• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Ask the dentist logo

Ask the Dentist

Health Begins in the Mouth | Dr. Mark Burhenne

  • Shop
  • For Dentists
    • Become a Member
    • Current Members
  • Find a Dentist
  • Podcast
  • Dental Hygiene
  • Sleep
  • Nutrition
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
  • Orthodontics
  • Conditions
  • Procedures
Home › Podcast › Podcast Episode #34: What’s The Future of Functional Dentistry?

Podcast Episode #34: What’s The Future of Functional Dentistry?

Listen on Apple Podcasts logo
Listen on Google Podcasts logo
Listen on Amazon logo
Listen on Spotify logo
Listen on Sticher logo
Get the RSS Feed logo
More Episodes
Mark Burhenne smiling in blue shirt with glasses on

Podcast Episode #122: The federal court ruling on water fluoridation EXPLAINED

Podcast Episode #121: “The Who, When and Why?” Of Oral Probiotics with OMB Expert David Lin PHD

Podcast Episode #120: Tooth Decalcification & Clear Aligners

Podcast Episode #119: Mouthwash Recommendations, The Oral Microbiome, + Nanoparticles | Dr. Ryan Nolan, Pt. 2

Podcast Episode #118: How to Find a Dentist, Dental Insurance, Dental News + The Oral Microbiome | Dr. Ryan Nolan, Pt. 1

As a functional dentist, Dr. B is used to being asked what functional dentistry is. However, this week, this question comes with a twist as fans ask Dr. B what he is most excited about in functional dentistry. Tune in to discover Dr. B’s journey to functional dentistry, from sleuthing as a child to setting up a directory globally for fellow functional dentists. Find out how functional dentistry ultimately saves lives and money, and why (despite this) the ADA doesn’t yet accept it as a specialization. We discuss diseases that functional dentistry can prevent, and Dr. B’s book recommendations that cover functional topics. From nasal breathing to flat dental plates, Alzheimer’s disease to sleep apnoea, Dr. B takes us through his tips and research into the pathologies that he has applied to functional dentistry, to benefit his patients and family members. Join us to hear all this and more about the future of functional dentistry. 

Submit Your Question

Dr. B loves answering your questions. Record a voicemail for your chance to have it answered in a future episode.

Ask a Question

Key Points From This Episode:

  • Dr. B’s weekend plans: why getting out from behind a screen post-vaccination is so important
  • Why most people ask what functional dentistry is
  • Today’s question: what Dr. B is most excited about in functional dentistry
  • How Dr. Mark Hyman is an inspiration for functional practitioners
  • What motivated Dr. B to become a functional dentist
  • Working upstream: how functional dentistry ultimately saves lives and money
  • How the body compensating causes pathology and why it’s important to intercept these compensations early on
  • Recognizing functional dentists: one patient and one practitioner at a time
  • Teaching functional dentistry: learning beyond your official education
  • The systems that interact to affect your dental health
  • Becoming a practitioner of the oral-microbiome
  • Dr. B’s “aha” moment about sleep apnea and prevention through dentistry
  • The oral-systemic connection: what happens in the mouth affects the body
  • How root cause thinking can save the entire healthcare system 
  • The importance of promoting nasal breathing
  • Understanding the P. gingivalis bug and its link to Alzheimer’s disease
  • Why the future of dentistry is functional
  • Functional dentistry throughout the world: From Brazil to Japan

How to Submit Your Question:

Record your question for Dr. B at speakpipe.com/askthedentist 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Functional Dentistry: Everything You Need to Know – Ask the Dentist

The future of dentistry is functional. Here’s why. – Ask the Dentist

Dr. Mark Hyman on LinkedIn

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

Ask the Dentist: 5 Sleep Apnoea Questions

Can gingivitis cause Alzheimer’s Disease? [A Scientific Review]

Ask the Dentist

About Dr. Mark Burhenne

Follow Dr. B on Instagram @askthedentist

Follow Dr. B on Twitter @askthedentist

Ask Dr. B a Question

Category: Conditions

About Mark Burhenne, DDS

I’m on a mission to empower people everywhere with the same evidence-based, easy-to-understand dental health advice that my patients get. You can read my story here. I have been a dentist in private practice for 35 years. I graduated from the Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, CA in 1987 and am a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM), Academy of General Dentistry (Chicago, IL), American Academy for Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH), and Dental Board of California.

  • All Posts
Previous Post:Mark Burhenne smiling in blue shirt with glasses onPodcast Episode #33: What fixes pulpitis?
Next Post:Podcast Episode #35: Does Size Matter?Mark Burhenne smiling in blue shirt with glasses on
Ask the dentist logo

Welcome to the website of Mark Burhenne, DDS, functional dentist. Learn how to prevent and heal dental health issues.

MORE ABOUT DR. MARK

Quick Links

  • Cart
  • My Account
  • About
  • Interview Dr. Burhenne
  • Contact

Resources

  • Find a Functional Dentist
  • Newsletter

Our Products

  • All Products
  • Reversing Cavities Naturally
  • Cavity Free Kids Guide
  • The 8 Hour Sleep Paradox
Connect with Dr. Mark
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • TikTok
Academy of General Dentistry Sleep Medicine logo

Copyright © 2026 · Ask the Dentist · All Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions / Advertising Policy / Medical Disclaimer