Artisan Dental

by Kevin Fritz

Dr. Mary Isaacs and Dr. Katie Miller of Artisan Dental in Winter Springs understand that your mouth is a window to your overall health. As long-time practitioners of integrated dental medicine, they focus on treating the body as a whole.

“Through the mouth, we can see other systematic things going on,” says Dr. Isaacs. “We put all the pieces together. Dentistry is a big part of medicine.”

Dr. Isaacs is in her 33rd year of dentistry, while Dr. Miller – who joined the practice in 2021 – has been practicing for 22 years.

Founded by Dr. Isaacs in Winter Springs 32 years ago, Artisan Dental utilizes proactive methods of dentistry to not simply treat a patient’s symptoms, but to seek the root cause of their issue. Sometimes, the discomfort a patient is experiencing is a sign of a much more serious ailment.

Physicians of the Mouth

At Artisan Dental, the team practices the BaleDoneen Method, which seeks hidden signs of possible heart disease, strokes, and chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. If a patient is suffering from inflamed tissue in the mouth, that could mean there are problems elsewhere in the body, including inflammation or plaque in the arteries.

“The same plaque in your mouth is in your heart and your brain,” says Dr. Isaacs. “We are physicians of the mouth. If a patient’s mouth is healthy, most likely the rest of their body is healthy, too.”

By employing the SimplyPERIO test, her practice can analyze saliva for approximately a dozen bacteria and viruses.

If any of those bacteria are present, the patient is more susceptible to having a heart attack or stroke, as well as being diagnosed with gum disease, a sleeping disorder, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and delivering preterm weight babies. Through testing, a patient can be treated before a disease progresses.

As practitioners of complex BioRejuvenation dentistry, the Artisan Dental team’s focus on whole-body treatments extends to discovering what may be causing a disharmony in the chewing system and the airway.

BioRejuvenation concentrates on keeping the patient’s bite balanced and assists in opening airways to avoid any continuous use of an orthotic appliance. The process is also used to treat sleep disorders.

Dr. Isaacs understands the importance of dental sleep medicine in an integrated dental practice. She holds a Diplomate designation from the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, and her biggest focus is on children. Her hygienist, Carol Norsesian – a trained myofunctional therapist – works with children to help them avoid developing sleeping disorders. Dr. Isaacs says children with sleeping disorders often perform poorly in school, wet their beds, and are misdiagnosed with        ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).

“A successful mouth rehabilitation starts with a stable jaw joint,” says Dr. Isaacs.

Something To Smile About

Cosmetic dentistry is another integral part of what Artisan Dental offers. Dr. Isaacs is trained in the Bioclear Method, invented by Dr. David Clark about 25 years ago to conduct cosmetic dentistry with minimal tooth loss. Ultimately, the process strengthens teeth and preserves enamel.

“With the Bioclear Method, we do a lot of smile transformations,” says Dr. Isaacs.

However, she adds, cosmetic dentistry must be built on a healthy foundation. Some patients come to her practice seeking cosmetic dentistry without having healthy teeth and gums.

“That would be like putting a new roof on a burning building,” she says. 

Dr. Isaacs, who volunteers her dental services through mission trips to Africa, loves what she does and enjoys treating all people.

“I do this because I want people to be as healthy as they can be,” she says.