Although perhaps not the first, Ideal Dentistry is proud to be one of the mercury-free dental practices in Louisville. Silver mercury fillings were invented as a cheaper alternative to gold fillings and have been in use since long before World War I! (They were first used in Paris in 1820).
Mercury, which is the material that makes up 50% of these fillings, is more toxic than lead, and who would allow a lead filling in is or her mouth today? So why would you allow a mercury filling?
Europe and Canada have very tight restrictions and bans on this material. The USA is lagging behind this safety trend.
This recent Courier-Journal article puts the debate over the toxicity of these fillings in the spotlight again:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20101205/FEATURES03/312020004/-1/CUST01/
If you have any more questions about these silver mercury fillings, their safe removal, and their best alternatives, then please contact Ideal Dentistry, your mercury-free dentist.
I have NEVER placed a silver mercury filling since I graduated – I follow the golden rule in dentistry: “If I would not use it in the mouths of my family, then I will not use it in my patients’ mouths either.”
Keep smiling.
Which mouthwash should you use? Which mouthwash fights decay? Plaque? Bacteria? Bad Breath?
In my opinion, most mouthwashes should be considered “mouth deodorants“, not therapeutic rinses.
Yesterday the FDA echoed what I have said for years:
September 28, 2010 — The FDA today issued warning letters to three companies — Johnson & Johnson, CVS, and Walgreen — that manufacture and market mouthwash products with claims that these products remove plaque above the gum line or promote healthy gums.
This statement was overdue, but better late than never. A few years ago Listerine had to stop advertising that its mouthwash was as good as flossing (do you remember all those ads?). Now these companies can not claim plaque removal either. Mouthwash is simply a liquid, not much more. Most mouthwashes are not much more effective than water!
Here is a list of things you need to know about mouthwash:
1. PH: Is your mouthwash neutral or acidic?
2. Preservatives: Is your mouthwash preserved or natural? Preservatives are chemicals, and chemicals are not good for your mouth. In general, if it has a shelf life then it has to be preserved.
3. Ingredients: If you can spell it or pronounce it, then it probably should not be in your mouth 🙂
A Sea Salt and Xylitol Mouthwash is best for my patients. This, in my opinion, is the healthiest and most effective mouthwash available.
Keep Smiling.
As cliche as it sounds, you really are what you eat. Every 7 years your body rebuilds every cell. What does it use to build this new you? Whatever you give it!
None of the junk foods pictured above give your body the building blocks required to build a strong foundation.
It is even more sad when you think about what children eat these days. I bet most kids could name more fast food places than vegetables. How is a child supposed to grow on a junk food diet? They don’t know better, but we do. Let’s make sure our kids are given a healthy start in life.
It is sad and frustrating for a dentist to see patients every day whose health is failing, and all doctors are providing is the next pill. Too many of them focus on the resulting problem, not the cause. WHY did this problem arise in the first place? Why do you have diabetes? Why are you obese? Why are you always out of breath? Why is your heart failing? Why is your skin breaking out? Why are you always getting a cold? Why are you allergic to more things every year?
Let’s get back to the basics and fix the WHY, not the resulting problem. Your body is an amazing machine. Our immune system can handle almost anything, warranting that it is given the building blocks needed to sustain it.
A great example that I like to use with my patients: Let’s say you bought a Ferrari, top of the line, ridiculously expensive but the best. It drives like a charm. After 1 year you notice it is a little sluggish, and after 3 years it fails completely. What happened? Well, you never changed the oil, rotated the tires, or had any service done. You just expected it to last forever. Now imagine you in your prime, somewhere between 16 and 26. You are invincible.
You don’t get medical or dental check ups, you don’t take care of yourself and eat McDonalds or other fast food frequently. Organic food? What is that anyhow? Suddenly in your 30’s you start to look like a spare tire, you are weak, tired all the time and get sick frequently. From here it is downhill. You see a doctor that diagnoses you with some disease such as diabetes. Gives you a pill to loose weight and tells you to take more vitamins. Soon it gets worse, and worse and worse. Eventually one of those diseases will due you in. This is the typical cycle of the average American. Does that sound like fun?
Take care of your body and it will take care of you. Eat the best food, not the cheapest food. Put yourself first. I know organic food is a little more expensive, but here is the summary: Pay now or pay later.
Cosmetic Dentist, Natural Dentist, Holistic Dentist, Comprehensive Dentist… Every wonder why people jump on a bandwagon? Well, it is all about economics, unless you are one of the originals. Dentistry is not much different than Beanie Babies, Rubber Bracelets and Crocs. There are fads that dentists jump on because they are popular. Unfortunately with a profession such as dentistry you can’t just suddenly become a natural/organic or cosmetic dentist, you have to “be” one from the beginning. Here are a few examples why you need to be careful:
Everybody is a Cosmetic Dentist
Cosmetic dentistry became popular in the 80’s with the advent of veneers, porcelain and white plastic fillings. What a great option patients now had. You could replace your old fillings or get new ones that matched your teeth! These new materials came with new rules of how to place them. This resulted in a significant amount of failure of these materials, and still does, as they are very technique sensitive.
Regardless, dentists began calling themselves “Cosmetic Dentists” just because it was popular, yet they had made no changes in their skill set warranting this title. Today everybody is a cosmetic dentist. Who wants to got to a “non-cosmetic dentist”? This of course completely invalidates the description and creates incredible confusion (and lots of bad cosmetic dentistry). Looking around Louisville I have found everything from “Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry” to “Specializing in Cosmetic Dentistry”.
Well, truth be told, there is no speciality in cosmetic dentistry and advertising such is considered fraud. “Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry” should only be advertised if you have advanced cosmetic training. Check the dentists “advanced” training or ask what that means.
So, if you are looking for cosmetic dentistry, be diligent in your research or you will certainly be disappointed with what you get.
Everybody is a Natural Dentist
You knew it was coming! All the stores are going organic. “Going Green” is one of the biggest trends ever. So, what are Dentists advertising?
You got it, natural and green dentistry! Be prepared to see a significant influx of dentists advertising the need to “remove your amalgam fillings now”, even though most still place that type of filling! Does that make sense? Here is the common scenario I can already see; “Dr. ____, for the last 15 years you have been plugging amalgam/silver mercury in my and my families mouth. Now I see you advertising that these fillings are bad and you want to remove them? Why do you still place them then?”
This will happen all the time. For the record, the ONLY silver mercury filling I placed after dental school was the one I was required to place to pass my board examination over 12 years ago! Every since I graduated I have taught my patients the same philosophy behind amalgams. As a matter of fact, the only silver mercury filling I placed was on my brother and I then, after the boards, removed it and replaced it!
So when it comes to natural dentistry, once again, check the credentials. What makes a dentist natural? How is the dentist living a natural life themselves? What type of fillings do they have in their mouth? All critical questions. Remember, choose someone that “walks the talk”, not just chases the current trend.
My patients know what I stand for as I probably talk their ear off about it all the time. The beauty is that I have not been chasing the trends that are emerging, but rather am one of the dentists behind the changes you see in today’s world.
I stand for beautiful cosmetic dentistry performed in a comfortable patient oriented environment and delivered in the most natural and tooth preserving manner possible. Period. Cosmetically speaking nobody has more experience or training. I founded a natural dental products company over 8 years ago to get out the word about my natural approach to dentistry. Today I am expanding on my natural dental products company and am creating a simple system that will allow you to become cavity free, naturally!
What would you do if every time you saw the dentist or hygienist to get your teeth cleaned all they would tell you is that you had great, strong teeth and no cavities? Imagine the anguish, money and time you would save!
Are you interested in a cavity free life?
Well, a cavity free life is entirely possible and more common every day. All you need to do is follow the 123 Cavity Free protocol that I have developed and you are on your way. Now mind you, just like anything serious in life, it requires a commitment. You want to loose weight? Eat less, eat healthy and exercise. A cavity free life is not much different. You need to want to change your life.
Here are the steps:
Foundation: Establish a sound foundation for everything in your mouth to function correctly. Teeth start to dissolve at a pH of 5.5 or less, an acidic environment. People check the amount of calories in their food all the time, which is good.
For the mouth to be healthy you need to begin checking or understanding pH. It is actually quite simple. Let’s start with liquids. For a liquid to be sold it needs to have a shelf life. To get a long shelf life the liquid needs to be preserved (at a low pH) with artificial chemicals. Pure water has a pH around 7, or neutral. Your mouth has a pH around 7.4. ANY soda out there is very acidic (pH around 3.4!) and will essentially dissolve your teeth away.
Every sip of soda you take reduces the pH in your mouth below 5.5 for 20 minutes. This means that if you have to drink a soda, drink it quickly! Do not sip on acidic drinks. Soda affects your whole body adversely, not just your teeth. Eliminating soda from your diet is one of the best decisions you can make and an essential step to become cavity free. How do you know if something is acidic? Buy some pH strips, or as I did, an electronic pH meter. Both are very cheap.
It does not matter if it is diet soda or not, acid is the problem, not bacteria that eat the sugar. Here is how it works. Bacteria do not eat teeth. They simply sit on the teeth and eat the left over food particles that stick to your teeth. Bacteria eat the food, especially sugar, and then release acid as a by product/waste. This acid is released onto the tooth surface that then dissolves.
As the tooth surface dissolves it goes from glassy like a windshield to sandpaper, porous and rough. This rough surface attracts more food particles, more bacteria, more acid is released and the coarseness of the sandpaper tooth surface gets worse. Soon the pores created from the acid penetrate into the tooth allowing bacteria to hide deep inside your tooth where you can no longer remove them. Now they still eat the food particles in your mouth, release acid, and voila you have a cavity. You do not even need bacteria if you go straight for the acid. The result is the same, decay.
To establish a sound foundation you need to create a healthy environment in your mouth. So, now you know about acid and pH. There are many acidic products out there. Most sport drinks, flavored waters, soda, etc. Most any liquid short of water and milk are acidic. So what do you do? Number one, eliminate soda. Number two, couple other drinks with a quick swish of water. For example, drink some Gatorade and then swish and swallow some water. Drink as much Gatorade as you like, quickly. Do not sip. Orange juice is acidic, so do the same. Drink it quickly, sip water, and be done with it. Do this for all acidic products.
Now let’s assume you have eliminated soda and control the acid you put into your mouth. There are 3 more components to a healthy foundation. Saliva, stomach acid and nutrition. Let’s begin with stomach acid since we know about acid already. Acid Reflux, or heartburn, has the same effect as any acid does on your mouth, it dissolves teeth. Your dentist will be able to tell you if you have acid reflux. If you do, learn about it and either control it with diet or medication.
I prefer diet if possible. Meaning, don’t eat after 7 pm, don’t eat spicy foods, red sauces, etc. for dinner. Learn about it and control it. This may require you to speak to your medical doctor as well. Secondly, saliva. Saliva has many functions. For one, saliva cleans your teeth, coats them, delivers minerals to them so they can remineralize, and kills bacteria. Saliva is essential. You can’t eat without it – food would stick to your teeth. You need a healthy amount of saliva. Now without getting into too much detail, saliva needs to be a liquid, not thick or ropey. It needs to be able to coat and wash teeth.
Anything that reduces or changes your saliva is bad. And I mean anything. Anything that dries you up, reduces mucus, including your sinuses, also reduces and changes your saliva. Examples would be anti-histamines, Sudafed, Xyrtec, etc. If you think you may have dry mouth, then you do. Other common ways to reduce the saliva or change it is through chemotherapy, not drinking enough liquids, or drinking the wrong liquids (diuretics). For example, coffee is great, I love it, but it is a diuretic. Meaning it causes you to loose more liquid then you take in. Many people drink coffee all day long, no water, and then maybe a soda or two. The overall result is a net loss in liquid.
What does that mean? It means your saliva and your blood will be thicker. Both bad things. So, you need to drink water, water, water. Not flavored water, just straight pure water. A good rule is for every cup of coffee drink a cup of water. You will feel better. Lastly, nutrition. Have you ever heard the statement you are what you eat? Well, you are. Your body will use what you put into it to build, well, you. Every 7 years you are all new! Every cell gets remade. So what are you? Did you give your body the building blocks it needs or are you a preserved acid growth hormone induced hamburger? This is completely up to you. All you own in this life is your body, nothing else. Spend your money on that, not cars, clothes, luxuries. Identify wants from needs.
You need to be healthy to live. That is the number one priority. Skimp everywhere else. Buy good food. You will do nobody any good when you are dead. I say this because when it comes down to it, you are the most valuable asset you have to yourself and everyone you know. To be a good mom, dad, brother, sister, husband, wife, etc. you need to be there, period. The healthier you are the better you are at all of those. So, not to ramble on, but put yourself first. Make the best “you” you can. Give your body the nutrition it needs to create a strong, healthy you. Allow it to build a strong immune system. There are literally millions of books out there on nutrition. I do not claim to be a nutritionist, so feel free to consult with one. I personally focus on organic products.
I shop at Whole Foods, am part of a farm co-op where we get weekly groceries that are all natural, and take supplements (more on that later). I drink little soda, coffee and water, and am very aware of acid in my diet. Look at your diet. Examine what you are putting into your system. Can your body build or maintain a human being on your diet? A cavity free life requires good nutrition. A simple formula would be something like this: Cut out 90% of the fast food you eat.
Do not snack on junk (if you snack all day long, which by the way is not bad, snack on carrots, apples, etc.). Do not drink or eat preserved food – eat and buy fresh food. Eat smaller portions and eat slowly. Eat breakfast (many people cut this out due to being too busy. If you are too busy to eat breakfast then you need to change your life as breakfast is critical). The less you exercise the less you need (and should) eat. Buy organic foods and eat a well balanced meal (this sounds so cliche, but it is true). And finally, surround yourself with like-minded people!
At first this sounds strange, but think about it. If you want to quit smoking, don’t hang out with smokers. They are negative and will certainly not encourage you. If you want to loose weight…you get the picture. If you want to succeed, surround yourself with successful people. You will become what you are around. It is just human nature. On a professional note, make sure the people giving you advice walk the talk. This means, see a skinny doctor and a dentist with excellent teeth!
Lastly, I do not want to forget exercise; it is a part of nutrition in my eyes. Walk, jog, run, bike, swim, it does not matter. Do something on a regular basis. I do not need to preach on this, we all know we need to exercise more.
This concludes the synopsis on step number 1, your foundation. It may seem long, but it really is a synopsis. Nothing in your mouth will last as long as you want it to unless you have a good foundation. This foundation affects your entire body, as the mouth is just another part thereof. The mouth is a great way to judge how healthy a person is…it is somewhat of a window into the body’s overall health.
Over the last 10 years I have been researching natural alternatives in Dentistry, continuously seeking the healthiest form of treatment for my patients. Just repairing the problems that I encountered with my patients teeth seemed futile. It is not enough to just “fix what broke.” WHY did it break in the first place? WHY are your gums bleeding?
WHY are your teeth loose? WHY do you need a root canal? These are the questions I spend most of my time on. All too often our society seeks the MAGIC PILL to fix the problem. You can get a pill for anything and everything these days. Why? Because it is instant gratification and big business. As DOCTORS we need to look beyond the pill and “FIX THE PROBLEM first”. This does not mean that you do not need any medication, it means we need to find out why you may need the medication first and try to correct it.
For 2010 IDEAL DENTISTRY is expanding its focus on what we have quietly provided all along, ORGANIC DENTISTRY.
You may ask “What is Organic Dentistry?”, and rightfully so.
Organic Dentistry (my definition): Dental Products, Procedures, and Philosophies that focus specifically on re-establishing and maintaining the most natural environment in the mouth.
What makes IDEAL DENTISTRY Different?
We’re passionate about our organic approach to dentistry. Ideal Dentistry helps patients achieve an overall feeling of well-being using safer, less intrusive practices and products. Our passion for the organic approach to improved quality of life goes beyond the dental office and is seen in everything we do, even at home.
We don’t pontificate. We innovate.
Experience and credentials you can trust.
Care of teeth and gums and YOU. At Ideal Dentistry, we whiten and repair damaged teeth, create beautiful smiles, treat the gums and provide other dentistry services but do so believing that the mouth is the gateway to the total health of your body, mind and spirit. We focus on identifying the cause of the problem before trying to blindly repair it.
An engaging and interactive approach to patient care.
One visit to Ideal Dentistry and you’ll know you’ve come to the right place. There is a reason why our office won the 2009 Health Care facility of The Year award from Contract Magazine. This national competition sought out health care facilities that delivered an environment that is environmentally green and centered around building a comfortable patient experience. We are very proud of our beautiful facility and invite you to come visit anytime.
Green Is Good.
We all know that by now. Most major companies are going green, people are buying green/natural products, and dentistry is no exception.
I built Ideal Dentistry on this philosophy, and it shows. As mentioned in a previous blog entry, Ideal Dentistry won a national office design competition because I implemented major “green” building principals, providing an environment that is more conductive for both patients and nature.
Business First featured Ideal Dentistry this week in its “Green Business” section because of my approach. I provide many natural dental alternatives to my patients, ranging from healthier tooth conserving fillings to natural oral care products.
Here is a quick synopsis for all those patients that want to know what the most natural home care options are for taking care of their teeth:
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Floss Teeth
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Brush Teeth
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Irrigate Teeth
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Mouthwash
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Massage Gums
FLOSS
a. Pull out 30 inches of floss. Wind most of that around the middle finger of one hand, and the tail-end around the middle finger of the other hand
b. Pinch the string between the thumb and index finger of both hands, leaving one to two inches in between. As you floss, continually unroll a one to two inch span of clean string from the finger that has the most string over to the middle finger of the other hand. Be willing to waste a few feet of floss so that you can practice.
c. Use your thumbs to direct the string between the upper teeth. Use your index fingers to direct the string between the lower teeth. The key to the whole process is the ability to use the index fingers and thumbs to manipulate the string into a C shape halfway around the tooth so that it maximally contacts the outline of the sulcus between the teeth. The string must go beneath the gums and as deep into the sulcus as possible while still not cutting the gums.
It does indeed take some practice. As you are flossing, notice there€™s a squeaky sound. This is good, it means they are getting clean. Don€™t hesitate to ask your dentist or dental hygienist to show you how to floss effectively. There€™s no substitute for a hands-on demonstration.
You can also use a Reach Access flosser which makes the above procedure easier!
BRUSH
First you need to make the toothpaste yourself! This is simple but critical.
Ingredients: XyloSalt (1 part) (Available through Dr. Hahn and local natural markets)
Baking Soda (3 parts) (OR order the soon available premixed XyloSalt tooth powder)
Colloidal Silver (just enough to create a paste) OR Hydrogen Peroxide (ONLY if you do not have any silver mercury fillings in your mouth)
Now place the toothpaste on your super soft toothbrush and vibrate the bristles gently at a 45 degree angle towards the neck of the tooth. Do all surfaces of the teeth for 3-5 seconds each, or at least 2 minutes for the entire mouth. This will harden your tissue making it a much better barrier!
IRRIGATE
Use a waterpick or like unit to irrigate between your teeth. The two units I recommend are the Hydrofloss or the Viajet because they have the right attachments to reach into the sulcus around the teeth. You should use a pack of XyloSalt in the tank of water! Irrigate between all your teeth. This should not take more than a few minutes.
MOUTHWASH
Now that everything is clean you use XyloSalt mouthwash to draw out any inflammation out of your cells and nourish them. Mix 1 pack of XyloSalt with 4-8 oz. of water (a standard water bottle). Use this mix for 1 week, then dispose. You can rinse as many times during the day as you like, but rinse at least twice, once each brushing.
MASSAGE GUMS
Massage your gums with a Butler Rubber Tip. Here is how:
a. Push the rubber tip in between the teeth €“ straight in €“ at the triangular piece of gum between the teeth, so that it slides up on top of this gum triangle.
b. Push down (lower teeth) or up (upper teeth) as hard as you can, within reason. Do not cause yourself pain. Some discomfort may be felt, however.
You€™ll notice that the tip of the stimulator is at an angle. This is so that you can lay the half inch of the tip against the flesh between the teeth. Lay the rubber tip against the gum so that all of the rubber part is against it and stimulate. You€™re not just putting the tip end between the teeth. THIS IS A VERY KEY POINT. Then gently massage the V-shaped gum area with the tip.
NOTE: Imagine rubbing a small spot on your arm for a minute or two. It will get red, after you quit. What you have done is brought blood to that area. That is what you want to do with the rubber tip.
c. Then, gently massage the V-shaped gum area with the tip. Push the rubber tip up, down or sideways left and right, circular for (10) ten seconds. Do this on the inside and outside of the row of teeth, wherever there is gum that lies between your teeth.
Move to your next tooth and begin the stimulating process again. If you still have all your teeth, you would have 60 places to rub (inside and out). So 60 x 10 seconds is 600 seconds, or at least 10 minutes of treatment time.
Now, before you decide that this is too much time, realize that after you learn how to do this, it could easily be done while reading, watching TV, while being driven in a car (we suggest you only do this in front of close friends) or after your evening meal. Time does not have to be your enemy. Be creative in finding the time to improve your dental health.
Note: To take a few minutes each day to properly care for your teeth and gums will save you many hours in a dentist’s chair.
This is the best way that I know of how to maintain optimal oral health. Variations in this technique exist, but for starters, this is perfect.
