Over the course of my career in dental hygiene, I noticed a recurring and significant concern: many patients showed signs of inflammation and bleeding in their gum tissue, even when they maintained excellent oral hygiene with daily brushing and flossing. When I referred them to their physicians, the results were eye-opening—many returned with diagnoses such as pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid disorders, and in some cases, cancer.

This is what we in dentistry call the oral-systemic connection: the mouth provides important clues about overall health. Gum tissue, in particular, can serve as a window into what is happening within the body. I wanted to know why these reactions were happening. What was the root cause?

While my dental and advanced gum therapy training gave me strong knowledge of oral health processes and treatments, it didn’t fully answer the “whys.” My curiosity led me to explore holistic and natural approaches. The body is designed for self-preservation, and I became deeply interested in how we can support it naturally to restore balance—rather than simply masking symptoms with medications.

Again and again, my research led me back to the digestive system. It is the foundation of health—the “mother” of the body—responsible for fueling and nourishing every system. When digestion is impaired, the downstream effects often reveal themselves in other ways, including oral health concerns.

Over the years, I saw patients burdened with multiple medications, often taking one drug to manage the side effects of another. I knew there had to be a better way. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored this reality: when our office reopened, many patients were struggling with a wide range of health challenges—digestive issues, anxiety, skin conditions, cancer diagnoses, and more. These conversations with patients inspired me to go back to school to formally study nutrition and holistic health.

Today, I integrate my decades of dental experience with my advanced training in nutrition to help people uncover and address the root causes of their health struggles. I believe in using food as medicine and lifestyle choices as powerful tools for healing. My role is not to diagnose or treat disease, but to support the body so it can function as it was designed to—self-regulating and self-preserving.

I use functional testing as a guide, helping to identify the underlying drivers of imbalance. These insights allow me to design an individualized plan tailored to your unique needs. My goal is to give you tools and strategies to improve your well-being and help you feel your best.

If this approach resonates with you, I invite you to book a free discovery call to see if we’re the right fit. Together, we can explore a path toward better health.