Cape Town Smile Studios

Dr Ilona Visser

Areas of Special Interests:
Biological dentistry, Aesthetic dentistry, Dental phobic patients

Practice Philosophy:

Helping the body to help itself using the least invasive technology following medical and biological dental concepts.

Areas of Focus:

Diagnosis and treatment of toxic teeth and their relationship to cavitations and chronic health problems.

Non-surgical treatment of TMJ, and functional dental medicine.

Safe removal of amalgam fillings.

Accredited by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology

Member of the South African Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry

Current position: Senior Consultant at Cape Town Smile Studios

Dr Visser has practised clinical family dentistry since 1990, and for the last 10 years she has focused on mercury-free/biological dentistry. Over the last several years, she has advocated “cleaner” dental offices by eliminating mercury (silver) fillings as a material for dental fillings. She uses high-efficiency office air cleaners in dental offices to remove the harmful mercury vapors released when old mercury amalgam fillings are removed.

Because of her awareness of the toxic and harmful elements in a dental office, her family dental practice has attracted many patients who are environmentally and chemically sensitive, and who require more intense evaluation before dental treatment can begin. During the last decade, she has focussed on integrating the medical components of biological dentistry to whole person treatment involving the sequencing of alternative treatments that are fully integrated with all health care providers for the most efficacious treatment that is cost effective and encourages patient and health practitioner involvement. In this regard, and as part of a team treating heavy metal toxic patients in South Africa, she has successfully treated many mercury toxic patients.

Her first book, The Big Dental Lie, was published in 2010.

Dr Visser completed a 3-year degree in Science at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, with Biochemistry and Microbiology as majors.  After a short period as science teacher at a local high school, she enrolled at the same university and qualified as a dentist.  She later also obtained a postgraduate degree in Aesthetic Dentistry in 1994, a field of dentistry that has since become known and popular as Cosmetic Dentistry.  She successfully spearheaded and organised the Aesthetic Conference for Women (as part of her mission to educate the public on dental health matters), which was held for 3 consecutive years in the earlier part of the previous decade.

Dr Visser has lectured at numerous national and international conferences and meetings on the topics of mercury toxicity and the use of ozone in dentistry. She regularly writes articles on dental health matters for magazines, and is a contributor to Health24.com. She is regularly interviewed on radio (RSG and RadioTygerberg) and the information on her website is frequently used in other websites.

She is the founding member of the South African Chapter of the IAOMT, and currently serves as the president of the chapter. In 2007 she became the first, adn to date the only, accredited member of the IAOMT in South Africa In 2007. In Las Vegas that year she was also the first South African dentist to be awarded the IAOMT President’s Award for outstanding service and commitment to the dental community.

Ilona organized the first International Conference on Biological Dentistry in South Africa which was held in Cape Town in May 2009, and attended by dentists and doctors both local and international.

Dr Visser has vast experiences in many aspects of dental health and safe dental office practices. She has trained numerous general dentists and dental specialists in the techniques of Biological Dentistry and practices fulltime in her general dental practices in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2011 she was invited to attend the UNEP meeting on INC3 (International Treaty on Reducing Mercury in the Environment) in Nairobi, Kenya, as a specialist dentist on mercury toxicity due to mercury fillings. She presented a lecture to delegates from all the nations of Africa. At the end of the meeting the Africa delegation voted to include the wording "Phase-out of amalgam fillings" in the treaty document.

Ilona is married to Gerhard Visser and (currently) they have 5 doggie kids as well as being fosterparents to a sixth. They live in Cape Town, South Africa.