GROTON — Going to the dentist is not on most people’s top 10 list of ways to spend an hour.
Groton Wellness gets that. The dentists and holistic health practitioners who work with them also know that dental, physical and mental health are all tied together.
“It’s pretty special,” said Jean Nordin-Evans who, with her husband Bob Evans, owns the unique health center in Mill Run Plaza. They employ 50 to 60 full- and part-time workers. Patients travel from great distances; some fly in for treatment.
The two dentists look at well-being of the entire patient. The practice is unique in the area, Nordin-Evans said.
“I like that they care about all of me,” said Denise Robertson, who drives from Spencer for her dental care. When her health changed, she wanted better health, naturally. Her boss recommended the practice.
“Teeth are a part of the whole,” she said. She is doing well.
Groton Wellness provides standard dental treatment and more innovative procedures. Removing metal from old dental work is sometimes in order.
Robertson felt safe during the procedures to remove her fillings with mercury, a poisonous metal. The practice followed protocol to keep the metal from spreading into her body.
Even after potentially harmful mercury fillings are removed, patients may need more cleansing to remove the toxins from their bodies.
A few years ago, the practice expanded within Mill Run Plaza. It now includes a spa, café and wellness center. Psychotherapy, colon cleansing and intravenous treatments all help restore a stressed body.
The mind affects the body. Heart and energy-based psychologist Grace Ramsey Coolidge demonstrated. When telling the truth it is easier to for arm muscles to resist pressure.
She pushed on the reporter’s arm several times to illustrate. It was more difficult to resist the pressure when deliberately telling a lie.
After an appointment, patients can snack and relax. A café provides clean food, as organic and locally-sourced as it can be.
Chef Arwyn Lennon is enthusiastic with the challenge of preparing food and recipes that are prescribed for patients. She keeps ginger and turmeric on hand to add to homemade broths.
She hunts down gluten-free and low-glycemic ingredients to fill the customers’ requirements. “I love this café,” she said as she put together a package of baked treats to go.
Groton Wellness holds seminars and classes that are open to the public and plans to open a larger class space within the plaza.
Jewelry, cosmetics and therapeutic items are sold from the café.
Selina Woolf is both a vendor and a patient. She came in from Amherst to deliver some crystals.
“It’s been great,” she said. After reading about the dangers of metal fillings, she wanted them out. She also needed lots of other work. “It was just a very, very positive experience,” she said.
For some, going to the dentist is, well, unpleasant.
Healing patients who had bad experiences at the dentist office is the passion of Nordin-Evans. “Eight out of every 10 (patients) have a dental trauma story,” she said.
“I do everything possible to provide a safe space,” she said. Neck wraps, headphones and blankets help with relaxation.
Children start their visits as early as age 1. It is a chance to get to know a dental home as their first teeth are coming in, she said.
Everything the dental practice does is designed to eliminate future harm, Nordin-Evans said. Testing for interactions with materials and chemicals is done.
Evans has used acupuncture anesthesia, his wife said. In China, some major surgery is done with acupuncture rather than drugs.
The holistic approach is important.
“I care about quality of health care. I care about quality of the relationships with patients,” said Leah Sullivan. The Winchester resident has been a patient of the owners 1993 when they practiced in Newton.
“This is a place of healing,” she said. “They get the patient involved.”
The Groton Wellness Center will hold an open house on May 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information is available at www.grotonwellness.com
Follow Anne O’Connor on Twitter @a1oconnor.
