Frequently Asked Questions

© COPYRIGHT Richard J. Chanin
Used with permission of the Author

Q: If I have my silver fillings removed, will my chronic illness (severe allergies, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, etc.) go away?

A: There is no guarantee that any illness will be eradicated by the removal of your amalgam fillings. Mercury affects the body by altering enzyme systems. If it builds up, it can affect the brain, heart, digestive system, or any other system in the body. After mercury detoxification by one of the physicians with whom I work, many people feel significantly better. I must point out that some do not feel any changes at all. This is not the "magic bullet." Mercury burden may be the cause or just a contributing factor to your illness. It may not be related to your illness at all. It's simply another important consideration when dealing with chronic problems.

Q: What do you use in place of silver fillings?

A: I use posterior composites or crowns (caps). If the original silver filling is not too large, then a posterior composite is used. If the old filling is large, then a crown may be necessary. Clinical Research Associates (an independent organization) has been testing the strength of posterior composites. The newest ones are about 5 years old. After 4 years of side by side testing next to amalgams, these new composites are showing equal strength and durability. Three products are actually surpassing silver fillings.

Q: What will it cost to have my silver fillings replaced?

A: That can't really be answered without an examination. Some people have a few, small fillings while others have many, very large ones. It must be determined if a posterior composite or crown will be necessary. The fee for posterior composites depends on the size and the surface covered by the old filling.

Q: Do you take any special precautions to protect the patient when removing old silver fillings? I understand mercury is released during removal.

A: Yes, mercury is released when removing an old amalgam. It is very important to minimize the patient's exposure to mercury vapor. This is accomplished in several ways:

1. The operatory has an open design that allows for maximum movement of air so mercury vapor doesn't accumulate.
2. There is a large environmental air system that further enhances air flow as well as air filtration.
3. Very high speed evacuation.
4. An adapter that attaches to the high speed suction called "Clean up." The entire tooth is enclosed in a plastic housing. Mercury vapor is reduced 100 - 200 times compared to the traditional wand attachment.
5. Copious amounts of distilled water from the high speed hand piece reduce mercury vapor released into the air.
6. The silver filling is removed in sections to minimize grinding.
7. A rubber dam is used when applicable.

Q: What if I have a chronic illness?

A: If you have a chronic illness, I will ask you to see one of the physicians with whom I work. He will diagnose the level of mercury in your body. He will then start you on a program to help boost your immune system and start to detoxify you. Following the removal of your fillings he will institute different therapies to remove the remaining toxins from your body. It will be necessary for you to have a blood compatibility test. This is an antigen-antibody test of different dental materials. This test enables me to choose dental materials that you have never had a reaction to and pick those that are most compatible with your body.

Q: What if I am healthy and don't have a chronic illness?

A: Healthy individuals don't have to see a physician or do the blood compatibility test. These options are available if a person wants them.

Q: Does insurance cover silver filling removal?

A: Insurance will not cover the removal of silver fillings for health purposes. Old fillings that need to be removed because of deterioration are covered at the benefit level of an amalgam filling.

Q: Does a biological dentist look at gum disease differently?

A: I am very concerned about the level of gum disease in the country. 90% of Americans have gingivitis (inflammation of the soft tissue with no bone damage) and 75% have some stage of periodontitis (supporting bone loss).The gum tissue should be firm with no bleeding. A person that has significant gingival bleeding increases their risk of a heart attack by 168%. There is also an increased risk of pre-term, low weight babies in women; diabetes, type II; and kidney disease. Every time food is chewed, oral bacteria is pushed into the blood stream through tiny cuts in the gum tissue. When I remove silver fillings, I want the gum tissue to be free of bleeding and the tiny cuts. Mercury vapor can easily move into the blood stream this way. I will emphasize working with a patients gum tissues prior to the removal of their fillings.

Mercury

The most commonly used restorative material in the United States is still amalgam fillings (also known as silver fillings). Until recently most patients did not realize that amalgams contained between 50 and 54% mercury. Mercury is the most toxic heavy metal on earth. At room temperature it is in the form of a liquid and easily turns from a liquid into a gas. Although amalgam is very hard, the mercury is still liquid within the filling and is released into the oral environment as a gas.

In 1997 in a draft report to Congress the United States Environmental Protection Agency said, "the EPA recommends a 150 pound adult should consume no more than 7 micrograms of mercury daily, a 30 pound child no more than 1.4 micrograms, and a 15 pound child no more than 0.7 micrograms."

In its 1994 "Toxicological Profile for Mercury: Update" the United States Public Health Service set the minimal risk level standards (For occupational exposure to mercury):
0.014 micrograms/cubic meter for chronic exposure
0.020 micrograms/cubic meter for acute exposure
The USPHS also said, "patients exposure from dental amalgams exceeds both of these standards."

In 1995 Dr's. Lorscheider, Vimy, and Sommers reviewed all the scientifically, peer reviewed literature pertaining to mercury released from amalgam fillings. Their findings were published in the Federation of Applied Science and Experimental Biology journal. This journal is one of the most prestigious. They found the average mercury released from silver fillings was 10 micrograms.

Is the mercury from your fillings causing health problems? There is no way to answer that question definitively. We know that mercury is coming out of the fillings in fairly large amounts. We also know that a person absorbs 80% of the mercury released. Some people seem to tolerate mercury better than others. I have had patients in my practice with a mouthful of amalgams in their 80's and 90's and never sick a day in their life. I also had a 22 year old man with 4 small amalgams. Yet he had digestive problems and vomited every morning after brushing his teeth. With the removal of his amalgams both symptoms disappeared.

I think of amalgam fillings as little toxic waste dumps that are continually giving off a toxic vapor that is potentially dangerous. With all the other toxins on the planet that we face and consume day to day, why add another to our bodies?

I started offering alternatives to amalgam fillings in 1983 and became totally mercury- free in 1985 based upon scientifically, peer-reviewed data. For more information see www.altcorp.com and www.iaomt.org

For the other side of the story contact the American Dental Association and/or your local dental society. These organizations firmly believe that amalgam fillings are safe. I encourage you to check out both sides so you can make an informed decision.

Fluoride

Fluoride is a substance used in industry as an insecticide and to kill rodents. It is more poisonous than lead and just slightly less poisonous than arsenic. Should it be used routinely on children to prevent decay? Should it be placed in the drinking water? Does it actually prevent tooth decay?

In 1993 over 39,000 records of school children 5-17 years of age from 84 areas around the United States were studied. The decay rate was virtually the same in the fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas. Dr. John Colquhoun, former Chief Dental Officer of the Department of Health for Auckland, New Zealand, studied tooth decay statistics from 60,000 12-13 year olds. He showed that water fluoridation had no significant effect on the decay rate of permanent teeth.

Dr. Dean Burk, former Chief Chemist of the National Cancer Institute, showed that there are 10,000 or more fluoridation-linked cancer deaths yearly in the United States. The National Cancer Institute, the New Jersey Department of Health, and the Safe Water Foundation all found the incidence of ostereosarcoma (bone cancer) to be substantially higher in young men exposed to fluoridated water as compared to those who were not.

In 1993 the Subcommittee on Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride of the National Research Council admitted that 8-51% and, sometimes, up to 80% of the children living in fluoridated areas with the amounts recommended by the promoters of fluoride have dental fluorosis. Fluorosis is the first sign of fluoride poisoning.

For more information contact the Safe Water Foundation, 6439 Taggart Road, Delaware, Ohio 43015 and check out www.SaveTeeth.org and www.flouridealert.com.

As always I encourage you to check with the American Dental Association and your local dental society for information that they have on the safety and efficacy of topical fluoride and water fluoridation.

Root Canals

Teeth are living parts of the body. The pulp chamber and canals carry blood vessels, and nerves from the apex (the tip of the root imbedded in the bone) into the crown of the tooth. Trauma (a hard bump to the tooth) and decay are the most common reasons for the nerve within the tooth to "die". When the nerve dies, bacteria work their way through the entire length of the tooth and the apex. When the bacteria exit the tooth, the body's defenses kill the bacteria creating pus. If the pus can quickly find a route to the surface (a fistula), there is little or no pain. If it can't, the patient feels a deep, throbbing pain that is usually quite intense.

When a dentist performs a root canal, he/she is trying to remove the dead nerve tissue and disinfect the interior of the tooth. Many times the procedure is successful. Many times it is not. Dentin is composed of small tubules. A bicuspid tooth has 2-3 miles of dentinal tubules. It has been shown that the bacteria can live in these tubules and continue to produce toxins that can get to other parts of the body. The root canal can appear to be successful because there is no longer any pain yet be the breeding ground for a countless number of bacteria.

Should root canals no longer be performed? Should you get your existing root canal teeth removed? My personal belief is this: If you are currently in good health and have no pain associated with your present root canal teeth, leave them alone. A person that tells me, "the tooth has never felt right since the root canal," should consider an extraction. If you need a root canal and are in good health, mark the date of the root canal on a calendar or in your appointment book and keep it for reference. Go ahead and get the root canal but keep a close eye on your general health. If you notice a worsening of your health, you may want to consider removal of the root canal tooth. If you already in poor health or have chronic illness, a root canal should probably be avoided.

As always I encourage you to check with the American Dental Association and your local dental society for information so you can be a wise dental consumer.

For information about Root Canals Click Here

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction

TMJ Dysfunction (also known as Craniomandibular Dysfunction) is known as the "Great Impostor." This is so because problems with the jaw joints or surrounding musculature can have far reaching effects on the rest of the body. Common complaints of a TMJ sufferer may be: headaches, neck and shoulder pain, an inability to open the mouth wide, difficulty chewing for long periods, and/or tired facial muscles.

If the teeth don't mesh correctly or a person grinds or clenches, the back teeth are constantly being hit off axis. The ligaments that connect the teeth to the bone have stretch receptors that constantly try to readjust the musculature to ease the stress on the teeth. This creates spasms in the muscles surrounding the TMJ. The head then moves forward and down creating stress along the entire spinal cord.

Clicking and popping of the joints with an associated difficulty in movement or chewing means there is a problem with the joint itself. Myofascial pain dysfunction occurs when the teeth are hit off axis and the resulting muscle changes become problematic. Myofascial pain dysfunction and TMJ dysfunction can happen separately or concurrently. Treatment occurs after a careful diagnosis. It includes splint therapy with an appliance called an Orthopedic Condylar Repositioning Appliance (OCRA). It is a comprehensive two month program.

CAVITATIONS

Cavitations or NICO lesions are hollow places in jawbones. Cavitations (osteonecrosis or osteomyelitis) often produce trigeminal pain, headaches, and facial pain. Cavitations are common in all bones that have bone marrow. Many cavitations linger for years without producing facial pain.

Most people know what we mean when we say cavity, but the word cavitations is confusing. Both of these words come from the same root word meaning hole. A cavity is a hole in the tooth, whereas a cavitation is a hole in bone. Unlike most tooth cavities, bone cavitations can’t be detected by simply looking at the bone, and even using x-rays many cavitations are missed. The term cavitation was coined in 1930 by an orthopedic researcher to describe a disease process in which a lack of blood flow into the area produced a hole in the jawbone and other bones in the body. Dr. G. V. Black, the father of modern dentistry, described this disease process in the jawbone, which killed bone cells and produced a large cavitation area or areas within the jawbones. He was intrigued by the unique ability of this disease to produce extensive jawbone destruction without causing redness in the gingival (gums), jaw swelling, or an elevation in the patient’s body temperature. Essentially, this disease process, which produces osteonecrosis (dead bone) is actually a progressive impairment which produces small blockages (infarctions) of the tiny blood vessels in the jawbones, thus resulting in osteonecrosis, or areas of dead bone. The dead, cavitational areas are now called NICO (Neuralgia Inducing Osteonecrosis) lesions. In his book on oral pathology, Dr. Black suggested surgical removal of these dead bond areas.

© COPYRIGHT Richard J. Chanin
Used with permission of the Author