functional dentist Dr. Ariana Ebrahimian
your oral health questions answered + a dentist's view on what to do with all of that Halloween candy!
Dr. Ariana Ebrahimian is one of the incredible people I have met on Instagram through our shared love of all things metabolic health and root-cause medicine. Ariana’s dad is a dentist, and she grew up working in his office in every capacity.
Dr. Ariana initially thought she wanted to go to medical school, but a brief stint in a hospital reminded her that her true love was dentistry. Dr. Ariana is a functional dentist, meaning she gets to the root cause of cavities, gum disease, chronic inflammation, airway dysfunction, TMJ, and oral systemic health.
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One of the fun new things that I can do here on Substack is connect with doctors, dentists, nutritionists, and other specialists to answer your burning questions. Question requests come through Substack chat, so check there often.
Dr. Ariana was kind enough to meet with me today via Zoom to answer all of your oral health questions.
Your questions answered:
I have quite a few mercury fillings. My current dental practice said it’s safer to leave them as is than remove them. I’d like to know what your best dentist thinks and perhaps some resources to explore.
Dr. Ariana: I advocate for removing mercury fillings because they break teeth in the long run, and cause stress on the tooth enamel. It is best to find a practitioner trained in the SMART technique (Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique). The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) has excellent resources and a database to help you find a knowledgeable, trained provider.
I’ve been told it’s okay to have my regular dentist pull a tooth with a mercury filling instead of going to a mercury specialist. Is this true?
Dr. Ariana: This is true only if they are not disrupting the filling. If they are cutting into or breaking the filling, they are releasing mercury vapor.
Do adults need fluoride in their toothpaste? My teeth feel better with organic toothpaste without fluoride.
Dr. Ariana: A new federal court ruling has stated that fluoride is harmful to pregnant women and children and that there is no safe level for children. Read all about the latest ruling here.
Here is an excerpt: “After 7 years of pursuing legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the risk posed to the developing brain by the practice of water fluoridation, the United States District Court of the Northern District of California has just ruled on behalf of the Fluoride Action Network and the plaintiffs in our precedent-setting court case. A U.S. federal court has now deemed fluoridation an “unreasonable risk” to the health of children, and the EPA will be forced to regulate it as such.”
Do adults over 65 need fluoride treatments?
Dr. Ariana: NO, no one needs fluoride treatments. We are not deficient in fluoride.
Should we do the sealants?
Dr. Ariana: Sealants can be helpful for children with deep grooves in their teeth, but they need to be done by a qualified practitioner and be sure that they are BPA-free.
I hear so many bad things about root canals nowadays. I have several pretty old ones. What are the options now to fix it…have a tooth pulled? I am concerned about underlying infection and heart issues.
Dr. Ariana: A root canal is essentially a dead tooth. A dead tooth or dead tissue in the mouth can be a source of infection. I recommend that you be evaluated by a biologic dentist who can do a 3D scan to look around the root tips for any signs of infection.
Are dental dams recommended? If so, are they only used during specific procedures? Our children’s pediatric dentist's office uses them, yet I’ve never had a general dentistry practice use them on my husband or me.
Dr. Ariana: Dental dams are safe and effective for isolating an area. They keep the field dry for dental work, root canals, filling removal, or composite resin treatment. Children are more likely to lick an area where the dentist works, which is probably why you see them used more with children.
How do you effectively reduce or remove PG from the oral flora?
Dr. Ariana: There is evidence that Porphyromonas gingivalis has been found in the brains of people suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia. “Porphyromonas gingivalis, the keystone pathogen in chronic periodontitis, was identified in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients.”
Dr. Ariana suggests running a salivary diagnostic sequence on the oral microbiome to determine if PG is dominant. Do you have low levels of PG? Dr. Ariana says it is important to nourish and feed good bacteria (as with the gut microbiome). Test first, and then come up with a treatment plan to lower bad and raise good bacteria with your doctor’s guidance.
What toothpaste do you recommend?
Dr. Ariana: I recommend nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste, particularly toothpaste that contains FLUIDINOVA’s nanoXIM-CarePaste. Brands that I recommend and contain nano-hydroxyapatite include Risewell, BOKA, FYGG, and Dentalmin PRO.
Toothpaste recommendations for toddlers who can’t yet spit out. Also, wondering about dentists’ thoughts on fluoride for children?
Dr. Ariana: Nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste is meant to be left on teeth to help with re-mineralization, making it perfect for toddlers who cannot spit. Most of the brands mentioned also have flavored toothpaste that appeal to children.
Thoughts on hydroxyapatite for remineralization of teeth rather than fluoride?
Dr. Ariana: Yes! This is what I recommend!
What dental floss do you recommend?
Dr. Ariana: Choose floss that contains no Teflon (which makes floss glide). Instead, choose bamboo floss or waxed Cocofloss.
I know you attended a dental health conference recently- what did you learn about diet and oral health?
You can have a keystone species and still have a healthy oral microbiome, it is not wise to completely eliminate any one species of bacteria.
Allulose reduced AGEs (advanced glycation end products) more than stevia and compared to a typical Western diet in a new rodent study. “Results suggest that allulose is associated with less AGE formation compared to fructose or glucose, and support its safety as a low-calorie sugar alternative.”
What are three simple things everyone should do for oral health?
Eat the rainbow, eat a diverse and metabolically healthy diet. You cannot floss and brush your way out of a bad diet!
Breathe through your nose. Mouth breathing will destroy your oral microbiome.
Your oral microbiome is communicable -you will share an oral microbiome with people you kiss, so be choosy!
Halloween is around the corner; what is your advice for parents?
Let them eat as much as they want, and then get rid of it. Don’t let the candy extend past Halloween!
What are 3 things you would never eat?
Soda - the combination of sugar and acid is the perfect duo for tooth decay.
Fast food and highly processed food are not good for metabolic health, and they are not good for oral health either.
Candy—I would rather choose a sweet treat with some nutritional value. My niece came over this morning, and we made Beth’s pumpkin-shaped snickerdoodle protein balls.
Are there any myths you want to debunk?
Dr. Ariana: You don’t need fluoride to have a healthy mouth!
Today, I am featuring Dr. Ariana’s Favorites!
What are 5 things you are loving right now?
1- My Levels CGM helps to keep me accountable and keeps my metabolic health on track
2- My Oura Ring keeps me honest and makes sure I’m getting my steps
3- My dog Ozzy! - Ozzy gets me out three times a day, which helps me reach my step goals
4- Biocidin Dentalmin PRO: I helped to formulate this toothpaste, and I am very proud of it! It contains FLUIDINOVA’s nanoXIM-CarePaste.
5- Living close to the beach I live in Santa Cruz between the redwoods and the sea, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else
Ways to Connect with Dr. Ariana Ebrahimian
Instagram: @ebrahimianintegrativedentistry and @dr.ariana.e
Website: www.functionalsmiles.com
Thank you🧡
This newsletter wouldn’t be possible without YOU! A huge THANK YOU to all who support my work here on Substack.
I have been sharing blood sugar-friendly, whole-food recipes (gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and mostly dairy-free) on my blog and Instagram for four years now. Along the way, I have met so many people dedicated to root-cause medicine, like Dr. Ariana Ebrahimian. Is there someone you would like to hear from? Who should I interview next?
🧡P.S.
If you know someone with pre-diabetes, diabetes, PCOS, metabolic syndrome, or anyone eating for blood sugar balance, low carb, keto, grain-free, gluten-free, or just eating whole food for better health, will you forward my Substack to them? I would love it if you would share my page with a friend or restack to your notes. Thank you!
🧡Beth
I have been wanting more information on this topic and this was perfect! Thank you
Lots of helpful information! Thank you for taking the time to interview Dr. Ariana so we could get some questions answered. I got a lot from this interview!