Marc The Dental Shaman

Many people who turn toward holistic care are not rejecting dentistry. They are stepping away from fear, pressure, and treatments that never felt fully explained. They want to care for their bodies in a gentler, more intentional way. They pay closer attention to diet, stress, sleep, and daily habits. They choose approaches that support the body rather than override it. And as that awareness grows, a natural question follows. If I am already caring for my mouth holistically at home, do I still...

I’ve had this conversation thousands of times. A patient sits back in the chair and says, “But I floss every day.” And I believe them. After forty years in dentistry, I can tell you this with confidence: most people who are warned about plaque pockets are not careless. They’re usually doing exactly what they were told to do. Brushing. Flossing. Turning up for cleanings. So why does the same warning keep coming up? Because plaque pockets are not a surface problem , and floss is a surface-level...

If flossing hurts your gums, this matters. If your gums bleed every time you try to clean between your teeth, it matters even more. Many people start flossing with good intentions. Then it hurts. Then it bleeds. Then they stop. After that comes guilt. And finally, avoidance. That cycle can run for years. The things I notice over the 40 years, based on decades of real clinical and holistic gum care: Pain is not proof that you’re cleaning well. It’s a warning sign. And sensitive gums do not...