Fighting Tooth and Nail

I knew I wasnt crazy......

Now, how do I get this crap outa my mouth....

Most people do not realize that at the same time the FDA is scrutinizing the safety of dental amalgam, the agency is also investigating bisphenol-A in medical devices. BPA is used to make plastics harder and is said to mimic estrogen - and is suspected of causing many illnesses just like mercury does. Lawsuits have already been filed against US baby bottle makers because of BPA, and Sen. Charles Schumer of NY plans to outlaw it in the US, just like Congresswoman Diane Watson of California plans to outlaw amalgam.

Here is where it gets interesting: Composite fillings, called “white resin� in this article, are the only alternative to amalgam fillings, and they contain BPA. This means that soon one might not be able to get cavities filled at all in the US. What is more, denture plastic also contains BPA. Is this not incredible?

My next door neighbor had all of her teeth extracted 6 months ago and the oral surgeon put her on an immediate diet of peanut brittle, onion rings, salt water taffy, and well buttered corn-on-the-cob until her gums hardened.
He said she would be ready in about 5 weeks.

Interesting article I have been a certified dental assistant for more that 27 years and all of my posterior fillings have amalgam restorations as I am a high risk for caries. I have had some amalgams replaced with resin material, but had them replaced due to thermal sensitivty and amalgam placed back in. Interesting what the attorney stated about procedure time as most dentists place composite in much less time as the preparations are not as critical as an 37% phosphoric acid is placed insie the preparation to keep the filling material in place, also the fee is about 25% higher than amalgam restorations.

@ Darrell - It is my understanding that only one sealant has shown relatively high leaching of BPA - and that's Delton LC Sealant. Another sealant showed very low levels. But, BPA is not present in other dental sealants. You need to ask your dentist what sealant he is using and to see the MSDS.

Jennifer
www.thesmartmama.com

The next time you go to the dentist's office, ask how much it costs to have a composite/resin filling vs an amalgam filling (composite is ALWAYS considerably more expensive), and then ask how long each lasts (composite = 2-5 yrs, while amalgam 5-20+). Also ask which filling is more likely to lead to a root canal due to increased tooth sensitivity (enododontists have a saying: "composite is an endodontists best friend"). So it behooves a dentist's bottom-line to only do composites: more frequently replaced, more expensive, and more likely to lead to other dental work (root canal + crown)...$$$$$$ So then why is it that so many dentists are still recommending amalgams? Maybe it's because most practitioners are still trying to look out for the wellbeing of their patients. It's not a dental conspiracy, folks. People get into the profession of health care because they CARE about people. We, as practitioners, are doing the best that we can with the materials, technology, and knowledge that we have thus far. The alternative is to extract all the teeth and give people titanium implants. They haven't found anything wrong with titanium... yet.

Dear Smart Mama:

BPA is not only in sealants, composites and dentures, but it is also in the adhesives that hold orthodontic brackets to teeth, as well as the adhesive that holds porcelain inlays and veneers secure. BPA is also in nightguards, bleaching trays… if it is not metal or porcelain, it is plastic. If it is plastic, and it is hard enough to withstand biting forces, it has BPA.

What is more, as one wears down the plastic, microscopic particles are swallowed 24 hours a day.

Sorry to be the one to break the news to you.

Here in the US, people are living longer, healthier lives than ever. Life expectancy has nearly doubled since the last century.

If these fillings are such a problem and if so many people are affected, then why are we all not dying sooner?

Days of Broken Arrows,

You made an excellent point. Neither amalgams nor composites are unsafe dental materials. They have proven safety records lasting from 30 to 150 years. As responsible citizens, we cannot capriciously determine toxicity by applause. That is irresponsible and it causes irreversible harm to naïve dental patients.

Of course, we only started learning about BPA relatively recently. The track record on composite resin (tooth-colored fillings) is comparatively short and we may not know all the material/body interactions for many years yet. Best advice: Don't get cavities. And, if you don't trust amalgam (aka mercury) or composite (aka estrogen-mimetic) fillings, go with gold. It may cost you 1,000 per tooth, but you know what you are getting.

Well said, Restorative Doc.

don't forget that when you remove an amalgam filling you release more mercury than you would if you left the filling in for the rest of your life. And if any dentist tells you that you need to have your fillings out because of mercury concerns then they are violating the ADA code of ethics, don't trust them. They are out for your money. btw, Dr.Strassler is the most well respected restorative dentist I have ever met.

dental student wrote:

don't forget that when you remove an amalgam filling you release more mercury than you would if you left the filling in for the rest of your life. And if any dentist tells you that you need to have your fillings out because of mercury concerns then they are violating the ADA code of ethics, don't trust them. They are out for your money. btw, Dr.Strassler is the most well respected restorative dentist I have ever met.

Dear dental student,

In 1990, I had my 16 mercury "silver" dental amalgams removed because of 13 years of unexplained health issues. The procedure was done by a biological DDS, IAOMT, who knew how to remove mercury fillings properly.

All symptoms of the unexplained health issues DISAPPEARED, and I would do it again today.

Linda

The Centers for Disease Control released a report this week linking nearly 1,000 injuries and more than a dozen deaths to the Gardasil vaccine.
These warnings often go unnoticed and more and more young women are being exposed to the possibility of being injured by this vaccine. State governments have picked up on the trend of mandating its young women to receive Gardasil, an obvious boon to the manufacturer.
Please read more about this and take action before more injuries are suffered: http://www.gardasil-talk.com

Dear Linda,

If you would have them replaced, what material would you choose?

I guess that shut her up.

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What about real Silver?

I wonder if we used real silver how that would be? Overdosing on real silver can make a person turn blue, but other than that it has a tendancy to suffocate viruses & bacteria. I have started taking colloidal Silver, 6 drops per day at 10 parts per million. I have only been on it for a week. I have a friend who has taken it for 3 years and in that time he has not been sick once. My friend is not blue in color.

I am looking to extract about 10 fillings. I developed tenitus shortly after having my wisdom teeth extracted.

I am pondering whether I could do this myself with taffy. Another thought would be to use a well placed epoxy hook to pull the fillings out.

Next question....
Is there a way to just kill the nerve to the tooth so you don't feel pain from it anymore? With the colloidal silver supplement I am quite confident I won't get infections in my teeth from this point forward.

I came upon the colloidal silver when researching alternative ways to protect one's self from biological weapons.

We really need a way to extract these fillings ourselves at no cost in a healthy way. I am confident that my brain function has been reduced due to these mercury fillings. I need to reverse this trend in my health.

Oh, by the way, avoid flouride too. There is a toothpaste that Walgreens sells "Tom's Natural Toothpaste" which has no floruide in it.

--Joe Baker
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You just wasted your time...

On July 3, Smart Mama and I had a conversation on this string about BPA in dental sealants and other dental devices, such as polycarbonate crowns that are commonly used for baby teeth. Since then, it occurred to me that polycarbonate toothbrushes for children may also leach BPA from the plastic - especially while immersed in salivary enzymes, along with abrasives and oils from the toothpaste, and applied vigorously.

It turns out that another blogger named Safe Mama was months ahead of me.
http://safemama.com/2008/05/07/faq-whats-in-m...

From her research, it appears that there is at least one major brand toothbrush that contains BPA plastic - the Gerber Grins & Giggles Toddler Tooth & Gum Cleanser.

gold fillings cost an arm and leg; implants are for the rich.

a lot of poor people are gonna have worse teeth.

anyone remember the scare about breast implants???