The Mission
“Enhance your oral and overall health with evidence-base”
Maria is a forward-thinking dentist and wellbeing expert, with a 360 approach to oral health, viewing the mouth as the gateway to the whole body. With over 10 years clinical experience, seeing patients as a general dentist, she noticed the mouth was often overlooked when it comes to wellness, and is on a mission to shine a light on the importance of the oral microbiome.
Fuelled by her own journey into parenthood and experience of mixed marketing messages around ‘healthy living’, she set up The Lifestyle Dentist (@thelifestyledentist) as a platform for education and empowerment on evidence-based oral health. “I hope to empower and energise you with the knowledge to nurture your own mouth’s microbiome and reap the rewards of overall health.”
A practising yoga instructor and passionate advocate of healthy living, Maria is based in rural South West Scotland, where she hosts yoga and wellbeing retreats on her family estate, championing the dental perspective.
“I aspire to inspire you; to share my preventative philosophy and mindful approach to oral health, to understand how lifestyle and nutrition play a key role in achieving a healthy mouth, and to connect a healthy mouth to a healthy mind and body.”
Maria’s Professional Story
Gaining her BDS from Newcastle Dental School in 2007, Maria went on to complete her Vocational Training in Edinburgh. It was here that her path as a general dental practitioner developed in private practice, completing her MJDF exams with the Royal College of Surgeons of England and going on to become Clinical Lead of the practice. Maria spent some of her undergraduate training abroad in Helsinki, Finland where she embraced the forward-thinking approach which was to become integral to her own philosophy. Always inspired to make a difference and give back to communities that need it most, Maria has volunteered on the Amazon Hope ship, treating tribes in the Amazon Jungle as part of the Vine Trust charity and has more recently volunteered at her local Urgent Care Centre during the coronavirus pandemic.
Maria’s Lifestyle
She lives with her husband and four young children on their working family estate in rural South West Scotland and is a huge advocate of sustainable living and a lover of the outdoors. A practising yoga and aerial yoga instructor, Maria recently launched her Aerial Yoga Studio at their Barwhillanty Estate where her ‘Yoga and Wellbeing Retreats’ are held, encompassing her health and wellbeing ethos.
A keen kitchen experimenter, Maria loves to cook from scratch, creating recipes that are healthy and wholesome, delicious and nutritious. Her approach follows a colourful, balanced Mediterranean-style diet, inspired by her Greek heritage as well as her love for spices and fresh flavours.
