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Most traditionally educated medical doctors (MD) and dentists (DDS and DMD) have not been trained in treating the causes of dementia identified so far. Medical and dental schools typically do not offer many hours on topics such as nutrition, heavy metals detoxification, hormone testing and treatment, stress management, gerontology (the study of the elderly), or infections and toxicities such as Lyme Disease, and mold.
For this reason, you may need to go outside traditional categories of healthcare to find alternative or integrative physicians such as functional medicine or naturopathic doctors. There are other practitioners as well. Many of these doctors partner with health coaches to help patients follow recommended changes to diet and lifestyle, which is useful for prevention as well. Keep in mind that each individual seeking treatment will have his or her own insurance and financial considerations.
Depending on where you live, you may have access to one or more functional medicine or integrative practitioners. If you have friends who have been to integrative doctors, ask for a recommendation. Not all practitioners are aware of the causes of dementia, even though many of these practitioners are trained to treat them. As you go about your research, here are some helpful tips:
For suggestions, download Integrative Medical and Dental Practitioners (pdf)
In the absence of a trusted personal referral, the next best sources of information on integrative practitioners are websites of the associations to which they belong. Each website has an interactive database that lists member physicians and where they practice. Simply enter your zip code and the number of miles you are willing to travel from your home, and you will be given a list of their members who practice in the area.
We suggest you visit several association websites, as it is impossible just from a listing to tell whether a particular physician is going to be able to treat you. Then visit websites for the individual doctors to learn more about their qualifications and specialties. You may also want to search sites such as healthgrades.com and vitals.com for reviews.
For suggestions, download Association Websites for Practitioners (pdf)
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