Dr. Jimmy C. Wu is a San Diego native, completing his bachelor’s degree in biology at UC San Diego and going on to get his DDS from the University of Southern California. His goal is to change the perception of dentistry and increase awareness of what it can offer, which is why he believes that Taoist principles can be so central to his cause. This is evident in all aspects of his office, Sutra Dental Spa, which is located in La Mesa, California.
Tao principles help a lot in dentistry. The main principle of Taoisim is the Yin and the Yang, which is the dynamic balance of life. The way it works is simple: If you have one thing bad happen, something good will happen. Everything has to be balanced.
That is the same in dentistry as it is in life. Dentistry has to have balance, especially in a person’s bite, and in the level of acidity of a patient’s mouth, which will determine the number of cavities a patient gets. The more acidity in your mouth, the more cavities you’ll have.
The concept of balance is important in other aspects of dentistry. If you are missing teeth on one side, sooner or later you will lose teeth on the other side because of this balance, as everything needs to be constantly in an equilibrium. You can easily see how this principle is apparent not only in our everyday lives, but also when it comes to our teeth.
Life Goes in Cycles
Another Tao principle is that there is a cyclical nature to everything. Everything affects one another, and that type of cause and effect goes around and around. We often see that in periodontal disease, how the bacteria in gum disease or plaque can also cause pneumonia when it goes into the lungs.
A lot of time when we look at dentistry, we think the focus is on just the teeth or mouth. While that may be the main focus, it goes without saying that the mouth and teeth are also connected to everything else happening inside the body. That, sadly, is oftentimes overlooked. All too often, we dentists are looked at like mechanics, rather than the clinicians we are.
No Harm
One main Taoist and Buddhist principle is not harming any one thing because of the Taoist nature of life, where everything is part of everything else. So that is something we follow at our office by using biocompatible materials and reducing the amount of metals we use — if at all — in our dental practice.
We also accomplish this by reducing the level of stress associated with dentistry with massage therapy, aromatherapy and an oxygen bar. Our office is adorned with Asian art and Buddhist statues, which we put there to remind us of how simple conformity to the Tao can give us long life. You can see why at Sutra Dental Spa, we’re not your ordinary dental office.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
