Healing Strategy: Dental Detox What does dental mercury have to do with cancer? Several dental organizations have researched the ways dental metals may leak, harming the immune system. Mercury-containing fillings are banned in some countries but are still used in others because they are considered long-lasting.
composites.
The fascinating part is that this picture of the sheep was taken only 29 days after radioactive mercury was mixed with standard dental mercury and placed in amalgams in the sheep's mouth. As you can see, 29 days later the mercury is distributed in the (a) sheep's gastrointestinal tract, (b) kidneys, and in the (c) gum and alveolar bone of the jaws. The (d) liver is obscured by the gut, but would show large concentrations of mercury since the liver is the major organ of detoxification in the body. The mercury was also found (in lower concentrations) in the the sheep's brain, cerebrospinal fluid, pituitary gland, thyroid, and adrenals. (Hahn, L.J.; Kloiber, R.; Vimy, M.J.; Takahashi, Y.; Lorscheider, F.L., "Dental 'Silver' Tooth Fillings: a Source of Mercury Exposure Revealed by Whole-Body Image Scan and Tissue Analysis," FASEB J. 3: 2641-2646; 1989). Biological Dentistry? A new field of dentistry has emerged to explore how dental procedures affect the whole body. Go to the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology website for referrals to recognized biological dentists. Also visit The International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine In his article, "Thoughts on Biological Dentistry," Founding President, American Academy of Biological But what is Biological Dentistry exactly? Above all, Biological Dentistry is aesthetic, relatively nontoxic and individually biocompatible. Its practitioners use physiologic and electronic means to locate chronic areas of disease that are difficult to locate with conventional clinical methods. It incorporates the time-proven healing methods of homeopathy, acupuncture, nutrition, physical therapy and herbology, as well as the more modern sciences of neural therapy, hematology, immunology and electro-acupuncture. Such modalities complement the many scientific disciplines that encompass the field of clinical dentistry. The curative measures of Biological Dentistry are applied in accordance with each patient’s natural abilities of regulation, regeneration, adaptation and self-cure. Biological dental treatment removes the stress burdens that conventional treatment may induce. There are several dental situations that especially concern the Biological Dentist. The first is the toxicity of metals used in dental materials and their release from fillings and replacement appliances (metal partials and crowns containing nickel). Dissociating from their masses, these metal ions diffuse, migrate and are absorbed by the tissues, altering the electrochemical character of the immune system. At the same time, they change the ratios and populations of the blood cells (decreased white count), as well as those of the immune system. These migrating metal ions also stop or alter the function of the body’s enzymes. Another concern is the extent and character of the direct electrical currents generated by the mingling of dissimilar metals in electrolyte media (fluids and tissues of the human body). This is called oral galvanism. These currents carry disruptive metal ions to the opposite poles in what amount to oral galvanic batteries. How much oral galvanic power is necessary to change organic function and membrane permeability, to interfere with the power of thought of recall, or to initiate degenerative change? We still don’t know. But we do know that it changes the charge from electronegative to electropositive. Is it possible that these metallic energy sinks act as blockades in the meridians, the bioenergetic circuits associated with the teeth? Indeed, it is. Can these blockades cause dysfunction in their respective organs, endocrine systems, vertebrae, muscles, nerves and nerve reflexes? Absolutely. Should we view current existing dental restorations as toxic scars? If mercury is involved, most definitely. With gold and other metals, or with composite cements? For a certain percentage of people, yes. With just about any restorative dental material, there will be blockades if the body’s immune system is still functional. This is because the tooth is an open and dynamic living organ. Biological Dentistry is concerned with treatment and therapies that cause the least disturbance to the immune system. A third area of concern is that of hidden or residual infection, including areas of necrosis (dead tissue) and chronic inflammation. Collectively, these areas are called Dental Interference Fields, or Foci. A focus is a diseased change in the soft connective tissue containing non-processable material that keeps the local and general defense reactions in a continuous state of active conflict. This can lead to abnormal distant effects far removed from the original source. It is most often chronic in nature. Ignoring this area as completely as it does, conventional dentistry misses out on the chance to make meaningful and effective therapeutic contributions in resolving chronic disease... For Further Study Consider: Dental Mercury and the Immune System Two April 2006 studies in JAMA found that mercury in dental amalgams wasn't harmful. In one study, kids with amalgam fillings, after seven years, did not have any neurobehavioral problems. In the other study, kids with amalgam fillings, after five years, did not have decreased IQ scores or any kidney problems. (See Rouen T et al., Neurobehavioral Effects of Dental Amalgam in Children, JAMA 2006 and Bellinger D et al., Neurophysical and Renal Effects of Dental Amalgam in Children, JAMA 2006.) Refutation of Studies: Chemistry Professor, Dr. Boyd Haley, stated that the researchers in the studies 1) did not determine the amount of mercury exposure to children emitted from the amalgam outside of the mouth, 2) used blood and urine levels when 90% of mercury is excreted in feces, 3) did not select the most sensitive clinical testing parameters, 4) did not state whether amalgam is safe for kids with prior neurodevelopmental or systemic illness, and 5) ignored the drop in mercury in the excretion in the urine after year two even though mercury exposure from amalgams remained the same or increased. I gram filling would contain 500,000 micrograms of mercury, or 100,000 days of emitting a toxic 5 micrograms per day. This equals to about 275 years of mercury before it is all gone. Amalgams do not stop releasing mercury vapor within 7 years. So what caused the drop after year 2? Increased mercury exposure inhibiting its own excretion? (See Boyd Haley, Ph.D., Response to the NIDCR Funded Children's Amalgam Testing Publication in JAMA 2006 on the IAOMT website ROOT CANALS A root canal is a procedure used to save an abcessed tooth by removing the dental pulp (nerve) after the tooth is dead or has had the pulp exposed due to cavities or fractures. After the pulp is completely removed, the inside of the tooth is sterilized and resealed to prevent infection. Hot News: A May 2006 study found that, if the objective of root canal treatment is to eliminate root canal infections, current treatment procedures are inadequate. After observing root apices with surrounding bone from patients or cadavers, post- treatment apical periodontitis (inflammation around the apex of the tooth where there is severe, spontaneous, persistent pain) is associated with 50-90% of root filled human teeth. (See Wu MK et al., Consequences of and Strategies to Deal with Residual post-Treatment Root Canal Infections, International Endodontic Journal 2006.) Dr. Weston Price's Work on Root Canals Dr. George Meinig, author of Root Canal Cover-Up, studied the root canal research conducted by Dr. Weston Price, and wrote about it in "The 31/2 Year Success of 'Root Canal Cover Up' ". Dr. Meinig concluded, "Root-canal-filled teeth always remain infected no matter how good they might look or how good they might feel." In an experiment, Dr. Price implanted an extracted root-filled tooth of a patient under the skin of an animal, hypothesizing that the patient's bacteria would produce disease in the animal. Indeed, by implanting the root-filled tooth, the disease of the patient was transferred to the animal. Implanting Human Root Canal under Skin of Animals "In other words, if the patient had heart disease, the animal developed heart disease. If he had kidney trouble, disease of the kidney transferred to the animal. If he had a problem in his joints, the animal's joints became similarly involved. ... Whatever the disease, the animal would develop that of the patient." Dr. Meinig described Dr. Price's research. Most of the time the bacteria that Dr. Price found were Strep strains. But he also found Staph, spirochetes, and fungi. And if there happened to be more than one root canal, a different organism was found. But how did bacteria continue to exist in the tooth? Dr. Price discovered that when tooth decay spreads into the root canal of the tooth, nerve and blood vessels become infected. The bacteria travel through the entire root canal and find the dentin's (which makes up 95% of the tooth's structure) tubules and nutrients. Not all of the bacteria can be killed by disinfectants or antibiotics. Nor does the root canal filling block the bacteria's access to nutrients. Dr. Price found that the bacteria are capable of mutating and changing their form. Organisms become more virile and their toxins more toxic. Dr. Meinig stated that the German oncologist, Dr. Josef Issel, was able to confirm Dr. Price's findings about toxins, identifying the toxins to be closely related to chemicals used to make mustard gas. How do the bacteria - trapped in dentin tubules - escape to other parts of the body? There are billions of germs in the tubules of root canal-treated teeth. Bacteria in proximity to lateral accessory root canals escape into them. From these accessory root canals, bacteria can travel into the tooth's surrounding periodontal membrane (the hard, fibrous membrane that holds the tooth in its bony socket). Just as cancer cells metastasize and spread to other organs in the body, when bacteria gets into the tooth's bony socket, the bacteria also gets into the blood supply of the jaw, allowing the bacteria to metastasize and travel to another gland, organ and tissue and cause a new infection. The new site of the infection is called a "focal infection". Dr. Price found that 25-30% of people with good immune systems get along fine with their root canals. But when these people are confronted with a stressful event, the stress weakens their immune systems and leads to the advent of degenerative diseases. Dr. Price also found that for the other 70% of people who have weakened immune systems, once they get their root canals, they develop degenerative diseases earlier than other people - many right after they get their root canals. (See www.mizar5.com/coverup.htm for George Meinig, D.D.S.' full description of Dr. Weston Price's research on root canals.) Ongoing Research Project Contact us at info@breastcancerchoices.org about sending your extracted root canal to the Huggins' Institute's root canal-breast cancer project. This website is intended as information only. The editors of this site are not medically-trained. Please consult your licensed health care practitioner before implementing any health strategy. The information provided on this site is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her existing physician. This site accepts no advertising. The contents of this site are copyrighted 2006 by Breast Cancer Choices, Inc. Contact us for reprint permission. Website updated January 7, 2008. |
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