Your mouth is more than just where digestion begins—it's deeply connected to the rest of your body. While most people think of dental care as preventing cavities and keeping a bright smile, growing awareness in biological dentistry suggests that what's happening inside your mouth may have a much bigger impact on your overall health than many realize.
In this conversation, Dr. Pompa sits down with biological dentists Dr. Shawn and Dr. Ben to explore why hidden dental infections, mercury fillings, root canals, cavitations, and even nutrient deficiencies deserve a place in every health conversation.
Whether you're struggling with chronic fatigue, autoimmune symptoms, brain fog, or unexplained health issues, understanding the mouth-body connection could help uncover a missing piece of the puzzle.
Traditional dentistry often focuses on treating pain, cavities, and damaged teeth. Biological dentistry takes a broader view.
The idea is simple: your mouth isn't isolated from the rest of your body. Every tooth, nerve, blood vessel, and surrounding tissue interacts with your immune system, nervous system, and overall health.
According to the discussion, many people live with hidden oral problems for years without any noticeable dental pain. Yet these issues may continue to place stress on the body every day.
As Dr. Pompa explains, one of the biggest questions worth asking is:
Could your headaches, fatigue, gut issues, anxiety, sleep problems, or other chronic symptoms be connected to your mouth?
The answer, they believe, is often yes.
One of the biggest misconceptions about oral health is that if nothing hurts, everything must be fine.
The dentists explain that many patients have no pain, swelling, or visible symptoms despite having chronic infections beneath old dental work or in areas where teeth were removed years earlier.
These hidden infections can become long-term sources of inflammation.
Many people spend years searching for answers through specialists, medications, and countless lab tests before anyone evaluates what's happening inside their mouth.
One of the major topics discussed was dental amalgam, commonly known as silver fillings.
According to Dr. Shawn and Dr. Ben:
The speakers emphasize an important point:
Never rush to remove mercury fillings without proper safety procedures.
Removing them incorrectly may create greater exposure than leaving them in place until they can be safely removed by a dentist trained in biological mercury removal techniques.
Removing mercury fillings involves much more than simply drilling them out.
Biological dentists use specialized protocols designed to reduce exposure for both the patient and the dental team. These may include protective barriers, high-volume suction, specialized filtration, oxygen support, and careful removal techniques.
Their goal is not only to remove the filling—but also to minimize the amount of mercury released during the process.
One of the most eye-opening parts of the conversation centered around cavitations.
A cavitation is an area inside the jawbone where healing never fully occurred after a tooth extraction, particularly wisdom teeth.
From the outside, everything may appear completely normal.
The gums heal.
The pain disappears.
Life goes on.
Yet beneath the surface, bacteria and damaged tissue may remain trapped inside the bone for years.
According to the dentists, these areas can become long-term sources of inflammation while producing few, if any, obvious symptoms.
The discussion highlighted that cavitations may:
Because these infections are hidden inside bone, they typically cannot be detected during a routine dental exam.
A recurring message throughout the discussion was that traditional dental X-rays often miss these hidden problems.
Instead, biological dentists frequently rely on Cone Beam CT (CBCT) scans, which produce detailed three-dimensional images of the jaw.
These scans can reveal:
For patients with persistent chronic health issues, the speakers recommend considering a comprehensive dental evaluation that includes this type of imaging.
Root canals remain one of the most controversial topics in biological dentistry.
Traditional dentistry views root canals as an effective way to save a damaged tooth.
The biological approach raises additional questions.
Once a tooth loses its blood supply, it becomes a non-living structure. Although the internal canal is cleaned and sealed, countless microscopic tubules inside the tooth remain impossible to fully sterilize.
According to the dentists, these tiny spaces may continue to harbor bacteria capable of producing toxins over time.
Rather than telling patients what decision to make, Dr. Shawn explains that he believes in informed consent.
Patients deserve to understand both the benefits and the potential risks before deciding whether to preserve a tooth or pursue another treatment option.
The discussion also explored another concept often emphasized in biological dentistry—the neurological connection between teeth and the rest of the body.
The dentists describe how every tooth has relationships with nerves and pathways connected throughout the body.
They shared stories of patients experiencing improvements in long-standing symptoms after treating hidden dental infections.
While individual experiences vary, these stories reinforce their belief that oral health should never be evaluated separately from overall health.
Instead of focusing only on brushing, flossing, and fluoride, the conversation shifted toward nutrition.
The dentists emphasized that healthy teeth are built from the inside out.
Important nutrients mentioned include:
Rather than relying solely on topical treatments, they encourage supporting the body's natural ability to build and maintain healthy teeth through proper nutrition.
The podcast also discussed fluoride and recent changes occurring in some states.
The speakers questioned whether adding fluoride to public water supplies is the best approach, particularly given ongoing discussions about informed consent and emerging research.
They emphasized that good oral health starts with supporting the body's biology rather than depending entirely on external treatments.
Regardless of where someone stands on fluoride, their larger message remains consistent:
Healthy teeth begin with a healthy body.
One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation was collaboration.
The dentists believe the future of healthcare lies in practitioners working together rather than in isolation.
They envision medical doctors, functional practitioners, naturopaths, biological dentists, and other healthcare professionals sharing information instead of treating only one piece of the body.
For patients dealing with chronic illness, this team-based approach may help uncover contributing factors that otherwise go unnoticed.
One powerful idea surfaced repeatedly throughout the discussion:
If someone isn't getting better despite doing “everything right,” it may be time to look upstream.
Rather than simply managing symptoms, ask deeper questions.
Sometimes the missing piece isn't another supplement or another medication—it may be something that has quietly existed for years without causing pain.
Your mouth is not separate from the rest of your body. It's an integral part of your overall health.
This conversation isn't about creating fear around dental work or suggesting that every filling or root canal is harmful. Instead, it's about encouraging curiosity, education, and informed decision-making.
Understanding the mouth-body connection gives patients another lens through which to view their health—especially when chronic symptoms remain unexplained.
The more we recognize that every system in the body works together, the more opportunities we have to identify underlying causes instead of simply treating symptoms.
Sometimes the path toward better health begins with looking somewhere we rarely think to look: inside the mouth.
For many pet owners, watching a beloved dog battle cancer or chronic illness feels heartbreakingly common today. It raises an uncomfortable question: Why does it seem like our pets are getting sick younger than ever?
In this conversation, the host sits down with holistic veterinarian Dr. Natalie Lenarz-Blackman to explore what she believes are some of the biggest contributors to declining pet health. Drawing from her experience in emergency medicine and holistic practice, she shares stories from her clinic, discusses modern veterinary care, and encourages pet owners to think critically about prevention rather than simply treating disease.
While many of the topics discussed are controversial and differ from mainstream veterinary recommendations, the interview centers on one core message: healthy pets start with informed owners.
The conversation begins with a concern shared by both host and guest: they believe they're seeing more dogs diagnosed with cancer at younger ages than in previous decades.
Dr. Blackman recalls treating dogs as young as two and three years old with cancer—something she says was once considered rare. She also describes seeing pets suffering from neurological issues, liver problems, and chronic illnesses that she believes have become increasingly common.
For the host, this isn't just a professional discussion. He shares the emotional story of losing two healthy dogs, Frendel and Remy, to hemangiosarcoma within months of each other. Their sudden deaths became the catalyst for questioning many long-held assumptions about pet healthcare.
One of the interview's central themes is the belief that veterinary medicine has shifted from individualized care toward standardized protocols.
According to Dr. Blackman, years ago most owners visited the veterinarian primarily when their pets became ill. Today, she argues, routine schedules for medications, preventive treatments, and vaccinations have become the norm.
She believes this approach sometimes prioritizes following a schedule over evaluating the unique needs and overall health of each animal.
Rather than rejecting veterinary medicine altogether, she encourages pet owners to have open conversations with their veterinarian, ask questions, and understand why each recommendation is being made.
A significant portion of the discussion focuses on flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.
Drawing on her years in emergency veterinary medicine, Dr. Blackman recounts seeing dogs with severe reactions—including seizures and other neurological symptoms—which she believes were associated with certain medications.
She also shares stories from veterinary school involving older injectable heartworm products that were later withdrawn and reformulated.
Rather than suggesting that every pet should avoid preventive medications, she repeatedly emphasizes evaluating the risk-versus-benefit based on factors such as:
Her view is that prevention should be personalized instead of automatic.
Perhaps the strongest message throughout the interview is the importance of gut health.
Dr. Blackman believes a healthy digestive system supports a strong immune system, allowing dogs to better respond to environmental challenges.
Instead of focusing solely on avoiding germs, parasites, or viruses, she encourages owners to focus on strengthening the dog's overall health.
This philosophy influences nearly every recommendation she makes—from nutrition to preventive care to recovery after illness.
The host summarizes this idea simply:
Rather than constantly fighting the outside world, build a healthier body that can handle it.
This concept becomes the foundation for much of the rest of the conversation.
Nutrition receives considerable attention.
Dr. Blackman argues that dogs are carnivores and believes diets should reflect that biology.
She expresses concerns about highly processed kibble, particularly formulas high in starches and carbohydrates, suggesting they may contribute to poor gut health in some dogs.
Instead, she favors raw or minimally processed diets built around whole prey principles, while acknowledging that no single diet fits every dog. She also explains that individual dogs may require different nutritional approaches depending on their specific health needs.
Even when discussing commercial foods, her emphasis remains on choosing higher-protein options with fewer processed ingredients whenever possible.
The interview also explores vaccinations, one of its most controversial topics.
Dr. Blackman advocates for individualized vaccination decisions based on each dog's health, medical history, and antibody testing (titers), rather than automatically following the same schedule for every animal.
She discusses the concept of measuring antibody levels before administering additional vaccines and encourages owners to have informed discussions with their veterinarians.
The host shares his own experiences and research that led him to question standard protocols after losing his dogs.
Throughout this section, both speakers stress that they want owners to educate themselves and ask questions rather than simply accept recommendations without understanding them.
Toward the end of the interview, the conversation shifts from controversy to philosophy.
Dr. Blackman explains that much of her practice focuses on proactive medicine—helping pets stay healthy rather than waiting until disease appears.
She shares the story of a standard poodle she has cared for since puppyhood. Despite another dog from the same litter dying from cancer, this dog has remained healthy through years of individualized care, nutrition, acupuncture, and regular monitoring.
Whether or not every recommendation will resonate with every pet owner, her broader message is consistent:
Healthy habits established early may have a significant impact on long-term quality of life.
According to Dr. Blackman, pet owners should consider:
The discussion between the host and Dr. Natalie Lenarz-Blackman challenges many commonly accepted ideas about pet healthcare. Some of their views differ from mainstream veterinary guidance and remain subjects of ongoing debate within the veterinary community.
Regardless of where readers stand on those issues, the conversation serves as a reminder that caring for our pets involves more than following routines. It means staying informed, asking thoughtful questions, and making decisions based on both evidence and the individual needs of the animal in front of us.
After all, every pet owner shares the same goal: helping their companions live healthier, happier, and longer lives.
When most people think about toxins, they picture heavy metals, mold, pesticides, or environmental chemicals. But what if one of the most overlooked toxins isn't something you breathe or eat—it's something you experience?
In this powerful conversation, Dr. Pompa sits down with Dr. Amy, author of The Biology of Trauma, to explore how unresolved trauma can become a hidden driver of chronic illness. Together, they explain why the body doesn't distinguish between physical, chemical, and emotional threats, and why healing often requires addressing all three.
Drawing from personal experiences, clinical practice, and neuroscience, they reveal how trauma reshapes the nervous system, influences chronic disease, and—most importantly—how it's possible to rewire those patterns and heal.
One of the biggest misconceptions about trauma is that it only applies to catastrophic events.
Dr. Amy explains that trauma isn't defined by what happened—it's defined by how the nervous system experienced it.
Two people can live through the same event and respond very differently. One may recover quickly, while the other carries the effects for decades.
The body records these experiences as survival patterns.
Dr. Pompa relates this to his own life. For years, he dismissed his childhood dyslexia as insignificant compared to other people's struggles. Yet the shame, embarrassment, and fear of being judged quietly shaped many of his behaviors as an adult.
Only later did he realize those emotional wounds had become part of his healing journey.
Trauma isn't about comparing pain. It's about recognizing how unresolved experiences continue to influence your body, your health, and your life.
Throughout the conversation, Dr. Pompa returns to a central idea:
Trauma is a toxin.
Just as the body stores chemical toxins, it can also store unresolved emotional stress.
He explains that chronic illness rarely comes from one event alone. Instead, illness often develops when multiple stressors accumulate until the body's “bucket” overflows.
Those stressors may include:
When the burden becomes too great, symptoms begin appearing.
Many people describe it the same way:
“I've never felt the same since.”
Often, the final event wasn't the true cause—it was simply the last straw.
Dr. Amy's understanding of trauma didn't begin in medical school.
It began when she became a foster parent.
She welcomed a four-year-old boy named Miguel into her home after he had spent nearly his entire life in foster care. Because of severe behavioral challenges, he was on the verge of being placed in a group home.
She believed that love, stability, and a safe environment would be enough to help him heal.
Instead, she encountered violent outbursts, intense emotional reactions, and behaviors that seemed completely beyond his control.
Miguel wasn't choosing these reactions.
His nervous system had learned to survive through them.
Watching him transformed Dr. Amy's understanding of trauma.
She realized the body can remain trapped in survival mode long after the danger has passed.
That realization eventually became the foundation of her life's work.
One of the most valuable insights from the conversation is that trauma isn't stored only in the mind.
According to Dr. Amy, unresolved trauma affects three interconnected systems.
Trauma shapes beliefs about ourselves and the world.
People often develop deeply rooted beliefs such as:
These beliefs quietly influence relationships, careers, and daily decisions.
The body also remembers trauma.
A person involved in a serious car accident may later drive the same road and suddenly experience:
Logically, they know they're safe.
But the body reacts as if the danger is happening again.
The nervous system remembers what the mind has already moved past.
Trauma also affects the body's biology.
When the nervous system believes survival is threatened, it changes how cells function.
Energy production decreases.
Inflammation increases.
Detoxification slows.
Hormones become imbalanced.
Instead of focusing on long-term health, the body prioritizes immediate survival.
One of the most important distinctions Dr. Amy makes is this:
Trauma itself doesn't necessarily make someone sick.
Unresolved trauma does.
She shares the story of a patient who developed autoimmune disease one year after a car accident.
Initially, it seemed obvious that the accident caused her illness.
But as they explored her history, they discovered years of unresolved childhood fear and chronic stress.
The accident simply pushed an already full stress bucket past its limit.
Dr. Pompa compares it to his “Perfect Storm” model.
Illness rarely results from one isolated factor.
It's usually the combination of physical, chemical, and emotional stress that overwhelms the body's ability to adapt.
According to Dr. Amy, the nervous system constantly evaluates a single question:
Am I safe?
If the answer is yes, the body focuses on:
If the answer is no, survival becomes the priority.
That's when the body shifts into fight, flight, or freeze.
Unfortunately, many people never fully leave survival mode.
Dr. Amy identifies several common trauma patterns.
People disconnect from their emotions, bodies, or relationships.
They stay busy, numb uncomfortable feelings, or avoid vulnerability.
Despite wanting change, they sabotage opportunities or struggle to move forward.
The nervous system believes staying small is safer than growing.
The body conserves energy because it believes resources are limited.
People often feel exhausted no matter how much they sleep.
Many people unconsciously change their emotional state through:
These behaviors temporarily relieve emotional discomfort without resolving its source.
The body remains tense.
Shoulders tighten.
Breathing becomes shallow.
The nervous system never fully relaxes because it still expects danger.
Dr. Pompa draws an important parallel between healing and athletic training.
Exercise doesn't make people stronger.
Recovery does.
Stress without recovery eventually causes breakdown.
The same principle applies to emotional health.
Growth occurs when the body has enough capacity to recover after stress.
When recovery never happens, the nervous system remains trapped in survival mode.
One of the most practical lessons in the conversation is surprisingly simple.
Before working through deep trauma, the body must first experience safety.
Dr. Amy demonstrates this using a somatic exercise.
Rather than trying to think differently, she helps Dr. Pompa notice how placing a pillow across his abdomen immediately creates a feeling of comfort and protection.
His breathing slows.
His shoulders relax.
His body shifts naturally toward safety.
This illustrates an important principle:
Sometimes changing the body's state is more effective than trying to change thoughts alone.
Fortunately, trauma isn't permanent.
The brain and nervous system are capable of change through neuroplasticity.
Just as learning to ride a bicycle creates new neural pathways, repeatedly practicing safety creates new patterns within the nervous system.
Over time, the body begins expecting safety instead of danger.
That shift influences:
Healing becomes a biological process, not simply a mental exercise.
Another myth Dr. Amy challenges is the belief that cortisol is always harmful.
Cortisol is a protective hormone.
During stress, adrenaline rapidly prepares the body for action.
Cortisol then helps regulate inflammation and sustain the stress response.
The problem isn't cortisol itself.
The problem occurs when the body remains stuck in chronic survival mode, causing the normal stress response to become dysregulated.
Rather than trying to suppress cortisol, the goal is to restore the nervous system so it naturally returns to balance.
Healing from trauma doesn't begin by reliving every painful memory.
Instead, it begins by helping the body recognize that the danger has passed.
Some practical principles from the conversation include:
The conversation between Dr. Pompa and Dr. Amy offers an encouraging reminder that healing isn't only about removing toxins or treating symptoms.
Sometimes the greatest obstacle to recovery is a nervous system that never learned it was safe again.
Whether trauma began in childhood, through illness, loss, or life circumstances, the body is capable of change. By addressing emotional wounds alongside physical health, we create the conditions where true healing can take place.
The journey isn't about erasing the past—it's about helping the body realize it no longer has to live there.
