Meetinghouse Dental Care

01/08/2026

Nutrition matters!!!

I have been arguing against the standard American food guide pyramid since my bachelors in nutrition back in college.

In fact, the first thing I did when going into practice is create my own food pyramid. It never made sense to base a diet on 65% carbohydrates. If they pushed healthy ones like sweet potatoes, squash, quinoa, small berries, and apples, then maybe I would accept that, but the pyramid literally has pictures of cereal, bread, rice, etc.

For decades, the Dietary Guidelines favored corporate interests over common-sense, science-driven advice to improve the health of Americans.

Finally, the insanity has come to an end.

The new Dietary Guidelines call for prioritizing high-quality protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (although I still suggest limiting these)… and avoiding highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates.

We are moving in the right direction. Now let’s see if they do a good job marketing this “new” information to the general public.

01/05/2026

Welcome back from winter break! We are open! Cheers to a happy and healthy 2026!

12/26/2025

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Meetinghouse Dental! 🦷 ❄️

12/01/2025

Fluoride has long been promoted as “essential” for dental health — but is it, and at what cost?

Like our previous post explained, fluoride creates a slightly more acid resistant barrier on the outside of the enamel, but does absolutely nothing to address the foundation of tooth decay, which is food impaction, bacteria, and consistently lingering bacterial acids. There are 1,000% better ways to change the oral environment to prevent enamel breakdown and actively encourage remineralization.

More importantly, research continues to show that fluoride can accumulate in bones and tissues, disrupt thyroid function, calcify the pineal gland, and pose risks to developing brains. Even at falsely determined “safe” levels, fluoride does more harm than good.

At Meetinghouse Dental Care, we take a fluoride-free approach, supporting natural remineralization and whole-body wellness instead.

🦷 Protect your smile — safely and naturally.�

11/27/2025

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

11/26/2025

Decay is not a deficiency of Fluoride. In fact, fluoride does not really strengthen the enamel. Contrary to what a lot of dentists say, fluoride disrupts the natural formation of enamel, displacing the hydroxyl molecule (-OH) and binds to the calcium and phosphate minerals. This changes the normal hydroxyapatite crystal and forms Fluorapatite. This Fluorapatite shell binds to the outside of the existing enamel. In theory, the "benefit" would be creating a slightly more acid resistant barrier to slow down oral acids from damaging the enamel.

But long-term, is artificially covering the enamel to "protect" it and then leaving the acid in the mouth going to work? Usually not. At Meetinghouse Dental Care, we choose solutions that work with your body, and address the actual foundation of decay... food impaction, bacterial ratios, and repetitive acid exposure. If we can work to support the saliva's ability to neutralize acids, then we eliminate any potential "need" for fluoride.

Nature already gave us a better option: Hydroxyapatite.
Hydroxyapatite is created from calcium and phosphate, and is what the enamel of our teeth are naturally built out of. When applied through toothpaste or remineralization products, it binds seamlessly to your teeth, filling microscopic cracks and restoring strength — without toxicity.
✅ Safe for all ages�
✅ Biocompatible and non-toxic�
✅ Supports natural remineralization

11/23/2025

Pretty fascinating. Maybe give it a try? Although, until you get good at it, maybe go back in with your dominant hand to make sure you adequately get all the food and debris out!

Try this tomorrow morning: brush your teeth with your non dominant hand.
It will feel awkward and inefficient. That is exactly why it works.

Using your non dominant hand forces your brain to activate both hemispheres instead of relying on a single motor region. Brain imaging studies show that dominant hand movements mainly activate the contralateral motor cortex. Non dominant hand movements activate both the contralateral and ipsilateral sides, which means more of your motor network is working at once.

A study on non dominant hand precision training found that just 10 days of practice significantly improved coordination, and 77 percent of participants kept those improvements for six months. Training increased functional connectivity between sensorimotor areas, the posterior parietal cortex, and premotor regions. This is clear evidence of experience driven neuroplasticity. Research on learning to use chopsticks with the non dominant hand showed that six weeks of training decreased activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which indicates increased efficiency, while activity in bilateral premotor areas increased. This reflects deeper skill learning and expanded neural recruitment.

The reason this works so well is novelty.
New experiences trigger dopamine release, which boosts attention and helps the brain form stronger memories. Dopamine signals that a task is meaningful and should be learned. Studies show that novelty, focused attention, and challenge are powerful drivers of neuroplasticity throughout life. Even in middle aged animals, enriched environments with new tasks and exploration produced a fivefold increase in neural growth markers along with better learning and more exploratory behavior.

Your brain follows a simple principle: neurons that fire together wire together.
Automatic routines strengthen old pathways. New and unfamiliar tasks force the brain to build new ones. When you brush your teeth with your non dominant hand, your brain cannot rely on autopilot. It has to focus, coordinate, and adapt. That struggle is the signal for change.

Break the pattern. Try using your non dominant hand for daily tasks such as brushing your teeth, using your computer mouse, writing notes, stirring food, or eating with chopsticks. The discomfort you feel is your brain building new neural pathways. Challenge creates growth. Consistent novelty trains your brain the same way consistent weight lifting trains your body.

Build your brain daily.

Key Studies:
Philip and Frey 2016, Neuropsychologia. PMID: 27059395
Kim et al. 2019, Scientific Reports. PMID: 31882808
Dassonville et al. 1997, PNAS. PMID: 9391169
Kim et al. 2003, NeuroImage. PMID: 14568423
Kempermann et al. 2002, Journal of Neuroscience. PMID: 12077205
Mahncke et al. 2006, PNAS. PMID: 16916904
Merzenich et al. 1996, Science. PMID: 8553117

11/20/2025

Decay Prevention — The Natural Way
�Tooth decay isn’t inevitable — it’s preventable with the right approach. At Meetinghouse Dental Care, we focus on restoring your mouth’s natural balance instead of just drilling and filling. Supporting your oral microbiome, decreasing the length of time sugar and carbs spend in the mouth, increasing minerals through diet, hydroxyapatite toothpaste, and other natural oral homecare can halt decay before it starts.

🦷 Key tips for natural decay prevention:�• Minimize sugars and processed carbohydrates
• Consume mineral rich foods
• Supplement with D3, K2, Magnesium, and Vitamin C
• Remove food from the mouth as quickly as possible throughout the day
• Always brush and floss at night�• Use remineralizing toothpaste with hydroxyapatite (not fluoride!)�• Stay hydrated for healthy saliva flow
�

11/18/2025

Removing food from between the teeth, is one of the most important parts about home care. Food, specifically sugar and carbohydrates, feed bacteria, which intern causes the fermentation of acid. It is this acid that causes the slow demineralization of calcium and phosphate from the enamel wall.

The exact method of food removal changes from person the person, but in general, some type of interproximal flossing is required. String floss, floss on handles, soft picks, and water flossers are all great options. We have tried quite a few water flossers and this company makes a good one that meets both function and affordability!

Flossing doesn’t have to be a fight.

Our Water Flosser makes it easy - especially if you’ve got braces, plaque buildup, or sensitive gums.

✨ Braces? Water reaches where string can’t.
✨ Plaque? Pulses remove up to 99.9% from treated areas.
✨ Sensitive gums? Start on Soft mode for a gentle clean.

And the best part? It’s one of the only flossers you can safely use with essential oils. Add a few drops of our Balanced Mouth Blend for a minty, microbiome-loving finish.

11/05/2025

This article claims to have a gel coming out soon that can help regrow enamel.

Prof Alvaro Mata, chair in biomedical engineering and biomaterials who led the study, said the new substance "can be easily and rapidly applied".

"We are very excited because the technology has been designed with the clinician and patient in mind," he said.

"Recreating natural enamel to repair teeth has been something of a 'Holy Grail' for dental materials scientists for many years, where this paper suggests an exciting breakthrough has been made."

I wonder if they truly invented a new break through for enamel fortification, or if this is just traditional dentistry catching up to how beneficial hydroxyapatite is for rebuilding the enamel with calcium and phosphate?

A university says the new material is "opening up new possibilities" for treatment.

10/22/2025

To All Patients. Please be aware that we did not send out any emails from DropBox with encrypted files. A quick search shows that this is a new and very common fishing scheme going on (see below post). They are using our email in the body of the message to imply we are the sender, but if you look at who actually sent it, it says something like no-reply@DocSend.com. Do not click on anything. Report or delete it.

📢 **SCAM ALERT: Dropbox DocSend Email Phishing Scam** 📢

🚨 **Beware of Fake DocSend Emails Targeting Your Inbox** 🚨

We’ve been alerted to a new **email phishing scam** circulating, disguised as a **DocSend file share request**. The email may look legitimate, appearing to come from trusted contacts or companies. However, clicking on the link will direct you to a **malicious website** designed to steal your login credentials or install malware.

🔎 **How to Spot the Scam:**
✅ The sender’s email address may look slightly off (e.g., subtle spelling errors or unfamiliar domains).
✅ The link redirects to a site that does NOT belong to DocSend (check the URL carefully).
✅ You may be asked to enter sensitive information, such as passwords or financial details.

⚠️ **What to Do:**
🔒 **Do NOT click** on suspicious links or download unknown attachments.
📤 **Report** the email as phishing in your email client.
🔐 **Verify** with the sender through a separate, trusted method before opening any unexpected DocSend files.
🔍 **Stay Informed:** Keep your software and antivirus protection up to date to help prevent scams.

👉 **Share this post to help protect others from falling for this phishing attempt.** Stay safe online! 💻🔒

10/09/2025

Flashback to our IAOMT presentation on decay prevention an enamel remineralization in Las Vegas. Meetinghouse Dental provides education on this topic during every new patient exam, and we continue to stress the importance throughout the office at other appointments! We believe more offices should be sharing this preventative education so Dr. Anthony spoke at the biologic dental seminar to spread the information and importance with other likeminded dental professionals!

Dr. Anthony got the opportunity to present today at the IAOMT (International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology) conference in Cesars Palace Las Vegas. We have been educating patients on decay prevention and enamel remineralization for over 10 years at Meetinghouse Dental, and we think this is something that would be extremely beneficial for all dental offices to incorporate for their patients. Proper education on home care and nutrition to remove foods and balance salivary/plaque acids allow the patient to take a more proactive approach to decay prevention!