In a fast-moving conversation recorded live at the Changing Life & Destiny (CLD) Conference in Dallas, Flourish Dental Boutique’s founder and Biological Dentist Dr. Toni Engram, sat down with Dr. Chris Motley of the Ancient Health Podcast to talk about something many overlook, “what your oral health is really saying about your body”.
The two shared an authentic dialogue that moved from personal health stories to complex connections between microbiomes, autoimmune conditions and even root canals. Throughout the interview, one thing was clear: what’s happening in your mouth isn’t just about teeth.
“Tooth decay and gum disease are communicable diseases,” Dr. Engram shared, highlighting how oral health can be passed from one person to another through close contact, especially in families. “It’s inflammation and dysbiosis in the first part of your gut. That’s what I treat every day.”
For Dr. Engram, biological dentistry didn’t start in dental school. In fact, she was taught to avoid it.
“In dental school, they warned us about the people who didn’t like fluoride. They were all the crazy ones,” she laughed.
Everything changed when Dr. Engram was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease while launching her first practice and raising a young family. Instead of accepting a life of medication and surgery, she looked for root causes. Starting with nutrition, stress and eventually oral health.
“I was just burning the candle at both ends,” she said. “As I was healing, I realized the same things that were damaging my gut were showing up in my patients’ mouths.”
This wake-up call shifted how she practiced. What began as a search for her own healing turned into a mission to help others access care that looks at the whole person, not just their teeth.
Dr. Engram’s perspective on dentistry goes well beyond drill and fill. She explained how mouth breathing, microbiome imbalances and even specific tooth decay patterns can reflect bigger systemic issues.
“We see correlations. Someone may be mouth breathing at night, which dries out the saliva and wreaks havoc on their microbiome. Then they get recurring tooth decay and inflammation,” she explained.
Her approach includes diagnostic tools like 3D scans and saliva tests, as well as partnerships with functional medicine providers. She even evaluates patients’ airway health, stress levels and sleep quality.
The conversation also touched on controversial topics like root canals and cavitations. While some biological dentists take a hard stance against root canals, Dr. Engram takes a case-by-case approach.
“I don’t think they’re inherently bad,” she said. “But if you’re going to keep a tooth, it needs to be the best darn root canal modern dentistry can offer.”
For patients who do experience post-extraction issues like cavitations (unhealed pockets of bone), Dr. Engram focuses on full-body healing.
“We give the body what it needs to restart the healing process—sometimes it’s ozone therapy, sometimes it’s surgery,” she explained.
More than anything, the conversation reflected Dr. Engram’s heart-centered approach to care. Whether she’s addressing chronic inflammation or calming a nervous patient, her mission is to help people heal from the inside out.
“God gave me the blessing of getting really, really sick,” she said. “Because it changed how I practice. And now I get to help others take ownership of their health too.”
Flourish Dental Boutique in Richardson, TX provides holistic dental care that honors the connection between the mouth, body and spirit. To book your appointment – SCHEDULE HERE. For more educational insights and real conversations with wellness leaders, follow @flourishdentalboutique on Instagram or tune in on the Flourish YouTube channel at youtube.com/@Flourish.Dental.
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