Our Approach
Dentistry for the Whole You
The mouth is connected to the rest of the body. Natural dentistry means treating it that way.
Every recommendation we make starts from one conviction: what happens in the mouth reaches the rest of the body. Here is the thinking behind the practice.
or call (530) 642-8614
Why we practice this way.
Oral infection and inflammation don’t stay in the mouth. They add to the body’s overall inflammatory load, and that load is part of the picture in a range of chronic conditions. Dentistry spent the last century treating the tooth as a self-contained problem. We start somewhere else, and our exams and recommendations account for how your gums, your restorations, and your airway reach beyond the mouth.
What natural dentistry means here.
Natural dentistry, sometimes called biological dentistry, weighs the whole-body effect of every material and procedure alongside the result inside the mouth. Here that means biocompatible materials, conservative treatment that preserves natural tooth structure, mercury-safe removal of old fillings, and a straight accounting of your options. The training behind it is conventional: Dr. Keith and Dr. Jake are clinically trained dentists, and Dr. Keith is certified by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT).
Three commitments that shape every appointment.
Everything on this page comes down to three commitments, each explained in full below.
Materials matter.
We don’t place mercury-based silver amalgam fillings. Our composites are biocompatible, our crowns are metal-free ceramic or zirconia, and we use ozone where it makes clinical sense. This is the floor of how we practice.
Airway-centered orthodontics with chiropractic care.
We treat orthodontics as airway and structural work, not just tooth alignment: tongue position, breathing, cranial balance, and tooth movement as one system, in children and adults. For the cases that need it, we coordinate directly with Dr. Malori Tinsley at Well Balanced Body, same building and same day.
Honest dentistry that treats the whole body.
We tell patients the truth about what we find and give them options instead of orders. We don’t recommend procedures you don’t need, and we explain the reasoning behind the ones we do. The mouth is connected to the rest of the body, and we treat it that way.
Materials matter.
We don’t place mercury-based silver amalgam fillings, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, or dental sealants. Each is a deliberate clinical position. We place biocompatible composite fillings and metal-free ceramic or zirconia crowns, and we use ozone where it makes clinical sense.
We are a fluoride-free office, with ozone oil and remineralization paste to strengthen and protect enamel. For existing amalgam fillings, Dr. Keith is IAOMT-certified in the SMART protocol for safe removal, covered in full on our For Adults services page.
Airway-centered orthodontics with chiropractic care.
We treat orthodontics as airway and structural work. Tongue position, breathing, cranial balance, and tooth movement operate as one connected system, and we evaluate all four before recommending anything, in children and adults alike. The most lasting structural results happen between ages six and ten, while the jaw and palate are still developing.
Palate expansion is one tool among several, alongside braces, clear aligners, and tongue position appliances.
Two practices, one protocol.
Mountain Dental shares a building and a working clinical protocol with Well Balanced Body Chiropractic, where Dr. Malori Tinsley specializes in cranial work. For jaw pain and TMD, Dr. Tinsley adjusts the cranial bones and Dr. Keith fits a night guard the same day, calibrated to the new bite position. In orthodontic care, her regular cranial adjustments run alongside his appliance work, so the bone structure moves into alignment as the palate widens.
We are developing this protocol into a teachable methodology for other practitioners. For now, it exists in one building in downtown Placerville.
Honest dentistry that treats the whole body.
We tell patients the truth about what we find and give them options instead of orders. When we recommend a procedure, we explain the reasoning. When we don’t think you need one, we say so, even when it costs us the treatment. It’s why a first visit here runs longer: the exam covers teeth, gums, bite, jaw, and airway, and we review the findings with you chairside before anything gets decided.
See the methodology in practice.
For Adults
Care that treats your mouth as part of the rest of your body, with the materials positions and integrated TMD protocol in full.
For Kids
A practice built on earning a child’s trust, with airway-aware early treatment when it genuinely helps.
Functional Orthodontics
Airway-centered treatment for children and adults, where the palate, the bite, and the breathing develop in balance.
Ready for dentistry that pays attention to the rest of you?
New patient appointments are open for kids, teens, and adults. Someone answers the phone, and appointments aren’t rushed.
or call (530) 642-8614