Maternal Blood Mercury Concentration and Infant Weight

Birth weight is a strong determinant of attained weight at early ages. Until now, many studies have reported that low birth weight corresponds with high mercury levels. However, the relationship between mercury exposure and attained weight of infant has not been well studied.

Therefore, the aim of a recent study was to assess the degree of prenatal exposure to mercury by measuring the total mercury levels in maternal and cord blood, and examine the relationship between the mercury level during pregnancy and the attained weight of infant during the first 24 months of life.

The prospective cohort study of Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) was built up in 2006, and 921 mother–infant pairs were recruited. Information on the socio-demographic characteristics, health behavior and environmental exposure were collected from an interview with trained nurses.

After delivery, infants and mothers were followed up at 6, 12 and 24 months and the weights of the infants were measured.

The mercury concentrations in the late maternal blood (β=−0.19. p=0.05) and cord blood (β=−0.36. p=0.01) were negatively associated with the infants' attained weight over the first 24 months of age.

The infants' attained weight in the small for their gestational age (SGA) group was lower than the normal birth weight group at the highest quartile of the mercury level.

Therefore, efforts should be made to reduce the mercury level in the maternal blood at late pregnancy and cord blood.

Further research on the possible harmful effects of prenatal mercury exposure on postnatal growth is recommended.

See pdf report on Mercury and Infant weight >>>

Latest Office News

I would like to share with you some exciting developments in our office. I recently became accredited by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT). IAOMT is dedicated in advancing safe and biologically compatible dentistry. Some of our Biologically Safe Dental services include:
1. Safe removal of mercury filling protocol.
2. Biocompatible metal free restorations
3. Laser/ O3 treatment as an adjunct modality for gum disease, tooth decay and treatment of jaw bone infections.

I am also a fellow of the International College of Craniomandibular Orthopedics (FICCMO), graduate of LVI, graduate of Occlusal Studies in Neuromuscular Orthodontics, training in Osteopathic Cranial Techniques, and Chirodontics. I also have many years of experience in treating TMJ/TMD patients.

In addition to ceiling mounted TV's with headphones, Nitrous Oxide, Oral Conscious Sedation, we have added Alpha Stim technology for the comfort of our patients. Alpha Stim is a totally harmless FDA approved technology that promotes drug free relaxation. Recently we had a 5 year old patient in our office who had a very deep cavity. We turned on the ceiling TV to her favorite cartoon, and put the Alpha Stim on her ear lobes. Without any anesthesia, we were able to completely take care of her deep cavity as she giggled while watching her cartoon.
Also being a graduate of LVI, Esthetic Dentistry residency, and trained in Cerec Technology, I have over 20 years of experience in esthetic dentistry, smile makeovers and full mouth reconstruction that has given me the pleasure of creating many happy, healthy, beautiful smiles.

Holistic Dentistry Approach

Metal-Free Dentistry

Following our holistic philosophy, we use only materials that are bio-compatible with the patient's mouth and body.

We do several bio-compatability tests to ensure that the patient's mouth is not going to create an adverse reaction and that the material to be used is going to be neutral to that patient's body.

We are metal-free. We avoid any sort of metal restorations and there are many reasons for that. One fundamental reason is that materials actually create an electrical field.

People in the profession of acupuncture understand that the teeth have an electromagentic connection to the body that is called the meridian-system which connects the body to the teeth and vice versa.

Metals can interfere with that field and that is one of the reasons that we avoid metals, not to mention that metal-free dentistry is very beautiful and natural looking dentistry which we prefer from all angles.

Infections and Treating Infected Teeth

One of the prevalent measures used to treat infected teeth is root-canals or endodontic treatment. Our philosophy is to avoid root canals any time it is possible and we go to great lengths to prevent root canals from happening.

However, if a tooth is presenting with an abcess and there is no way to reverse the course of the infection, then we are left with two options. One is to extract the tooth and that in itself requires all infection be cleared and cleaned as well, but also leaves us with the bio-mechanical problem of a deficiency in the bite-system.

We treat a large number of TMJ patients and that is something we'd like to avoid if we can because the associated bio-mechanical problems can create their own separate health issues. That leaves us with the option of saving the tooth with a root-canal procedure.

To make the root-canals as biological as possible we want to ensure that the infection is completely cleaned and removed. We use several modalities for that including Biolase, calcium-hydroxide and other modalities which create a very clean environment.

The biofilm needs to be addressed. The biofilm is the environment where the bacteria proliferate. Bacteria can thrive inside the cavernous area of the root system or even within the bone area all of which need to be cleaned with lasers or ultra-sonic measures and, of course, addressing the pH of the area is very critical. For example, cavitational lesions or apical lesions tend to be very acidic. In fact the pH may range from 3 to 5 and in that range the immune system cannot function, cannot thrive so that addressing the pH becomes very important so that the immune system can re-boot in the bone area and the vicinity of the tooth. Calcium hydroxide, being both anti-microbial and highly alkaline in nature, helps tremendously in creating more of a balanced pH to address the acidic environment.

So there are many, many measure that need to be carefully addressed in order to provide the safest possible root canal treatment for the patient.

In looking at this from an overall picture, our philosophy is to prevent root canals but the presence of infection is the worst circumstance that can occur and one in which the tooth needs to be removed or needs to be addressed with biologically sound root canal therapy.


San Diego TMJ Specialist and San Diego Sedation Dentist

THE MERCURY - SAFE ENVIRONMENT

If you choose to have silver-mercury fillings replaced, make sure that you are protecting yourself in the process of the removal.

The amalgam removal process needs to be very safe. The drilling on the silver-mercury filling releases a tremendous amount of mercury vapor. It is essential, especially if you have higher sensitivity to toxic substances that you are well-protected during this highly critical phase of the treatment.
We have two different protocols. One is a protocol that is advocated by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, and we have another protocol that is even more stringent that the Academy's. With either protocol we create an extremely safe environment where we are practically eliminating the exposure of the patient to mercury during the removal phase.
For example, one approach that I use is to place a rubber dam with a special ring around the tooth that has the silver-mercury filling, then squeeze a flowable composite material that literally flows between the rubber dam and the tooth
and the clamp. Then we use a light on it and it becomes solid so that a one-hundred percent seal is accomplished.
The seal is tested with water and air to check that nothing seeps in and that we do have a perfect seal.
Next an oxygen mask is placed on the patient's nose. We use a minimum of two very high-speed vacuum systems, one custom-manufactured for our office and the other is the high-speed suction that evacuates the material into a system which traps all the debris, such as the silver-mercury filling.
This is what we term "mercury-safe" dentistry. Just being "mercury-free" is not sufficient to protect the patient because it's also important to practice in the "mercury-safe" environment.

About Holistic Dentistry

Holistic dentistry comes from the philosophy that the health of your mouth can effect your health and your over all well being.

Any sort of infection in the mouth can burden the immune system, can spread to other parts of the body and this is very well documented in scientific literature.

Infections from the tooth or gum area can spread into distant parts of the body and can cause heart problems, brain abscess and can lead to the death of a person. Therefore, it is very important to address the health of the mouth, first and foremost, from the point of eliminating any acute and chronic infections.

The second aspect of practicing Holistic Dentistry is looking at the materials within the oral cavity.

One of the most prevalent restorative materials of the past 200 years has been the mercury-silver amalgam or dental amalgam. It is over 50% mercury and about 35% silver with the remainder variable metals such as copper, tin and other fillers.

The reason that amalgam, or silver-mercury fillings, have been prevalent for hundreds of years is because the material is durable and the fillings are easy to place in a tooth cavity area, requiring very little expertise or isolation.

Much research by prominent scientists, some of whom have been featured by the Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, demonstrates that there is a release of mercury vapor from these restorations which actually intensifies with heat, chewing, grinding and anything acidic within the oral cavity.

Mercury is a known neuro-toxic material - there is no debate on that within the scientific community. The only debate concerns what the safe limit of mercury is within your body.

The effect of Mercury, like most toxic materials, is additive. If we have 7 or 3 or 2 mercury fillings, on top of that a diet high in certain foods, such as tuna, and a number of environmental exposures, then it's all additive.

Additional research indicates that about 5% of the population has a hard time eliminating toxins, in general, and mercury being a toxic material, falls within that category. Depending upon the genetic makeup of an individual, that individual may be able to eliminate some or a good amount of that toxic substance.

However, 5% of the population has a difficult time eliminating toxic materials (due to detoxification pathways within the liver and kidneys).

For that group, the toxic effects become much more of an issue. This may be the portion of the population that we see with more prevalence of problems that are a more of a mystery such as autism, movement disorders, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and so forth.

To this day we do not have a good measuring tool to determine who is able to detoxify toxins and who is not. At this stage it is not possible to discern who is at risk and who is not. Therefore, it is important to avoid toxic materials as much as possible and adhere to a regimen where we are minimizing the presence of toxic materials within our system.

One of the things that patients who are seeking more of a holistic environment often desire is the removal of silver=mercury fillings.


Coming Next: Removal of amalgam fillings -- Precautions and more...

Your Teeth - Your Health

Are your teeth and gums healthy? Their health may be an important indicator of your general health.
More and more research suggests that the same good health and nutritional practices that prevent cavities and gum disease may also keep you healthy and prevent other illnesses.

Research has shown that serious chronic health problems are often associated with dental caries, or cavities, and gum pathology. This connection is documented by a large number of recent studies performed after 1990. For example - poor mental health is associated with cavities [1-4]. In a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, January 2008 [1], elderly individuals without dementia were found to have an average of only 2.7 fillings. Elderly individuals with dementia or Alzheimer's disease averaged 7.8 teeth with fillings.

A recent authoritative review showed a clear association between cavities, gum health and heart diseases [5}. Additionally, this same study reported that people with poor oral health, on average, lead shorter lives. Recent publications concerning Periodontal Disease and Your Heart
are listed by the American Association of Periodontology.

You can take this quiz to asses your risk of gum disease:
Gum Health Self-Assessment Quiz.

Connections between diabetes, as well as heart disease, and dental decay have been suspect for decades. Active, ongoing research [6-8] deals with the association between cavities and diabetes. While recent publications concerning Periodontal Disease and Diabetes are listed by the American Association of Periodontology.

A large number of scientists studying this relationship have proposed that diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates were common cause of these diseases [9-15].
Nutrition is suspect as a possible factor in heart disease, infectious respiratory diseases, dental diseases and mental diseases. These diseases can result, in part, from common failures in metabolism. When a deficiency of essential nutrients occurs, particularly vitamins D, C, and niacin, metabolic failures are inevitable.

The relationship between vitamin D deficiency and cavities is especially strong in dozens of studies conducted in the 1930's and 1940's [16-27]. More than 90% of the studies concluded that Vitamin D supplements prevented children's cavities.

Cancer, respiratory infections, diabetes, heart disease, and other ailments [29] are also linked to a Vitamin D deficiency. For example, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2008, indicated that compared to individuals with highest vitamin D levels, individuals with the lowest vitamin D levels had more than double the risk of dying from heart disease and other causes over an eight-year study period. Linus Pauling [15] reviewed evidence for vitamin C was and the evidence for niacin was described by Abram Hoffer [29].

Individuals who ensure their good levels of nutrition through balanced diet and nutrient supplements, in conjunction with good dental care, will have dramatically fewer cavities and gum problems than individuals who only receive good dental care.

References:

[1] B Ellefsen; P Holm-Pedersen; D E Morse; M. Schroll; B. Andersen; G. Waldemar. Caries Prevalence in Older Persons with and without Dementia. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Volume 56, Number 1, January 2008, 59-67(9).
[2] J M Chalmers, K D Carter, A J Spencer. Caries incidence and increments in community-living older adults with and without dementia. Australian Research Center for Population Oral Health, Dental School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia. Gerodontology Volume 19 Issue 2, 80 – 94.
[3] Friedlander, A.H.; Mahler, M.E. Major depressive disorder psychopathology, medical management and dental implications. Graduate Medical Education, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (14), Los Angeles, CA, USA. Journal of the American Dental Association (2001), 132(5), 629-638.
[4] Stewart, R.; et. al. Oral Health and Cognitive Function in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), Psychosomatic Medicine 70:936-941 (2008).
[5] Meurman, J.H.; Sanz, M.;Janket, S. Oral infection and vascular disease. Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Finland. Vascular Disease Prevention (2007), 4(4), 260-267.
[6] Touger-Decker R, Sirois D A, Vernillo A T. Diabetes mellitus: Nutrition and oral health relationships. Department of Primary Care, School of Health-Related Professions, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA. Editor(s): Touger-Decker, Riva. Nutrition and Oral Medicine (2005), 185-204.
[7] Diaz-Romero, R.; Casanova-Roman, R.; Beltran-Zuniga, M; Belmont-Padilla, J.; Mendez, J.; Avila-Rosas, H.. Oral Infections and Glycemic Control in Pregnant Type 2 Diabetics. Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia, Mexico City, Mex. Archives of Medical Research (2005), 36(1), 42-48.
[8] Twetman, S.; Johansson, I.; Birkhed, D.; Nederfors, T. Caries incidence in young type 1 diabetes mellitus patients in relation to metabolic control and caries-associated risk factors. Caries Research (2002), 36(1), 31-35.
[9] Bommer, S. Diseases of civilization and nutrition. Ernaehrungsforschung (1963), 7 598-612.
[10] Miler-Sosnkowska, M. Role of dietary carbohydrates in relation to their metabolism. Inst. Zywienia Czlowieka, Akad. Roln., Warsaw, Pol. Postepy Higieny i Medycyny Doswiadczalnej (1975), 29(4), 537-55.
[11] Cremer, H.D.; Eyer, H. Carbohydrates. Inst. Ernaehrungswiss. I, Univ. Giessen, Giessen, Fed. Rep. Ger. Ernaehrungs-Umschau (1975), 22(10), 291-3.
[12] Newberne, P.M.. Nutrition: summary of evidence. Sweeteners: Issues, uncertainties. Acad. Forum, 4th (1975), 76-85, 252-3.
[13] Heraud, G. Sucrose and nutritional pathology. Sucrerie Francaise (1979), 120(24), 21-6.
[14] Nuttall, F.Q.; Gannon, M.C.. Sucrose and disease. Diabetes Care (1981), 4(2), 305-10.
[15] Pauling, L. "How to Live Longer and Feel Better." W.H. Freeman and Company, 1986. Revised 2006, Oregon State University Press.
[16] Tisdall, F.F. The effect of nutrition on the primary teeth. Child Development (1937) 8(1), 102-4.
[17] McBeath, E.C. Nutrition and diet in relation to preventive dentistry. NY J. Dentistry (1938) 8; 17-21.
[17] McBeath, E.C.; Zucker, T.F. Role of vitamin D in the control of dental caries in children. Journal of Nutrition (1938) 15; 547-64.
[19] East, B. R. Nutrition and dental caries. American Journal of Public Health 1938. 28; 72-6.
[20] Mellanby, M. The role of nutrition as a factor in resistance to dental caries. British Dental Journal (1937), 62; 241-52.
[21] His Majesty's Stationery Office, London. The influence of diet on caries in children's teeth. Report of the Committee for the Investigation of Dental Disease (1936).
[22] McBeath, F.C. Vitamin D studies, 1933-1934. American Journal of Public Health (1934), 24 1028-30.
[23] Anderson, P. G.; Williams, C. H. M.; Halderson, H.; Summerfeldt, C.; Agnew, R. Influence of vitamin D in the prevention of dental caries. Journal of the American Dental Association (1934) 21; 1349-66.
[24] Day, C. D.; Sedwick, H. J. Fat-soluble vitamins and dental caries in children. Journal of Nutrition (1934) 8; 309-28.
[25] Agnew, M. C.; Agnew, R. G.; Tisdall, F. F. The production and prevention of dental caries. Journal of the American Dental Association, JADA (1933) 20; 193-212.
[26] Bennett, N. G.; et al. The influence of diet on caries in children's teeth. Special Report Series – Medical Research Council, UK (1931) No. 159, 19.
[27] Mellanby, M.; Pattison, C. L. The influence of a cereal-free diet rich in vitamin D and calcium on dental caries in children. British Medical Journal (1932) I 507-10.
[28] Brodsky, R. H.; Schick, B.; Vollmer, H.. Prevention of dental caries by massive doses of vitamin D. American Journal of Diseases of Children (1941) 62; 1183-7.
[29] Hoffer A, Saul AW. Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone. Laguna Beach, California, Basic Health Pub, 2008

CEREC - One Appointment Crowns

Dr. Fallah uses CEREC technology for many repairs and restorations of teeth - such as replacing whole teeth, fixing and filling cavities, and also for porcelain crowns.
CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics.
This state-of-the-art CEREC CAD CAM technology is used in Dr. Fallah's Carlsbad dental office and allows Dr. Fallah to provide his patients top of the line, natural-looking, and fast ceramic restorations.
The in-house CEREC computer assisted restoration procedures can be completed in only one visit in most cases, and are often referred to as One Visit Crowns or One Day Crowns.

Exactly how does the CEREC process work?

1. Dr. Fallah prepares your tooth for the restoration simply by putting a coating of white powder over it.
This tooth preparation is done in a matter of seconds rather than minutes, and you do not have to endure the old messy impression material
dripping in your mouth.


2. Dr. Fallah then captures 3-D digital impressions with CEREC AC Blue Cam which uploads the information to a computer.


Once the image of the damaged area is loaded, CEREC software automatically designs the shape of the restoration.


The model created is refined and refinished by Dr. Fallah, using 3-D software and this information is sent electronically to a milling machine in the office.


3. This machine creates your repair or restoration out of a block of ceramic or composite.
The cutting and shaping of crowns is completed by computer-controlled diamond head cutters.


Once completed, it is simply fitted and then placed in your mouth all within one convenient visit - one office, one appointment, one day.


More information about CEREC and Dr. Fallah >>>