Dr. Wesley Mullen, DDS

Born and raised in the Midwest, Dr. Mullen lived most of his life in Kansas until the call to become a dentist began his journey to Virginia. Soon after graduation, his Midwest roots led him to Missouri. He worked exclusively in Public Health Dentistry until he began suffering the effects of mercury exposure from amalgam (silver) fillings. It was then he became aware that his symptoms were common to many dentists and joined the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT). He is committed to serving the community with science-based dentistry, which many call Biological or Holistic Dentistry. He is certified and accredited to safely remove mercury fillings (called SMART) which translates to a healthier patient, staff, and environment. Dr. Mullen and his wife have lived in the Ozark area for over 8 years and when he has free time, you’ll catch him hiking, fly fishing, and kayaking. He also enjoys woodworking and when you visit our office, you may catch a glimpse of some of his fine work.

Services:

Safe Mercury Removal:

We practice mercury-free and mercury-safe dentistry. This means we do not place mercury (silver) fillings. With the availability of other dental materials such as bio-compatible BPA-free tooth-colored composite fillings, why take a chance using a material that is known to be hazardous to your health?

Dr. Mullen has received certification and accreditation training to safely remove mercury fillings that you may already have. He follows the SMART protocol (Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique) recommended by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology to assist in reducing the potential negative outcomes of mercury exposure to you and our staff. For more information go to www.thesmartchoice.com. As an environmentally conscious office, we have a state-of-the-art special mercury separator so that none of the mercury that is removed enters the water supply. We feel this allows us to offer safer dentistry and a healthier community!

Dental Ozone Therapy:

Ozone has been used in healthcare for many years. It’s a natural disinfectant! All our patients receive ozonated water during their dental procedures. We are able to use ozonated water in our office as a rinse to help healing of gums when they are inflamed and also after a tooth extraction. Many studies have shown it to speed healing and reduce pain. Ozone therapy is also utilized in our office for treating the bacteria that causes gum disease and is part of the treatment you receive if you have periodontal disease. Ozonated ice is provided to you to take home following tooth removal and has been shown to improve the healing process.

Restorative:

Although there are thousands of restorative (filling) materials available on the market for restoring your teeth we have selectively chosen only those dental materials that have shown to be bio-compatible and are BPA-free. We use the world’s first BPA-free filling material, Admira Fusion by VOCO, which is a great all-ceramic-based material used to restore your natural teeth. It is fabricated with material that does not incorporate classic resin monomers, which contain BPA.

To the best of our knowledge, we make every effort to avoid the use of any metals such as; nickel, palladium, copper, cadmium, beryllium, titanium and aluminum in our practice. Teeth that have been treated, repaired or replaced using any type of metal alloy contain all the necessary ingredients to create an environment akin to a charged battery … in your mouth. It can create what is called ‘oral galvanism’ or ‘the battery effect’ in the mouth. We believe there are safer products available, you simply have to take the time and make the effort to find them and use them.

Prosthodontics (bridges, dentures, partials and crowns):

We do not use any metals in any of our prosthetics due to the potential for “oral galvanism”. We use only ceramics in our bridges, dentures and crowns and removable partials. Two to three visits are usually required these types of procedures.

If you prefer to have a dental implant and Dr. Mullen feels you are a good candidate we will refer you to a metal-free oral surgeon who will place a 100% ceramic implant.

Fluoride-free Dental Cleanings:

Did you know that its not always necessary to have your teeth cleaned every 6 months? Many people with excellent oral hygiene may only need to come once a year while others may need to come more frequently. That’s because every person has a different oral microbiome and why some people seem to get cavities very easily while others don’t. During your cleaning we use a high-frequency sound wave scaler to remove plaque build-up from the teeth. Then your teeth are carefully and gently polished and rinsed to produce that smooth, just-cleaned feeling that everyone loves! We use ozonated water as a final rinse to help rid the mouth of “bad” bacteria. We suggest all patients brush with an electric toothbrush and use a fluoride-free toothpaste or baking soda.

Dental Surgery:

Every effort is made in our office to save your teeth, but sometimes removal is unavoidable. There can be multiple reasons that lead to the decision to extract a tooth.

These include: extensive decay where the tooth becomes non-restorable; advanced periodontal/gum disease where tooth mobility creates a hopeless prognosis; an abscessed tooth with severe infection and a failed root canal-treated tooth.

For all extractions we now utilize Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) to optimize healing.. Using your own blood, we prepare a platelet concentrate which we use as a filling material in the extraction socket. It contains a high concentration of growth factors that supports your own healing process. The fibrin aspect mirrors a natural blood clot to help avoid the problem of a dry socket.