) that can form secondary dentine when decay is halted by improving the oral environment. Early-stage cavities can reverse without drilling.
2
The invisible toothbrush: dentinal fluid flow
A centrifugal outward flow of nutrient-rich fluid through dentinal tubules is the primary defense against decay. This flow is governed by the hypothalamic–parotid gland endocrine axis. Sugar, processed food, high blood sugar, and stress reverse the flow, drawing microbes inward.
3
Fluoride is harmful, not protective
Decay is not caused by fluoride deficiency. Fluoride accumulates in the pineal gland and brain, disrupts collagen, lowers IQ, promotes early puberty, and is listed by the EPA as a neurotoxin. It should not be in toothpaste, water, or dental treatments.
4
Mercury amalgam fillings are a serious systemic toxin
Mercury is the most toxic non-radioactive substance on earth. Amalgam releases mercury vapor continuously — especially during chewing (up to 15,000% increase) and when drinking hot liquids. Mercury disrupts the endocrine system, gut flora, immune function, and mitochondria, and is linked to Alzheimer's and autism. Removal should follow a safe protocol (Huggins protocol).
5
Root canals harbor lethal bacterial infection
Research by Weston A. Price and George Meinig documented that bacteria trapped in root canal–treated teeth become anaerobic and produce potent toxins that correlate with heart disease, joint disease, and chronic degenerative conditions. Root canals should be avoided or, if present, removed with proper care.
6
Diet is the foundation of oral health
Fat-soluble vitamins A (retinol), D3, K2, and E, along with minerals including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and silica, are essential for dentine formation and remineralization. The ideal calcium-to-phosphorus blood ratio is 10:4 (Melvin Page). Blood sugar should be kept at approximately 85 mg/dL. Phytic acid in grains, beans, and seeds blocks mineral absorption and must be neutralized by soaking, fermenting, or stone-grinding.
7
Sugar causes decay internally, not topically
Studies confirm that sugar touching teeth does not cause decay; decay occurs when dietary sugar disrupts the endocrine system, depletes minerals, spikes blood sugar, and reverses dentinal fluid flow. Processed carbohydrates and grains (especially those high in phytic acid) are the real dietary culprits.
8
Commercial toothpastes and mouthwashes contain harmful chemicals
Propylene glycol (antifreeze), SLS/SLES (skin irritants, endocrine disruptors), triclosan (registered pesticide, hormone disruptor), FD&C dyes (heavy metals, hyperactivity), artificial sweeteners, trisodium phosphate, ethanol (mouthwash — causes oral cancer), and glycerin (coats teeth, blocks remineralization) are all common toothpaste or mouthwash ingredients that damage oral and systemic health.
9
Essential oils and botanicals are superior oral care agents
Genuine botanical essential oils (neem, clove, cinnamon, oregano, tea tree, peppermint, thyme linalool, sea-buckthorn, rose otto, cardamom, cayenne) are antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and tissue-regenerating. Unlike antibiotics, bacteria do not develop resistance to them. They penetrate the lipid layer of gum tissue and reach the lymph system.
10
Modern malocclusion is a nutritional and structural problem, not genetic
Weston A. Price documented that indigenous populations eating traditional diets had nearly perfect dentition. Within two generations of adopting Western diets, their descendants developed crowded teeth and narrow jaws. Breast-feeding shapes the palate; factory foods shrink the jaw. Braces can damage root structure (up to 90% of enamel affected), stunt facial growth, and narrow airways — contributing to sleep apnea.
11
Teeth are connected to every organ via meridians
Based on electroacupuncture research (Dr. Reinhard Voll), 80% of illness is related to oral decay. Each tooth sits on a meridian that connects it to specific organs and glands. A tooth ache can originate from an organ imbalance and vice versa.
12
The mouth-heart connection is direct
Gum disease doubles the risk of fatal heart attack and triples stroke risk (Sinatra, Rams). Flossing with essential oils and maintaining gum health is a primary cardiovascular health practice.
13
Children's cavities are preventable and often reversible
Prenatal nutrition (K2 as important as folic acid), breast-feeding, and real food from the start are the foundations. Brown lesions on baby teeth signal the tooth is still healing — not an automatic indication for drilling. Dental sealants leak BPA and are counterproductive.
Contents
Chapter by chapter — click to expand
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Introduction
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Chapter 1 — The Invisible Toothbrush
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Chapter 2 — Your Teeth Are Alive: A Tooth Tour
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Chapter 3 — May Be Harmful if Swallowed
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Chapter 4 — Mad Hatters, Mavericks, and Modern Dentistry
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Chapter 5 — Processed Food = Processed Teeth
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Chapter 6 — Oral Care for Children
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Chapter 7 — Braces: Heavy Metal or Harmonized Health
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Chapter 8 — Successful Self-Dentistry in Eight Steps
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- Salt rinse (alkalizes, antimicrobial — dissolve 1 oz salt in 16 oz hot water)
- Tongue scraping (removes microbes and mucus, improves taste and breath)
- Brushing the gums (dry soft brush, neem oil + essential oil serum, gums-toward-teeth direction, light touch)
- Polishing the teeth (round-head electric brush, equal-parts salt and baking soda polish)
- Checking gum lines (rubber-tipped gum tool or sulcus brush at the sulcus)
- Flossing (essential oil on floss — antifungal, antibacterial)
- Final rinse (brine, or alternate with magnesium oil or iodine rinse)
- Extra gum care (oral irrigator/VitaPick to flush gum pockets with brine + essential oil)
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Chapter 9 — Beneficial Botanicals
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Chapter 10 — More Tooth Tips (A–Z Reference)
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Epilogue
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Practical Takeaways
What to actually do with this
Step 1: Salt rinse — 1 oz sea salt dissolved in 16 oz hot spring water; use shot glass, swish and spit before brushing
Step 2: Scrape tongue front to back 2–3 passes with metal scraper or spoon edge
Step 3: Brush gums with dry soft-bristle brush + 1 drop neem oil + 1 drop essential oil serum; brush FROM gum TOWARD tooth (downward on top, upward on bottom); very light touch
Step 4: Polish teeth with round-head electric brush using 50/50 baking soda and sea salt mixture
Step 5: Run rubber-tipped gum tool or sulcus brush along gum line (sulcus) with essential oil serum
Step 6: Floss with a drop of essential oil (clove, cinnamon, or oregano) rubbed onto floss
Step 7: Final salt-water rinse; alternate with magnesium oil rinse or iodine water weekly
Step 8: Oral irrigator (VitaPick) — flush gum pockets with brine + essential oil dilution
Neem oil (antibacterial, anti-inflammatory gum care)
Ionic toothbrush (creates negative ions, removes 40% more plaque)
Essential oils: clove, cinnamon, oregano, peppermint, sea-buckthorn, neem
Aluminum-free baking soda + sea salt (tooth polish and pH balancer)
Sea salt (Himalayan or unrefined) for rinsing
Clay (bentonite or zeolite) for brushing and gum detox packs
Atomic iodine (1 drop in water — weekly immune gargle)
Magnesium oil (alternate mouth rinse — systemic magnesium support)
All commercial fluoride toothpaste and fluoride treatments
SLS/SLES-containing toothpaste or mouthwash
Alcohol-based mouthwash (ethanol — oral cancer risk)
Glycerin-containing oral products (blocks remineralization)
Mercury amalgam fillings (seek safe removal via Huggins protocol)
Avoid root canals if possible; if existing, consult holistic dentist
Avoid dental sealants for children (BPA leaching)
Avoid tooth bleaching/whitening kits (enamel destruction)
Prioritize fat-soluble vitamins: K2 (pasture butter, natto, aged Gouda), D3 (sun daily 10–15 min, cod-liver oil, eggs), A retinol (pasture meat/organ meats/dairy)
Get phosphorus, magnesium, silica: dark chocolate (raw), pasture-raised meat, horsetail/nettle/oat-straw tea
Maintain blood sugar at ~85 mg/dL; test fasting glucose each morning
Eliminate or dramatically reduce sugar, refined carbohydrates, and processed food
Soak, sprout, or ferment all grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds before eating (neutralizes phytic acid)
Eat probiotic-rich fermented foods weekly (natto, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir)
Drink spring water or filtered non-fluoridated, non-chloridated water exclusively
Prenatal: supplement K2 (as important as folic acid), D3, A, omega-3; herbal tea of horsetail, nettles, oat straw for minerals
Breast-feed as long as possible — shapes the palate and jaw
Night nursing does not cause cavities
No formula, processed juice, or processed food from birth
Start tongue-cleaning and tooth wiping with cloth from first tooth emergence
Introduce salt-water swishing at 18 months; dry toothbrush only (no toothpaste)
If brown lesions appear — apply salt rinse, baking soda, clay; monitor for natural reversal before any dental intervention
Prioritize wide-arch jaw development through real food, breast-feeding, and jaw-forward posture — avoid braces if possible
Cod-liver oil (D3 + A in natural ratio)
Vitamin K2 MK-7 (menaquinone — from fermented foods or supplement)
Magnesium (highly deficient in Western diet; supports bone, alkalinity)
Blood tests to monitor: Ca:P ratio, blood sugar, CRP, homocysteine, thyroid (TSH), hormone panel, vitamin D
Find a mercury-free / biological dentist
Request composite (resin) fillings over amalgam
Do not accept routine X-rays — request digital low-radiation or decline unless clinically indicated
Use clay packs post-extraction or post-amalgam removal to draw toxins
Huggins protocol for safe amalgam removal (sequential removal, vitamin C IV, specific immune support)
See Also
Related books in the library
catherine-shanahan/deep-nutrition.md — fat-soluble vitamins, ancestral diets, and the structural consequences of industrial food; directly reinforces the Weston Price material in Chapter 5arnold-ehret/mucusless-diet-healing-system.md — mucus, toxins, and body purification; relevant to the digestive-oral connection and bad breathJack Kruse books on light and biology — circadian light affects hormones, cortisol, and the hypothalamic axis that Artemis identifies as the root controller of dentinal fluid flow; sunlight for D3 production; pineal gland calcification from fluoride