Fighting Tooth and Nail

Like the breast implant scare, which some now recognize as being pushed by lawyers, what if it is ultimately discovered that the mercury filling scare is calculated PR pushed by opportunists who cater to mercury-free dentistry? It is my opinion that mercury-free dentistry is a niche industry built on bad science, irrational fear and profit - just like the implant lawsuit industry.

What if the BPA scare is the same thing? I would like to point out that a handful of baby bottle makers seemed to respond to the BPA-free demand incredibly fast. It appears that a few were prepared to immediately step in with their BPA-free products when the need suddenly arose. Some set forest fires in hopes of being the hero who puts them out. They do this for selfish gain with no regard to the welfare of others. Fear of safe medical devices causes harm and raises the cost of healthcare.

For those who dwell on fear as well as fashionable footwear, here is an article (http://www.northwestvoice.com /home/ViewPost/70751)
which asks the question: Can BPA be absorbed through the skin of bare feet if one wears the popular Jelly Shoes or Crocs - which are both made of plastic? Better wear socks. DK Pruitt

Restorative Doc wrote:

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.

This is the best advice, not to get cavities and even if so detect it at early stages and go in for GICs (pros please comment). I am not sure if the pros would agree to this but any dental work on teeth has the possibility to weaken the teeth with micro cracks that later leads us to root canal treatment. Pain in a teeth after filling is hard to diagnose and sometimes only a root canal can relive it. But how long does root canal filled and crowned teeth can survive is something only pros can answer!

Cheryl Patucci CDA wrote:

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.

Cheryl: Shame on you. You are destroying the profession from within. Your last statement insinuates that dentists do composites because they can charge more. All it does is make people trust dentists, all dentists, less. Most of us, like anywhere in the world, in any profession, have the patients best interests at heart. I feel that those that use a material like amalgam, which can be placed faster, cheaper, and is not technique sensitive, are the ones going for the "$" buy pumping out volume dentistry. Unfortunately, your thermal sensitivity is probably due to the dentists technique, even if it was your dentist who placed the composites.

For me, it takes a lot more time to place composites. I do not have sensitivity, breakdown, etc.. because I have worked very hard at having impeccable technique, and standards. I hope one day you realize this.

Remember, it's not the material, but the operator that fails to provide patietns with a comfortable, long lasting, restoration.
jonathan golab
www.drgolab.net

Dental Amalgams probably are just fine. They're 60% mercury, so do the math. It really is the vapor that constitutes the controversy/danger.
BPA,is yes, an unsafe chemical. But it does not have a vapor to be concerned. That is, it is not reactive.
As well, the FDA is calling off all recalls.
Smog, uv rays, cosmic radiation, obesity, are of more of a health risk, than amalgam and BPA.
www.drgolab.net