The New Year is here, and for many people that usually means one thing: It’s time to recommit to better health, wellness, and happiness! As we reflect on 2014, the editor’s of the Miami Dentist Blog would like to highlight a few of our most-read articles on oral health and total body wellness. From everyone at Assure A Smile, we wish you and your family a healthy and prosperous New Year!
As the holiday season begins, we can’t help but get excited with the joy and laughter that seems just around the corner. Family, friends, and good home cooked meals are just a few of the best things about the holidays. This time of year, it’s always nice to take a moment to reflect on all the good things in our lives, while also taking time to recommit ourselves to healthier lifestyle choices. Don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to start thinking of ways to stay healthy! From Thanksgiving through the end of December, there are plenty of opportunities to improve the health of your teeth, gums, and total body. As the gateway to the entire body, the mouth plays a vital role in holistic health. Take a moment to review this list of tips for cavity prevention during the holidays, and experience health benefits that extend far beyond the teeth and gums.
This October, we saw an exciting victory for the Consumers for Dental Choice campaign against the use of dangerous and potentially toxic dental amalgam (silver fillings). Now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a new rule that will require all dental offices to use amalgam separators when performing procedures involving mercury-rich dental amalgam. In addition to acknowledging the inherent danger of dental amalgam, the EPA’s proposal also aims to reduce mercury pollution by requiring dental offices to more carefully capture, contain, and dispose of the hazardous metallic debris.
According to a new poll by Zogby Research Services, only about 1 in 10 patients are told by their dentist that dental amalgam (silver fillings) contains a potentially harmful level of liquid mercury (i). It’s estimated that over 1 billion teeth have been restored with dental amalgam worldwide, presenting a serious health concern for the patient, the environment, and the general world population.
Israel has officially ended water fluoridation, stoking the controversial issue on the global scale. On one side are dentists and organizations (including the American Dental Association) that support water fluoridation, saying it is an effective way to prevent tooth decay. On the other side, a growing number of scientists and world-renowned research institutions object to the outdated practice, with some naming it a sloppy and ineffective form of medicine. Most alarming was a paper published by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2012, in which researchers issue a strong word of caution against the use of fluoride in public water systems. Read more about this breaking story, and learn 8 reasons why health experts say to stay away from fluoride.
Worldwide, it’s estimated that more than 180 million people have teeth the have been repaired with some sort of dental restorative material. In total, that’s a staggering 1.4 billion teeth. From the 1950s through present day, one of the most common dental restoratives has always been dental amalgam. Often called “silver fillings,” this metallic mixture is prepared with up to 50% or more liquid mercury. Poisoning from these “mercury fillings” is a risk that holistic dental professionals are quick to warn patients about, even though agencies like the American Dental Association refuse to formally acknowledge any potential health problems associated with their use. At Assure A Smile, we take a holistic approach to dentistry that focuses on both oral health and total body wellness. We believe patients should be educated about mercury poisoning, dental amalgam, and the long-term health risks associated with silver fillings.
In 1991, the World Health Organization released a report confirming that the mercury content of dental amalgam (used for silver fillings) was the single greatest source of mercury pollution in non-industrialized settings. Since that time, health professionals and environmental scientists have pushed hard to have the material banned. Unfortunately, there is nothing illegal about putting this dangerous neuro-toxin in your mouth. Learn more about the dangers of mercury-rich dental amalgam in the free infographic below.
Holistic dentistry and the fluoride free movement have seen another [...]
If you live in Miami, chances are good that your doctor has warned you about spending long hours in the hot Florida sun. You’ve probably also been cautioned to used a thick sunscreen with SPF 30 or more, and to reapply the lotion every 30 to 60 minutes to avoid sunburn and melanoma (skin cancer). With all the hearsay and confusion surrounding the subject of sun exposure and health, you might even find yourself taking refuge in the shade, just to play it safe. Avoiding the sun can be extremely detrimental to long-term health, however.
Oil pulling is an all-natural way to improve oral health. Although oil pulling is just now enjoying positive feedback from dental patients, it is actually an age old practice that originated in India thousands of years ago. It wasn’t until the 1990s that health experts in the Western world began recommending oil pulling as a way to naturally detoxify the body, particularly the teeth and gums. Today, many holistic dentists recognize oil pulling as a safe, easy, and inexpensive way to significantly reduce the risk of tooth decay, oral infection, and gum disease.