“Dr. Lewis Gross, a 24-year holistic dentistry veteran and one of the pioneers of the field, puts it this way: "The less you do to patients, the better. The best holistic dentist will take the most natural approach possible, with an emphasis on preserving the structure of the mouth." When someone visits Dr. Gross with a deep cavity, one that's close to the nerve, he says, "I don't immediately think 'root canal, post, crown.' The first thing I do is try to heal the tooth. I'll medicate it with an herbal filling for a week, and then we'll go in and try to do the least-invasive filling possible." Gross's Downtown Dental (17 Park Pl between Broadway and Church St; 212-732-2200) employs a staff of ten DDSs and alternative caregivers who treat more than 5,000 patients.”

From “The Whole Tooth” in Time Out New York Magazine

For Lewis Gross, Dentistry is About More Than the Teeth

Posted by Marisa Lowenstein 04.05.2006 - 9:37 PM EST from Health
The idea is simple, but essential: teeth are part of the body as a whole. It is this thinking that drives the (slowly) growing field of holistic dentistry, an adjunct to traditional oral care that considers the safety of the materials used in treatment — mercury fillings are out, porcelain is in — opts for non-surgical procedures whenever possible, and takes the time to customize care for each patient.
Lewis Gross, D.D.S., has been a dentist for 26 years, 20 of which have been dedicated to encouraging and expanding holistic dental practices. Gross’ patients receive traditional dental care softened by numerous aspects of complementary and alternative medicine. Certain patients can choose acupuncture over anesthesia and those who are dentist-phobic may be calmed with aromatherapy and relaxation techniques.
Gross recently stepped away from the dental chair to give LIME the scoop on holistic dentistry.
(To read more go to: http://lime.com/post/article/2000/11/30/For-Lewis-Gross-Dentistry-is-About-More-Than-the-Teeth)