When you start on your journey of selecting the top biological or holistic dentist in the USA, its best to start with the source, IAOMT.Org which is considered the global professional body of knowledge and professional organization for all things holistic dentistry.
First, you need you understand that IAOMT membership doesn’t cost anything for any dentist and is essentially meaningless in terms of their training or level of biological dentistry. However, the real measures of their success begin at SMART Certification – which is for the very initial stages of becoming a holistic dentist and learning about the neurotoxic element of mercury and how it leaches into the body from toxic amalgam fillings. SMART Certification takes 6-8 months on average, and it requires that a dentist completes coursework and can successfully take the academic test.
The next level, accreditation by the IOAMT, is at least a year-long process, with a minimum of 2 conferences to attend and goes far beyond the written academic test. The accreditation advances into mandatory oral testing by the Masters and Fellows of the IAOMT, and of course, the most important (and discerning) test is the hands-on mercury removal or SAFE amalgam removal in front a panel of judges. Every detail must be accounted for and displayed with mastery. Otherwise, a dentist will not pass the hands-on portion of their IAOMT accreditation, which will earn them the A+ in front of their IAOMT letters. Only IAOMT Accredited dentists like Dr. Yuriy May, who is also SMART Certified for Safe Amalgam Removal can use the letters AIAOMT behind their name as a professional certification.
SMART Certified: A SMART certified member has successfully completed a course on mercury and safe dental mercury amalgam removal, including two units consisting of scientific readings, online learning videos, and tests. The crux of this essential course on the IAOMT’s Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART) involves learning about the rigorous safety measures and equipment for reducing exposures to mercury releases during the removal of amalgam fillings. A SMART certified member may or may not have achieved a higher level of certification such as Accreditation, Fellowship, or Mastership.
Accredited–(AIAOMT): The Accredited member has successfully completed a ten-unit course on biological dentistry, including units on mercury, safe mercury amalgam removal, fluoride, biological periodontal therapy, hidden pathogens in the jawbone and root canals, and more. This course involves an examination of over 50 scientific and medical research articles, participation in an e-learning component of the curriculum which includes ten videos, and demonstration of mastery on ten detailed unit tests. An Accredited member is a member who has also completed the Fundamentals of Biological Dentistry Course and who has attended at least two IAOMT meetings, as well as passed an oral interview exam for safe amalgam removal. Note that the Accredited member may or may not be SMART certified and may or may not have achieved a higher level of certification such as a Fellowship or Mastership. To view the accreditation course description by unit, click here. To learn more about becoming accredited, click here.
Additional levels include IAOMT Fellow, and IAOMT Master designations and typically delineate between more generational biological dentists who as they age, tend to work less clinical hours and devote more time to lecturing, publishing and collaborating with colleagues on research. Sometimes Master-level accredited dentists maybe be non-practicing or retired that work mainly on research projects and publishing.
Fellow–(FIAOMT): A Fellow is a member who has achieved Accreditation and who has submitted one scientific review that has been approved by the Scientific Review Committee. A Fellow has also completed an additional 500 hours of credit in research, education, and/or service beyond that of an Accredited member.
Master–(MIAOMT): A Master is a member who has achieved Accreditation and Fellowship and who has completed 500 hours of credit in research, education, and/or service (in addition to the 500 hours for Fellowship, for a total of 1,000 hours). A Master has also submitted a scientific review that has been approved by the Scientific Review Committee (in addition to the scientific review for Fellowship, for a total of two scientific reviews).
What is the IDEAL level of IAOMT certification of a top holistic dentist?
Short Answer: Find a dentist who is at minimum Accredited and also SMART Certified for a top holistic dentist whom you can trust for optimal health.
In our opinion, the ideal level is the SMART Certification and Accredited IAOMT (or higher) certification, both together for a practicing dentist who is entirely educated on the dangers of mercury and should practice safe amalgam removal. Understandably anyone who is only SMART Certified may not understand the nuance of root canal toxicity and the dangers of leaving root canals in the body, which is why IAOMT Accreditation, Mastery or Fellowship is a hard requirement when searching for a dentist to remove amalgam fillings safely.
A non-accredited member could also lack the knowledge of true biological dentistry as they haven’t undergone the full IAOMT program, nor have they proven their skills with an oral exam or, most importantly, the HANDS ON SKILL test of how to actually perform safe amalgam removal with the utmost stringency and safety. This is the reason we believe the IAOMT Accreditation is the most important and necessary display of biological dentistry proficiency and knowledge in addition the SMART certification. Oftentimes, Master and Fellow IAOMT members tend the skew older and may practice fewer hours. Due to the extra non-patient time, they may be more devoted to research and more academically inclined individuals can dedicate themselves to mostly research while they manage younger dental associates working for them and doing the day-to-day dentistry for patients. While generally, we think of an “older” clinician as a reflection of more experience and skill, it may also indicate the potential to be less progressive and not as quick to adopt new technologies and methods of treating patients.
IAOMT accredited dentists like Dr. May are young enough to grasp information extremely quickly, be at the cutting edge of all dental technology, extrapolate which dental advances and new materials are in alignment with biological dentistry, and are in the heart of treating patients all day every day while studying the wisdom from the Fellows and Masters. This creates what we would consider the “elites” of practicing dental professionals in the niche biological dentistry world of holistic dentists. These are typically dentists in their mid 30’s to late 40’s who tend to be talented, studious, progressive, innovative and most importantly, have incredible hand skills for dental procedures, whether is root canal extractions or zirconia dental implants, cavitation dental surgery or safe amalgam removal.