A Holistic Dentist Who Sees the Whole You
Looking for a holistic dentist in Seattle who treats your mouth as part of your body? At SMILES ON 35th, Dr. Rubecca Shahid pairs testing, materials chosen with your body in mind, and care coordinated with your physician, so your dental care fits the rest of your health.
Your mouth is part of your health
You track your sleep, your labs and your training. Your dental care should keep up.
Maybe you've read that gum health and heart health are connected, or you'd rather know what's in a filling before it goes in your mouth. Maybe a harsh rinse once left your mouth stinging. Yet most dental visits still start and end with the tooth in front of the dentist.
Holistic dentistry looks wider. Gum disease is chronic inflammation, and research links it to heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. The airway shapes your sleep. So we test for the bacteria and inflammation behind problems, choose materials that work well with your body, and bring in your physician when a finding reaches beyond your mouth. Our office is mercury-free, and we use plant-based rinses and gels that aren't harsh, unlike the chemical ones you may have used in the past.
See what your first visit includes
Health beyond teeth
Holistic and biological dentistry is about care that supports the rest of your health, with reasons you can see and products that feel gentle.
Your exam covers your gums, bite, jaw joints, airway and medical history, not only your teeth, so your dental care lines up with the way you already look after yourself. Nothing about your health is treated as unrelated.
A simple saliva test shows which bacteria are at work in your mouth, and a blood test looks for inflammation and nutritional gaps. Treatment targets what the results show. Retesting shows what's improved.
We don't place silver (amalgam) fillings. Restorations use biocompatible, metal-free materials such as ceramic and composite resin, and metal-free ceramic implants are available.
Plant-based StellaLife rinses and gels support healing without the sting of harsh chemical rinses, so aftercare feels soothing rather than something to endure.
When a finding reaches beyond your mouth, we work with your physician, or one from our network, so your care is coordinated instead of siloed.
What holistic care looks like here
A holistic dentist looks at how your mouth affects your overall health, and how your health affects your mouth. These four parts of our care make that practical, visit after visit.
Saliva and blood testing
A quick rinse shows the bacteria behind gum disease and decay. Blood tests look for inflammation and nutritional gaps.
Metal-free materials
Our office is mercury-free. Ceramic crowns, composite fillings and zirconia (ceramic) implants avoid metal and are chosen to last.
Plant-based products
Plant-based StellaLife rinses and gels aren't harsh like chemical rinses such as chlorhexidine, and they support comfortable healing after treatment.
Nutritional counseling
Recommendations come from your own test results, with nutritionists as partners when you want more support for whole-body health.
Who holistic dentistry helps
It suits health-conscious adults who want their dental care to fit their wider health, people who prefer metal-free materials or have reacted to materials or harsh rinses before, and anyone whose gum or cavity problems keep coming back despite good habits.
If you have old silver fillings, we examine each one and explain what we see. We recommend replacing a filling when there's a clinical reason, so every decision is based on your mouth, not a trend.
Book your comprehensive exam
From your health history to retesting
History and goals
We start with your medical history, health goals, medications and any concerns about materials or past reactions.
Exam and testing
A full exam of teeth, gums, bite, jaw joints and airway, with saliva and blood testing to see what's driving inflammation.
A plan that treats causes
We walk through your results together and recommend the most conservative care that will last, with gentle, plant-based aftercare.
Maintain and retest
Check-ups are set by your risk, and retesting shows whether treatment is working and where to adjust.
A gentle dentist who champions your lifelong health
Dr. Rubecca Shahid owns SMILES ON 35th in Wedgwood and leads your care herself, gently and with time to listen. Her own health struggles, then her mother's diagnosis, left her asking what the point of all our hard work is without the health to enjoy it. Longevity dentistry is her answer: care that protects your mouth and your health, so you can enjoy the life you're building.
Her care is conservative: she saves natural tooth wherever she can, chooses the least invasive option that will last, and recommends only treatment that truly helps you. When a tooth needs more, she shows you why. She is empathetic and thorough, with clear choices and no pressure.
She champions your long-term health and has trained to deliver on it. A Kois Center graduate, one of about 1,200 dentists worldwide, she completes nearly eight times the continuing education Washington requires every year. Her training spans prevention, function and sleep, restoration and smile design, so one dentist who knows you can plan each stage, close to home.
- Advanced training in diagnosis, treatment planning and bite stabilization from the Kois Center
- Biomimetic Dentistry Practitioner with mastership from the Alleman Center
- Member of American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
- Member of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
I came to longevity dentistry through my own health journey, wanting to understand why problems start and how to prevent them. What I needed then is what I want for you now: more good years, a smile you feel good about, and a dentist who listens.
The training behind whole-body care
Holistic dentistry should rest on evidence, not hype. These are the specifics behind ours.
Trained in whole-body health
Dr. Shahid is trained in treating inflammation in your mouth and analyzing your health history and markers, to build a personalized plan that supports your total body health in partnership with your physician.
Testing in our office
Saliva and blood testing happen at your visit, so your plan is built from your own results.
A physician network
When results point beyond your mouth, we bring in your physician, or one from our network.
Ceramic implants
Dr. Shahid places implants, including metal-free zirconia implants planned in 3D with in-office CBCT imaging.
Hear it from our patients
Before you book, it helps to hear from people who have been in the chair. Read what patients say about their visits and treatment at SMILES ON 35th.
Read more reviewson Google (opens in a new tab)The team at SMILES ON 35th is just wonderful. From the front desk to Dr. Shahid, I've had the best dental care of my life. I needed two crowns on my back molars but can't tolerate epinephrine, and Dr. Shahid and her team worked tirelessly to keep me comfortable and preserve as much of my teeth as possible. The staff's kindness and warmth are really special, and it's a beautiful, low-fragrance office with a whole suite of comfort tools to choose from while you're getting work done.
Holistic dentistry questions
A holistic dentist treats your mouth as part of your whole body. That means looking at gums, bite, airway and medical history alongside your teeth, testing for what drives disease, and choosing materials and treatments with your overall health in mind.
The terms overlap. Holistic dentistry focuses on how oral health connects to the rest of the body, while biological dentistry focuses on choosing materials that work well with the body. At SMILES ON 35th, we do both.
Yes. Our office is mercury-free. Fillings, crowns and veneers are made from metal-free materials such as composite resin and ceramic, and we offer metal-free zirconia implants.
Yes. We use plant-based StellaLife rinses and gels to support healing after treatment. They aren't harsh, unlike the chemical rinses you may have used in the past, such as chlorhexidine.
Yes, when there's a clinical reason, such as a crack, decay underneath or a failing edge. We examine each filling first and explain what we see, so you can decide with the facts in front of you.
Gum disease is chronic inflammation, and research links it to heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Breathing problems during sleep are linked to high blood pressure. Keeping your mouth and airway healthy is one practical way to support your overall health.
Reviewed by Dr. Rubecca Shahid Updated
More whole-body care
Want to know what testing involves, how we treat gum inflammation, or whether a ceramic implant fits your needs? These pages explain each one in more detail.
