Problems & Solutions

Common problems in dental care and natural solutions.

Problem: The dental amalgam filling is about half mercury: how could it possibly be safe?
Solution: Always insist that dental fillings be a non-metallic, white filling, generally chosen and placed by a “holistic,”  i.e. “biological” dentists who chooses a suitable filling material and places it with the necessary skill. 

Problem:  Removal of an old (or recently placed) dental amalgam filling can produce a harmful mercury exposure to the patient. 
Solution:  Removal of an old amalgam filling is generally a smart idea but it should only be done by a “holistic” dentist who is trained and equipped to do it safely. The dentist needs to use elaborate protections to assure the safety of the patient and also the dentist and the dental assistant. 

Problem: Most physicians do not know how to test a patient for mercury body burden and so who are willing to test will use tests that are meaningless, possibly misleading or possibly causing harmful side effects to the patient.
Solution: The Tri-test, offered by a lab in Colorado called Quicksilver Scientific, is safe and offers the most information about mercury status in the patient’s body. It is called the Tri-test because it takes three specimens from the patient: blood, urine and hair.

Problem:  Dental patients are sometimes perplexed by the many dental material choices for fillings, crowns, bridges, dentures and more. Which dental material choices are preferable?
Solution:  1) Use a good holistic dentist because such dentists, being health conscious in their practice, are likely to use dental materials that are safe yet also attractive and durable. 2) DAMS offers a discussion of dental material choices and provides some examples of dental materials that are commonly used by holistic dentists. 

Problem: When a tooth is dying, or has actually died, some dentists will say to the patient “you need a root canal.” But is this the best course of action? What might be a better alternative to doing a root canal treatment?
Solution:  In our view, a root canal treatment is a mistake because doing a root canal treatment leaves the patient with a dead tooth that is usually still infected and prone to becoming very toxic. So the more health conscious option is probably to haveg the dead tooth extracted. Proper extraction involves cleaning out the extraction site thoroughly, removing all bad bone, both abscesses and jawbone “cavitations” and sterilizing the extraction site, so as to set the stage for proper bone healing, filling in where the roots of the missing tooth were. 

Problem: Following proper amalgam removal, the mercury still needs to be detoxified from the patient’s kidneys, thyroid, heart, brain and other vital organs. Where does a patient to for detox and how is it best done?
Solution: It is best done gently, slowly and naturally using supplements and methods that are tailored to the individual.  There is no one-size-fits-all program and vitamins, minerals and detox supplements and methods need to be found that are well tolerated by the patient. The risky drugs used in the 1990s such as DMPS and DMSA are used much less today and gentler yet effective non-drug supplements have moved into the forefront. The updated view that we have is that DMPS and DMSA not even good chelators of mercury and the risks of using them probably outweighs the benefits. The company Quicksilver Scientific offers high quality products that work with the body’s own glutathione detox system. For more on detox, see our web page on the subject and the various articles we can send you. 

Problem: Some patients seem to have difficulty with detoxification and recovery of health. What could be brought into play when a patient’s detox is unusually difficult? 
Solution: Detoxification has to be individually tailored and one-size-fits-all recipe is not the answer.

1. It is helpful to identify possible barriers to mercury detoxification and there are various possible barriers. Some patients may have genetic peculiarities that make detoxification and recovery more challenging. Genetic testing is often suggested when detox is difficult and there are no obvious reasons why. Doctors or other practitioners are brought in to help interpret the genetic test results according help the patient follow a special diet or, for example, a specific form of B vitamins or other supplements.
2. Infections may be lurking in the patient’s body and may need to be identified and treated; they can include Lyme infection, Bartonella and other Lyme co-infections, parasites, fungal - yeast infections and mold in the home or work space.
3. Toxic EMFs, as from microwave communications devices – cell phones, cordless phones, Wi-Fi, cell towers and smart meters – all make mercury toxicity worse in people who have mercury amalgam fillings and toxic EMF exposures impair a patient’s ability to detoxify mercury and other toxic metals. 
4. Patients who have major health issues such as auto-immune disorders, neurological disorders, endocrine disorders or cancer generally need to go slower on detox and recovery journey and to get professional help to blend mercury detoxification into the overall health treatment plan. The holistic dentist is an important part of the health care provider team, providing the safe amalgam removal, and the removal and replacement of other toxic dental conditions, but physicians, naturopaths or other kinds of practitioners need to take the lead in coaching the detoxification part of the journey.