Monday, June 24, 2019

Pioneers in Health Care


Pioneers in Health Care
The Doctors at Total Care Dental and Wellness have been called Pioneers, for their innovative and health-focused patient care, but what exactly IS a pioneer?   Is the day of the pioneer gone – already claimed by Edison for his invention of the lightbulb, the Wright Brothers with their world changing airplane, and all of those dusty covered wagons conquering the “west”?  Is there a need for pioneers today?

I wasn’t sure of the answer, so I looked up the definition of pioneer.  Webster tells us a pioneer “is a person who begins or helps develop something new and prepares the way for others to follow.”  Well, those pioneer shoes are big shoes to fill, but I must admit, our doctors are doing exactly this.
Dentistry has been around a long time.  Are there really new things that need to be developed?  The answer is yes, because we’re learning more about the effect of oral health on overall health every single day.  What you put in your mouth and do to your mouth GREATLY affects the rest of you. 
Our very own doctors are developing methods and protocols that improve health, and we are preparing the way for others to follow (more on that at the end because we need your help!)  I thought you’d like to know what we’ve been up to!

Dr. Michelle Jorgensen, DDS, TNC, CNAS, FAGD

I started Total Care Dental nearly 20 years ago, with a focus on incredible patient care.  Patients loved this approach and the practice grew.  Then I got sick.  Really sick.  The practice was for sale until I figured out my problem was mercury poisoning – from the fillings I had been drilling out. In order to get well, I had to learn a new way of taking out mercury fillings (all those silver fillings are 50% mercury…).
This started me down a health and wellness journey that I didn’t expect.  I have since completely converted the practice to a Health Based Dental and Wellness office, become a Therapeutic Nutritional Counselor, a Certified Autoimmune Nutritional Specialist and am completing a Traditional Naturopath licensure program.  What a ride! 
·         Created protocols to incorporate herbal and homeopathic treatments for healing, pain relief and overall wellness.
·         Developed a health coach program and Patient Care Guide to help people with their Nutrition and Lifestyle
·         For our out of state patients, started a virtual consult portal and on-site all-inclusive treatment program
·         Wrote Healthy Mouth, Healthy You – a guide to Holistic Dentistry that can be found on Amazon.
I knew I had to have partners in this adventure, so I scouted out doctors that are THE BEST in what they do in the country.

Dr. Chase Larsen, DMD
After getting a degree in neuroscience, he attended dental school, then got accepted into a a rigorous residency program.  In his residency he learned to do dental revisions and IV sedation.   He is our on-site Healthy Cosmetic Dentistry master.  I have completed hundreds of smile makeovers, but I send everyone to him now!  He has such attention to detail, and the smiles he creates, with very conservative, health conscious treatments, are spectacular!  He also performs a lot of our dental restorative work – fillings and crowns, along with safe metal removal.
·         Created the Bio-Luxe veneer.  This is a very conservative, cost effective same day smile makeover treatment.  Without changing your underlying tooth, he can change your smile in one appointment!
·         Became certified to place no-drill porcelain veneers for more extensive, longer lasting smile changes
Dr. Sergio Montes, DMD
Dentistry is a second career for Dr. Montes.  He started in cellular and molecular biology and worked in a lab studying heart disease and aging.  He decided to go to dental school, and after graduating built a holistic based dental practice in Arizona.  His practice was very successful, but he and his family felt drawn to Utah.  Through a mutual contact, he was led to our office, and has since sold his practice in Arizona and is with us full time.  He has been an instructor for Biomimetic Dentistry for years and is in the process of becoming a Naturopath.  He focuses on creating Biomimetic (mimicking nature) dental restorations and infection removal and surgeries.
·         Helped us create our ozone protocols, including ozonating all of our water that we treat with and adding ozone oils to protocol.
·         Created a conservative sleep therapy program conservative sleep when c-pap and other appliances aren’t effective

Dr. Myles Preble, DDS
A renowned dentist in the holistic and biologic world, Dr. Preble is truly a pioneer.   He performed safe metal removal and other holistic practices for more than 20 years, until he also became sick from mercury and had to sell his practice.  This led him to learning more about Nutrition and the genetic components of health, so he could heal and help others.  He performs many of our new patient exams and does Wellness testing and counseling.
·         Provides long-lasting relief for TMJ and sleep problems with appliances that fix the problem rather than just covering it up.  Uses DNA (Trios) appliance and the Myobrace for children.
·         One of the most highly trained dentists in the world in nutrition and genomics


Dr. Brian Jones, DDS

Dr. Jones is a new addition to our team, but not new to dentistry.  He has spent the last years teaching the next generation of dental students at Roseman Dental School.  He was highly regarded as a level-headed, detail oriented dentist that was a favorite of students and staff alike.  Wanting to have more hands-on treatment opportunities, he sought out Total Care Dental.  He loves the holistic approach to health care and is excited to bring his restorative and surgical skills to our office.
·         Developed the protocols for healthy wisdom teeth removals, including using ozone to disinfect and fibrin and stem cells from the patient to help the areas heal properly
·         Becoming SMART certified for mercury removal
I am so excited to have this team of doctors, that are truly pioneers, here with me at Total Care Dental and Wellness.  You are in good hands. 
If you like what we are doing, tell others about it.  Ask them to seek out dentists in their area that are open to changing and learning (not all of them are unfortunately) and help us spread the word!  This is our own mountain to climb, and the climb is worth it.  Patients that have answers for the first time, stories of people being able to start back into the career, be the grandma they have wanted to be, or just feel like themselves again – these are the reasons this pioneering is worth it.  Thank you for helping us lead the way.

Dr. Michelle Jorgensen