About Dr. Staci

Meet the dentist bringing the mouth into the whole-body conversation.

Dr. Staci Whitman is a board-certified dentist, functional medicine certified practitioner, educator, speaker, advisor, and forthcoming author helping people understand oral health as part of the bigger health picture.

How She Got Here

Grounded in science. Built for real life.

Dr. Staci didn’t come to the mouth-body connection through theory. She came to it through real patients, real families, and the same unanswered questions showing up again and again.

After years of clinical work, she kept seeing patterns conventional dentistry often treated in isolation: recurring cavities, grinding, mouth breathing, bad breath that would not go away, bleeding gums that never seemed to stop, sleep issues, inflammation, confusing product advice, and symptoms being treated in pieces.

She wanted to understand what connected those pieces. That curiosity led her deeper into airway health, nutrition, systems biology, the oral microbiome, and the science of how the mouth reflects what is happening throughout the body.

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Core Beliefs

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The mouth is a messenger

It can offer important clues about the microbiome, airway, sleep, nutrition, inflammation, hormones, and overall health.

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Prevention should start earlier.

It can offer important clues about the microbiome, airway, sleep, nutrition, inflammation, hormones, and overall health.

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Better questions change care.

The right question can shift the entire conversation for parents, patients, practitioners, providers, and brands.

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Science should feel usable.

People deserve information that is clear, practical, and human — not confusing, fear-based, or wrapped in shame.

Grounded In Experience

Clinical expertise meets whole-body thinking.

Dr. Staci’s perspective is shaped by decades of clinical experience, advanced functional medicine training, and a deep commitment to moving oral health into the broader health conversation.

Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist
Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner
DMD, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Pediatric Dental Residency, Oregon Health & Science University
Co-Founder, Institute for Functional Dentistry
International lecturer and educator
Scientific advisor and product collaborator
Entrepreneur, inventor, and patent-owner
Forthcoming author of SPIT from Crown / Penguin Random House
Press + Appearances

Bringing the mouth-body conversation to bigger stages

Podcast Appearances

Huberman Lab
How to Improve Your Teeth & Oral Microbiome for Brain & Body Health
Mind Pump
#2557 Heal Your Cavities & Fix Your Teeth With Functional Dentistry
The Model Health Show
TMHS 979 How to Reverse Cavities & Protect Your Oral Microbiome
The mindbodygreen Podcast
#616 Optimize your oral health for longevity
The Dr. Josh Axe Show
Holistic Dentist Reveals Hidden Dangers in Your Mouth
The Art of Being Well (Dr. Will Cole)
Fluoride Controversy, Dental-Hormone Connection & The Mouth Microbiome
Be Well by Kelly
#95 Getting to the Root of Oral Health
The Doctor’s Kitchen
#331 Should We Avoid Fluoride and Is Mouthtaping Actually Worth It?

Featured Press

mindbodygreen
Why Dental Care Is Becoming The Next Major Longevity Practice
mindbodygreen
A Functional Dentist's Guide To Optimizing Oral Health
Portland Monthly
Leave It to a Portland Kids’ Dentist to Invent an Eco-Friendly Flosser
Shark Tank
Shark Tank | 3/31/2023 Episode
The Washington Post
Oregon drinking water story
KGW News
Portland dentist creates Happi Floss, the first compostable, paper flosser
Thrive Global
Holistic Care Feature
Eudemonia
Oral Health Q&A
Medium
Women In Wellness: Dr Staci Whitman On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
YahooFinance
Creating Better Lifestyles through Happi Health