Your body is like a car. Give it some gas, and it will get you from point A to point B. But if you give it regular checkups, change the oil and feed it premium fuel, it will run like the day it came off the line.
Paul Wilke, DDS, might know this best. Wilke is the owner and dentist at Total Mouth Fitness, who, in his free time, rebuilds and fixes cars. His theory on natural health care can easily be tied to the expression, ‘Put good in; get good out.’
“I was raised with traditional medicine,” Wilke’s wife, Connie, said. “You have a headache? You take a pill. You have a stomachache? You take a pill, and it was all what the drugs can do for you.
“And my husband’s perspective is very different – more natural. So, now when I get a headache I’m thinking, ‘Okay, why do I have a headache? Do I need to be more hydrated, or do I need more vitamin this or vitamin that?’ It has really changed my perspective.”
Wilke began his education 35 years ago when he attended Texas A&M University and obtained his zoology degree. He then continued on to Baylor School of Dentistry, graduating in 1980. Despite graduating three decades ago, Wilke continues to further his education on the latest techniques and technologies.
“Technology changes,” Wilke said. “You know, many of the things we do today weren’t even around when I graduated.”
Wilke doesn’t plan on getting lost in the wave of new gadgets. “If you don’t keep up,” he says, “you’re practicing way behind.”
To the uneducated eye, the medical technologies around Total Mouth Fitness appear as though they belong at NASA rather than a dentist’s office. For instance, PerioLase ™ uses infrared lasers instead of the standard scalpel to treat gum disease so it cannot grow back.
Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics (CEREC®) uses metal-free, biocompatible materials and Cad/Cam tooth mapping to make fillings and minor tooth repair a quick and easy process for the patient.
Like the minute details of his 1970 Buick GS 455 engine, Wilke would be happy to explain the technological processes behind any of the machines and tools in his office. His eyes light up as he talks about the intricacies of the Zirconia dental implants, a healthier alternative to the standard titanium tooth replacement. The implants are easier on the human body and more natural than other implants.
“Zirconia implants are ceramic,” Wilke said. “The advantage is they don’t conduct electricity, so they don’t affect the electrical pathways in the body. And since they are white, they are more esthetic than titanium.”
In an economy where most small businesses are taking whatever profit they can scrap together and running to the hills, Wilke actually invests hundreds of thousands of dollars back into Total Mouth Fitness with the array of technologies he finds.
“I can use any materials I want,” Wilke said. “If I want to use expensive materials and do a super-good job, I don’t have to answer to some corporation. I’m not owned by a corporation.”
Total Mouth Fitness might be the farthest thing from a corporation. The practice has seven employees – eight if you include Connie Wilke, who handles the finances and manages the office.
For 32 years, the Wilkes have been married. Connie Wilke was a stay-at-home mom when their four children were younger. Now that the children are older, she is working more at the practice. Their daughter, Rebekah, joined the front office staff a year ago. Having family in the office, Wilke said, is great.
“You can absolutely trust them,” he said. “So they are always going to be helping you and reminding you of what things you need to do and have your best interests at heart.”
When Wilke isn’t fixing the mouths of his patients or spending time with his family, he can usually be found out in the garage working on cars.
“That’s his outlet,” Connie Wilke said. “I learned from my father that because the health professions in general are stressful, they need an outlet.”
Wilke isn’t your average wannabe mechanic. He rebuilds cars mostly on his own, from building the engines to fine tuning the suspension. He also, sparingly, employs the help of friends.
“I just like going fast,” he said with a laugh.
He has rebuilt six cars, mostly Buicks, and does time trials all over Texas. He has raced cars for more than 35 years. Even his daily driver can burn rubber: His 2004 Cadillac CTS-V has a Corvette 400 horsepower engine and 6-speed standard transmission.
It isn’t all about speed, however; Wilke likes his vehicles well rounded.
“I like total performance, where they’ll stop quickly [and] they’ll corner quickly,” Wilke said. “I’m not just a drag racer, which is what a lot of guys do.”
Wilke’s perspective on cars is similar to his perspective on dental health: The health of the body is often directly related to the health of the mouth. Fixing one part of the mouth might lead to positive changes in the rest of the body.
With Wilke recently completing the requirements for Applied Clinical Nutritionist (ACN), he applies principles to his practice that help in treating the patients’ total health. He is a strong advocate of the use of natural nutrients from foods and shies away from technologies that use metal or other materials that may be harmful to the body.
When patients leave, Wilke wants them to leave healthier. The testimonials on his website clearly show he is doing just that. And those testimonials, Wilke said, are why he loves dentistry.
“I love dentistry,” he said. “I think we have a chance to really help people in their overall health, not just their oral health.”
For more information on Wilke and Total Mouth Fitness, visit http://www.totalmouthfitness.com/index.htm.
