Podcast Summary: Digital Social Hour – DSH #1837

Episode: "Your Teeth Are Organs And They Might Be Making You Sick"
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Dr. Katie To
Date: February 24, 2026
Length: ~28 minutes

Episode Overview

This eye-opening episode explores the concept that teeth are not just bones, but actual organs integral to overall health. Dr. Katie To, a biological and wellness dentist, shares personal and professional insights into the health risks of traditional dental practices, especially mercury exposure, and how dental health links intricately to issues like chronic illness, fertility, autoimmune disease, and even mental health. The discussion challenges mainstream dental and medical assumptions, offering alternatives for safer, holistic care.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Teeth as Organs and the Oral-Systemic Connection

• Definition: Each tooth has nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic flow, and a function—qualifying it as an organ.
  • Dr. Katie: “Each tooth have...lymphatic, have nerve, they have vascular blood flow through it, and they have function. So that's the definition of an organ.” (00:02)
• Systemic Impact: Every tooth independently connects to different body systems. Oral health cannot be separated from full-body health.

2. Dr. Katie’s Personal Journey with Mercury Toxicity

• Origin Story: As a dentist, Dr. Katie developed mysterious illnesses—later identified as heavy metal (mercury) toxicity due to dental amalgams.
  • “Dentistry almost killed me.” (01:26)
• Institutional Blind Spots: Dental education failed to warn about occupational and patient exposure risks, leading Dr. Katie to confront her practice’s safety.
• Pregnancy Warning: High mercury levels can be passed to children, potentially leading to developmental and spectrum disorders.
  • Doctor’s warning: “If you get pregnant right now, your kid can have a lot of spectrum disorders and conditions.” (05:40)

3. Mercury in Dentistry and Regulatory Gaps

• Current Use: Mercury-containing amalgam fillings are still widely used in the U.S., despite bans in other developed countries (e.g., Sweden, Brazil). (02:53–03:17)
• Myth-Busting: So-called “silver” fillings are actually ~50% mercury; the rest is potentially allergenic metals like nickel and aluminum. (02:15)
• Ongoing Exposure: Mercury vapor is released during chewing, tooth brushing, and temperature changes.
  • “Every day when people are brushing their teeth if they have these mercury fillings in their mouth.” (02:15)

4. Symptoms Neglected by Traditional Medicine

• Ignored Warning Signs: Chronic, unexplained illnesses in dental professionals are often dismissed as stress or aging. Even classic tremors in older dentists are “normalized.”
  • “We just thought, oh, it's just being old...but nobody taught.” (04:45–04:49)
• Dentist Suicide Rates: Chronic mercury exposure is speculated to contribute to high suicide rates and “mad hatter” symptoms among dentists. (04:29–04:34)

5. Slow, Personalized Detoxification

• Non-Universal Healing: Detox methods must be tailored to individual genetics, detox pathways, and tolerance—Dr. Katie couldn’t handle IV chelation and had to take a “slow route.”
  • “You need to learn about your detox pathway, your DNA, you know, how's your body process? Are you a hoarder? Are you excreter?” (06:02)
• Lifestyle Shifts: Ongoing detox requires diet change, sleep, exercise, sauna, specialized supplements, and professional guidance. (06:02–07:14)

6. Oral Health, COVID, and Masks

• Mouth Breathing & Cavities: Mask wearing increased mouth breathing, dry mouth, and shifts in oral microbiome, leading to more cavities and infections in both health workers and patients.
  • “I seen like a spike of cavities in my patient when they're wearing masks...” (07:44)

7. Preventive, Biological Dental Practice

• Biological Dentistry: Dr. Katie’s practice focuses on wellness, saliva testing (to identify bacteria linked to diseases like heart disease or dementia), and comprehensive oral evaluation, including scans for hidden jaw infections.
  • “We do saliva testing...because we need to understand what bacteria causing, you know, dementia, what bacteria causing heart problem.” (09:00)
• Treatment Model: Eliminate infection/heavy metal first, then restore and regenerate lost oral anatomy.

8. Rethinking Dental Treatments and Cosmetics

• Conservation Over Cosmetics: Removing healthy tooth structure (via veneers, crowns) is discouraged. Some patients now seek natural health over “American Standard” bright-white, straight smiles.
• Anecdote: Dr. Katie tells of a pageant winner refusing free veneers, embracing natural dental health. (12:01–12:51)

9. Natural Oral Care at Home

• DIY Toothpaste: Dr. Katie recommends brushing with a paste made only of organic cold-pressed coconut oil and baking soda for natural whitening and a healthy oral microbiome.
  • “You can make that with two ingredients...and coconut oil also makes your teeth whiter...” (13:25–14:57)
• Fluoride: Called out as a neurotoxin; overexposure is cautioned against.

10. Tools and Techniques: Water Picks vs. Floss Picks

• Water Picks Win: Floss picks just move bacteria around (“like reusing toilet paper”); water picks with distilled water are the gold standard.
  • “The floss pick is like using the same piece of some square toilet paper everywhere.” (19:50)
  • “You can put some Celtic salt, some sea salt in there, but yes. No. No tap water in your water.” (20:51)
• Brushing & Gums: Focus on brushing the gum line, as that’s where bacteria accumulate. (22:39)

11. The Tongue Tie Revelation & Body Connection

• Tongue Tie Epidemic: 9 out of 10 patients have tongue ties, often undetected and inherited generationally.
  • “Anyone that has retainers or orthodontic treatment is because their tongue did not do the job properly.” (25:37)
• Consequences: Tongue ties can cause crowding, need for braces, improper jaw development, even posture and nerve problems.
• Personal Story: Physical therapy and tongue exercises solved Dr. Katie’s arm numbness—an issue three surgeons misdiagnosed (carpal tunnel/neck/shoulder).
  • “Eight years. I have no numbness in my arm. I did not have surgery...” (24:12)

12. Diet, Gut, and Water Quality

• Oral-Gut-Skin Connection: Downstream health issues (eczema, acne) usually start upstream (mouth, gut).
  • “You cannot biohack your way out of a sick mouth.” (17:17)
• Water: Emphasis on brushing and irrigating only with clean, filtered, or distilled water. Tap water is discouraged, and patients are advised to check water quality in their zip code.
  • “If that water is not clean...you’ll be like, that is not going to go into my mouth.” (19:22)

Memorable Quotes

• “Dentistry almost killed me.” – Dr. Katie (01:26)
• “Every single tooth in your mouth is an independent organ that connect[s] to different systems in your body.” – Dr. Katie (00:26, 11:26)
• “Toothpaste is not replacing the brushing... it just makes your brushing experience a much better experience.” – Dr. Katie (13:35)
• “The floss pick is like using the same piece of some square toilet paper everywhere.” – Dr. Katie (19:50)
• “You cannot biohack your way out of a sick mouth.” – Dr. Katie (17:17)

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• Introduction; Teeth as Organs: 00:00–00:30
• Dr. Katie’s mercury toxicity story: 00:41–01:42
• Mercury in fillings, global bans, US lagging: 02:15–03:28
• Connection between dentist health issues, suicide rate: 04:29–04:49
• Mercury’s impact on fertility & pregnancy: 05:07–05:41
• Personalized detox challenges & strategies: 06:02–07:14
• Masks, mouth breathing & oral infections: 07:38–08:11
• Biological dentistry practice; saliva testing: 09:00–10:00
• DIY toothpaste recipe and oral care philosophy: 13:25–14:57
• Water picks vs. floss picks: 19:46–20:50
• Tongue tie, braces, jaw development: 23:03–26:34
• Oral-gut-skin axis, water quality advice: 17:17–19:46

Resources & Where to Find Dr. Katie

• Instagram: @drkatieto
• Location: Katy, Texas (Greater Houston Area)
• Collaborates with: Oncologists, functional medicine doctors, and other medical professionals

Tone: Conversational, passionate, and direct, with a blend of personal experience and professional expertise. Dr. Katie’s approach is both empathetic and challenging to established norms.

Summary Suitability:
This summary captures the episode’s central message: oral health is the foundation of systemic wellness, and both conventional wisdom and standard care need rethinking. Dr. Katie’s personal journey humanizes the science while empowering listeners with preventative, actionable alternatives.