Functional Dentistry For Whole-Body Health
At Spring Oaks Dental, Dr. Kassi Klein, Dr. Rachel Buckley, and Dr. Blake Swonke believe dentistry should support your overall health, not just your teeth and gums. Our team offers a variety of nontraditional and functional options that can improve healing, reduce discomfort, and respect individual patient needs. We never insist on one treatment path over another. Instead, we listen to your goals, explain your choices, and work with you so you can decide what feels right for you.
Functional dentistry recognizes the mouth as part of the entire body. Oral health can influence your sleep, breathing, and even contribute to systemic conditions. That’s why our practice places equal emphasis on the oral-systemic connection, patient comfort, and safe, biocompatible materials.
What is Functional Dentistry?
Functional dentistry is an approach that looks beyond the teeth and gums to consider the role of the airway, bite, and body in oral health. It addresses the root causes of dental issues rather than just dealing with their symptoms alone. For example, when filling a cavity, our team may also evaluate your airway health, sleep patterns, and jaw alignment to understand why the problem occurred in the first place.
SMART—Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique
Amalgam fillings were once widely used in dentistry, but today dentists better understand their risks. Mercury, a component of amalgam, is now known to be a neurotoxin. For patients with sensitivities, these fillings can contribute to chronic inflammation and other health concerns.
At Spring Oaks Dental, our team follows the SMART protocol. This is the Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique, a method that uses specialized barriers and suction to protect patients from mercury vapor during the removal process. By following SMART standards, we help reduce exposure and safeguard both our patients and staff. This includes a range of measures such as protective gowns, non-latex nitrile gloves, face shields, head coverings, and dental dams, just to name a few.
Myofunctional Therapy
Poor muscle habits can contribute to sleep apnea, TMJ issues, and orthodontic relapse. Myofunctional therapy focuses on correcting tongue and muscle function in the mouth and face. With simple daily exercises, patients can retrain their muscles, improve breathing, and support long-term oral health.
Ozone Gas Therapy
Ozone is a naturally occurring gas with antibacterial and healing properties. At Spring Oaks Dental, we use medical-grade ozone gas therapy for both periodontal care and restorative dentistry. In periodontal therapy, ozone is applied beneath the gums to kill bacteria, reduce infection, and promote tissue healing. As part of restorative therapy, ozone can be placed under crowns or fillings to reduce sensitivity and improve longevity.
Choosing Safer Materials
Biocompatibility Testing Explained
Many patients are concerned about how dental materials interact with the rest of their body—and with good reason. At Spring Oaks Dental, we take these concerns seriously. Every filling, crown, or anesthetic contains substances, and our team works hard to avoid any potential trigger reactions in sensitive individuals. We work with Body Meridian Testing to ensure every material we use is safe and compatible for each patient.
How the Process Works:
- A complete list of all dental materials used in our office, from anesthetics to sutures, is compared with your personal test results
- Biomeridian testing helps us to identify which substances may cause sensitivities, inflammation, or unwanted reactions with your body chemistry
- Only the safest, most compatible materials are recommended for your care
Why It Matters
Using compatible materials ensures your comfort and long-term health. Incompatible materials can sometimes contribute to fatigue, headaches, or persistent inflammation. By choosing materials that work with your body, we aim to support whole-body wellness, not just a healthy smile.
A Personalized Approach
No two patients are alike, so we tailor the choice of materials to your body’s needs. This adds an extra layer of safety and reassurance to every visit. You’re in safe hands with the team at Spring Oaks Dental.
Prolozone Therapy
Prolozone Therapy combines the benefits of ozone with nutritional support to reduce inflammation and speed recovery. Treatment involves two steps:
- First, a small injection of procaine and B12 helps prepare the cells for ozone. It is also a numbing agent.
- A second injection delivers ozone gas to the tissue, reducing inflammation, stimulating repair, and reducing discomfort.
Prolozone Therapy is often recommended for toothaches, joint pain, and patients looking to preserve their natural teeth as long as possible. If you would like further information about Prolozone Therapy, speak to your dentist.
Biological Extractions With PRF
Our office offers biological extractions with platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) therapy. This treatment encourages a faster and healthier recovery after tooth extractions. The process involves drawing a small amount of the patient’s blood, spinning it in a centrifuge, and separating the fibrin layer rich in growth factors, collagen, and healing proteins. The fibrin is placed directly into the extraction site to stimulate bone and tissue repair.
PRF can reduce discomfort, lower the risk of infection, and support long-term bone strength in the extraction area. Please let us know before you schedule your appointment if you’d like PRF along as part of your tooth extraction procedure.
Invest in your smile with confidence
Payment options at Spring Oaks Dental
Wondering how to make dental care fit into your budget?
At Spring Oaks Dental, we never want cost to be a barrier to your health. That’s why we offer CareCredit, flexible financing through Cherry, FSA and HSA plans, and in-house payment plans for patients undergoing extensive care.
Want another way to save? Join our Spring Oaks Dental Loyalty Program.
Interested in our other treatment options?
Our Other Services
General Dentistry
Keep your smile bright and healthy with our general dentistry preventive checkups and treatments.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Let us help you fix imperfections and transform your smile so you can feel confident each and every day.
Restorative Dentistry
A range of treatments that repair, restore, and bring much-needed stability to damaged teeth.
Airway Dentistry
Our approach to airway dentistry focuses on breathing, sleep quality, and improving wellbeing.
