S. David Buck, DDS, LVIM

2011-03-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

This recent article really continues to confirm what is being discussed among sleep physicians. Since, my practice is focused on treating TMJ disorders which is a disease of craniofacial anatomy, I see sleep disordered breathing patients on a regular basis. Note below that in this report, 48% of people reported snoring, which is usually associated with disrupted quality of sleep. The number of my TMJ patients who have some disruption to sleep co-existing with TMJ is perhaps as high as 75-80%.

The dental profession continues to grossly under recognize the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing in their patients. Dentists are in the unique position of being able to see the intra-oral risks for sleep apnea, and yet the vast majority of patients are going undiagnosed. If you or your partner snores, don't think it is just a nuisance. It is a serious medical issue and can be treated. Custom fitted medically approved oral appliances are very effective in treating sleep apnea. Don't hesitate to ask about this with your physician.

1 in 3 Americans Gets Less Than 7 Hours of Sleep: CDC

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter by Steven Reinberg
healthday Reporter – Thu Mar 3, 5:03 pm ET

THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-third of Americans routinely sleep fewer than seven hours a night, which affects their concentration and general health, new government research shows.

Insufficient sleep also impairs work performance and the ability to drive safely, found researchers for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which published two sleep studies March 4 in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

"Over the last 20 years there has been a decline in overall sleep duration in adults," said lead author of one report, Lela McKnight-Eily, a clinical psychologist and epidemiologist at the CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention.

Changing lifestyle habits, including longer workdays and late nights on the computer, have pared away much-needed sleep time, she noted. "Within our culture there seems to be a belief that sleep isn't a part of overall essential health," she said.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults sleep for seven to nine hours a night to maintain good health.

But when McKnight-Eily's team studied the sleep habits of 74,571 adults in 12 states, 35.3 percent reported sleeping less than seven hours.

In addition, 48 percent reported snoring, 37.9 percent said they fell asleep at least once during the day the previous month and 4.7 percent admitted to falling asleep at the wheel at least once.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, drowsiness or nodding off while driving accounts for 1,550 deaths and 40,000 injuries a year.

Three percent of drivers in Illinois admitted to nodding off while driving the previous month, compared to 6.4 percent in Hawaii and Texas.

Hawaii also reported the highest number of people with poor sleep behaviors, the researchers noted.

For the other report, a group led by Anne Wheaton, a researcher in CDC's division of chronic disease prevention, looked at the impact of sleep deprivation on the ability to perform daily activities.

In that group, 37.1 percent reported getting less than seven hours sleep a night, and about one-quarter of these people said they had trouble concentrating. About 18 percent reported memory difficulties, and 8.6 percent said they were so sleepy during the day that it was hard to perform well at work.

People who slept less than seven hours were more likely to have all these problems, compared with people who got seven to nine hours of sleep a night, the researchers said. Increasing sleep time would likely improve everyday functioning, they added.

Chronic sleep loss also is associated with obesity, increased risk of death and other health problems, notes the CDC, which released these studies in conjunction with National Sleep Awareness Week, March 7 to 13.

For a good night's rest, people need to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and avoid stimulating activities like exercise close to bedtime, Wheaton said.

"The bedroom should be conducive to sleep. Not too hot, there is not too much light, not a lot of noise -- so it's just a comfortable environment," Wheaton said.

"Sometimes we just have to unplug," McKnight-Eily added. "Unplug the TV, unplug the radio, our BlackBerrys and computers."

Commenting on these reports, sleep specialist Dr. Shirin Shafazand said insufficient sleep "has an impact on how [people] perceive their quality of life, and their ability to concentrate, and their memory and learning skills."

Although all the benefits of sleep aren't known, studies have found it aids memory, learning and hormonal balance, which may be why lack of sleep is linked to obesity, added Shafazand, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

"It is clear that a lot of restorative activities are going on in the body during sleep," Shafazand said.

"We have to make a conscious effort to pay as much attention to sleep as people do to other healthy activities like exercise and eating right, because they are all linked together," she said.

2010-09-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Dr. Buck has completed training and certification for " Six Month Smiles". I can now offer a very good orthodontic treatment option for adults. The idea of wearing metal appliances for two or more years is not appealing to most busy adults. Clear aligners such as the "Invisalign" system often do not produce the results patients are looking for, in addition to being more expensive and having much longer treatment times.
Dr. Buck now can provide clear elastics, tooth colored wires, and tooth colored brackets to give adults cosmetic straightening of teeth to improve smiles in anywhere from 4-9mos, on average in 6 months. The appliances are almost invisible, and with much accelerated treatment times, many adults find the "Six Month Smile" system the right choice. I invite you to check out the link below for more information.

http://www.6monthsmiles.com/Default.aspx

2010-09-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Dr. Buck is now a sleep apnea dentist.

Dr. Buck is on a diplomate track to become certified in dental sleep meidicine. He now has the advanced training to coordinate treatment with sleep physicians and ENT's for the best approach to control this deadly disease. Sleep apnea dentists are dentists who specialize in orthodontics and/ or TMJ (the branch of dentistry that corrects teeth alignment, jaw problems and malocclusions). This specialization allows them to treat sleep apnea by creating custom mouthpieces that allow the sleep apnea patient to keep their airways open while they sleep.

How can Dr. Buck treat sleep apnea?

Through the development of custom mouthpieces, Dr. Buck can correct the position of your lower jaw and tongue in such a way that your airway remains open, therefore allowing uninterrupted breathing while you sleep. This sleep apnea treatment is usually recommended for mild to moderate sleep apnea symptoms. Also, if you are CPAP intolerant, a oral sleep appliance can effectively treat sleep apnea problems. In many cases CPAP pressures can be reduced in conjunction with the oral appliance so that it is once again comfortable to wear CPAP.

Once you have consulted Dr. Buck about the possibility of developing a mouthpiece to treat your sleep apnea, regular visits to the his office will be necessary to manage the adjustment period and also to handle possible side effects such as pain, discomfort or other issues that might occur at the beginning of treatment. It is also critical to have a medical evaluation by a sleep physician to diagnose this condition.

Together with your sleep physician, Dr. Buck can recommend that you minimize the effects of other negative factors that can contribute to the severity of your sleep apnea. For example, being overweight is a significant factor that can aggravate sleep apnea. Losing weight is one important treatment all doctors recommend to reduce the occurrences of sleep apnea.

If your symptoms do not improve after Dr. Buck has developed your customized sleep appliance, your physician might recommend that you undergo sleep apnea surgery, or co-therapy with the use of CPAP ( continuous positive air pressure) together with the sleep oral appliance. This nasal, throat or nasal surgery aims to widen the airways and reduce the occurrences of sleep apnea. Dr. Buck is committed to working as a team with qualified physicians and a certified sleep laboratory to get the best result possible in management of OSA or sleep apnea.

2010-02-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

This a recent and very good summary of the status of science surrounding mercury and health. I have hi lighted the section that applies to dentistry. This was written by Mark Hyman, MD founder of the Ultrawellness Center.

Dr. David Buck

If you are heavy, it could be making you sick and tired and age prematurely. And I don't mean heavy with fat ...

I mean heavy with heavy metals -- like mercury!

Unfortunately, toxic mercury problems are common. Along with polar bears, beluga whales, ducks, otters, panthers, and all river fish as well as most large ocean fish, we humans are poisoning ourselves with mercury at ever increasing rates.

There's no doubt about it, mercury is the most alarming, disease-causing source of environmental toxicity that I see daily in my practice. Many of patients have toxic levels of mercury -- and they're not alone. I personally suffered from mercury toxicity and chronic fatigue syndrome --which I cured myself from, in part by getting rid of the mercury in my body. So I know about this first hand.

I became toxic because I polluted myself by growing up on tuna fish sandwiches, eating sushi, living in Beijing, which heats all its homes with coal -- the major source of environmental mercury load -- and having a mouthful of amalgam (a.k.a. mercury) fillings.

All of these exposures, combined with genes that prevent me from effectively detoxifying metals in my body, led to a slow and significant poisoning of my cells and mitochondria. And the effects were obvious ...

I felt weak, tired, and couldn't think. I had muscle pain and twitches, insomnia, digestive problems, food allergies, depression, and anxiety. And it was only by discovering high levels of mercury in my hair and urine -- and slowly detoxifying myself -- that I was able to get better.

I have seen this over and over in my patients, too. From chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, to depression, anxiety, obesity, dementia, Parkinson's disease, cancer, heart failure, and heart disease, the message is clear ...

We are being poisoned!

This is such an important public health and personal issue for so many people that I'm going to use this blog and next week's blog to fully explain the extent of mercury issues and give you a comprehensive plan for reducing your exposure and healing from mercury toxicity. I'll show you the science behind mercury toxicity, share some stories about my patients who have suffered, and talk about the way we need to deal with this major health problem.

First, I'd like to share with you what I learned at one of the most important international conferences on mercury yet to be held. It was called "The Impact of Mercury on Human Health and the Environment" and was presented at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans.

There, a unique international group of policymakers, environmental scientists, toxicologists, biochemists, journalists, academic physicians, practicing pediatricians, neurologists, and dentists gathered.

We were there to make sense of the environmental impact, toxicology, basic science, public policy and health implications of one the least studied and perhaps greatest potential threats to our long-term health -- mercury. And I want to share some of what I learned at that conference with you.

Mercury Levels Are on the Rise

Barry Kohl, Ph.D. is an adjunct professor in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University. At the conference he provided a unique overview of the impact of industrialization on environmental mercury levels through a description of the levels of mercury in the ice core extracted from the pristine Freemont Glacier in Wyoming.

There were small peaks in mercury concentration in the ice core from the 1815 Tambora volcanic eruption in Indonesia, the 1850-84 gold rush in California where mercury was used for smelting, the eruption in 1883 of the Sumatran volcano Krakatau 10,000 miles away, and the more recent Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980.

Overall, the changes in environmental mercury levels have been dramatic. Over the past 100 years, there has been a 30-fold increase in mercury deposition, 70 percent of which is from human sources. In fact, there was an exponential peak in mercury occurring in the last 40 years due to major industrialization. Much of this mercury comes from coal-fired industrial plants and from chlor-alkali plants that use mercury in the process of making chlorine used in plastics, pesticides, PVC pipes, and more.

One note of hope was the reduction in industrial mercury emissions from 220 million pounds to 120 million pounds a year over the last 10 years. But that's small consolation when we're talking about a substance that is toxic in parts per million, not in millions of pounds.

And the more mercury we are exposed to, the more we are likely we are to be toxic.

Risk Increases with Dose

Harvey Clewell from the ENVIRON Health Sciences Institute, Ruston, Louisiana, reviewed the epidemiologic studies from the Seychelles and Faroe islands. He showed that your risk of toxicity increases with higher doses of mercury.

Now, there are different types of mercury. Nearly all human exposures to one type, methylmercury, come from fish.

In the Seychelle Islands, there seemed be little effect on kids from mercury; however their fish consumption was predominately from low-risk small reef fish that don't contain much mercury.

On the other hand, in the Faroe Islands people eat whale blubber, which contains high levels of mercury -- over three parts per million. There, high levels of mercury were found in umbilical cord blood and correlated with reduced performance in neurologic testing in 917 mother-infant pairs.

The health effects from methyl mercury upon infants and children depend on the dose. Severe symptoms start with exposure to doses of 100 mcg/kg/day, mild symptoms with more than 10 mcg/kg/day, and sub-clinical symptoms with less than 1 mcg/kg/day. These symptoms include late development in walking and talking and decreased performance on neurological tests.

Dr. Clewell also reviewed the limitations of various forms of testing for mercury.

Methylmercury (also called organic mercury) is found predominately in red blood cells, which is what doctors check when they do a blood test for mercury. But unless you've been eating fish with mercury recently, you won't see your total body level of mercury.

Plus, mercury is lipophilic, meaning that it concentrates in fatty tissues, especially in the brain, which is made mostly of fat. That means that blood levels aren't an accurate measurement of total body burden of mercury.

Inorganic mercury from dental fillings (amalgams) is found in plasma but is rapidly cleared and stored in your tissues. Inorganic mercury is also converted from methylmercury by the body and is the main form of mercury in brain, which can lead to dementia, autism, ADHD and more.

All of these are reasons you need to get comprehensive testing done to assess you total mercury load. I will review the test you need in a moment, but first I want to talk about how mercury gets in your body and what it does to your body and brain.

Health Effects of Mercury

We get mercury in our bodies from many different sources including mercury vapors in ambient air, ingesting it via drinking water, fish, dental amalgams, vaccines, occupational exposures, home exposures including fluorescent light bulbs, thermostats, batteries, red tattoo dye, skin-lightening creams, over-the-counter products such as contact lens fluid and neosynephrine, and more.

You absorb about 80 percent of inhaled mercury vapor and nearly 100 percent of the mercury in fish through your gut.

Once this mercury is in your body it is then primarily distributed in the kidneys and brain and can be readily transferred to the fetus via the placenta.

The only way it can get out of your body is via urine, feces, expired air, and breast milk. The major reason it is toxic to human biology is because mercury has the ability to bind to sulfur-containing molecules in the body (found in nearly every enzyme and in the mitochondria), as well as other chemical binding sites in the cells.

We've learned a lot about how this mercury effects us and our children from reported exposures to mercury over the last 100 years. These include epidemics such as the Minimata Bay exposures in Japan, acrodynia or pink disease in children from calomel (HgCl) used in teething powder, "mad hatter syndrome" or erethism, and methylmercury fungicide grain seed exposures in Iraq and Pakistan.

The symptoms and diseases these exposures have caused are varied and mimic many other conditions. Nervous system toxicity can cause erethism ("mad hatter syndrome" as mentioned above) with symptoms of shyness; laughing, crying, and dramatic mood swings for no apparent reason; nervousness, insomnia, memory problems, and the inability to concentrate.

Other neurologic symptoms may include encephalopathy (non-specific brain malfunction), nerve damage, Parkinsonian symptoms, tremor, ataxia (loss of balance), impaired hearing, tunnel vision, dysarthria (slurred speech), headache, fatigue, impaired sexual function, and depression.

Kidney toxicity leads to proteinura (protein in the urine) and acute renal failure.

Gastrointestinal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and colitis.

Skin toxicity causes allergic dermatitis, chelitis (cracked corners of the mouth), gingivitis (gum disease), stomatitis (sores in the mucous membranes of the mouth) and excessive salivation.

Clearly, mercury toxicity is VERY serious business!

Dentistry and Mercury

One of the more controversial sources of mercury toxicity is dental fillings. Silver dental fillings, or amalgams, contain inorganic mercury. Mercury exposure from amalgams is estimated to be between 3 to 17 micrograms per day from chewing, brushing, grinding, and even slow corrosion.

Questions have arisen about whether or not this amount is toxic ... I am going to clear up the confusion here.

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found no significant neurologic or behavioral changes in children who had mercury amalgam (silver) fillings, compared to kids who had composite (white) fillings placed. But there were significant problems with that study ...

First, the duration of the study was short and the effects subtle. Second, they failed to emphasize the significance of the fact that the kids who had the silver fillings had much higher levels of mercury in their urine than the kids with white fillings.

This is one of the most important details of that study, because it proves that mercury fillings in your mouth release mercury vapor that is absorbed into your body, ending up in your urine. It is deposited in your organs, including your brain, where it accumulates over time.

Whether your fillings are new or old, the mercury in them is constantly absorbed into your body. And even if you stop being exposed to that mercury, it sticks around. It takes up to 18 years for the body to clear half of the dose of mercury from the body. Once mercury is in the body it comes out only VERY slowly.

In fact, people with amalgam fillings have significantly elevated blood mercury levels, three to five times more mercury in the urine, and two to twelve times more mercury in their tissues than those without amalgam fillings.

However blood and urine mercury levels don't necessarily relate to the mercury load in your body tissues or severity of clinical symptoms.

Research on sheep and monkeys with dental amalgams has shown that blood mercury levels remained low -- even though their tissue mercury levels were raised.

Urine mercury levels aren't much better as an indicator of your total mercury load. They mainly reflect the cumulative dose of inorganic mercury in the kidneys and there exists only a very weak correlation with levels in other target tissues.

Another speaker at the conference, Mike Robichaux, a practicing dentist, reviewed his experience with removal of amalgams fillings. He showed a remarkable video of mercury vapor being released from a 25-year-old tooth. You can watch it on the website of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.

But other dentists aren't so concerned. In fact, the American Dental Association still says it is safe to use mercury or silver fillings. That's something I've always wondered about, since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers old mercury fillings that have been removed from the body toxic waste that has to be disposed as such.

Let me put this another way. It's apparently all right to put mercury fillings in your mouth -- but not to throw them out in the garbage!

The danger of amalgam fillings has been confirmed by research from around the world.

At the conference, Anders Lindvall, M.D., from the Foundation for Metal Biology in Sweden, reported his work on the health effects of dental amalgams and presented a review of the controversial literature on dental amalgams and human health.

Many of his patients reported a symptom complex consistent with chronic fatigue syndrome that they believed were related to dental amalgams. So in 1990, Dr. Lindvall began a study at Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden to diagnose and treat 796 patients with suspected amalgam-related illness and to develop and evaluate diagnostic tools to assess toxicity from dental amalgams. (i)

Besides conventional measures of quality of life and symptoms, unique laboratory assessments were used to determine the presence and immunological toxicity of metals.

One was PIXE, an accelerator-based test on single blood cells that assesses intracellular levels of trace elements, which showed that, in lymphocytes (white blood cells), mercury is found in the nucleus, particularly in places where zinc is low.

The other was MELISA, a test of lymphocyte reactivity to metal compounds. Information about the MELISA test is available at www.melisa.org. (ii)

Dr. Lindvall's patients were treated with antioxidants (B complex vitamins, vitamins C and E, and selenium); infections and jaw dysfunction were addressed; and selective removal of any incompatible dental material was performed using low-emission amalgam removal techniques and bio-compatible materials to replace the amalgams.

The cost of these procedures was covered by national health insurance.

Laboratory follow up at one year showed over 70 percent of patients reported significant improvement in symptoms after amalgam removal!

Unfortunately, this study had some problems too ...

The clinic was closed after the study was published, so there was no further access allowed to the records, which contained over 1,000 untreated patients who could have served as a control group. And since 1999, amalgam dental restorations in Sweden are no longer covered by insurance.

But Dr. Lindvall's study still suggests that silver amalgams can cause health problems -- and that removing the fillings can help relieve these problems.

And other studies have had similar effects.

Research has found that patients with chronic fatigue and autoimmune thyroiditis show improvement in their health status after their amalgam fillings are replaced with composites. (iii)

In another study, 71 percent of people with autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, improved after amalgam removal. Low-dose exposure to inorganic mercury may be a contributing factor in the development of autoimmune diseases. (iv)

Animal and lab studies suggest that exposure to metallic mercury may cause nerve cell damage and promote the production the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. (v)

Plus, we know that mercury levels in the human placenta correlate with the number of maternal amalgam fillings -- and a substantial amount of mercury from amalgams reaches the fetus.

Worse, mercury from dental amalgams in pregnant women may also contribute to development of autism in their children. In one study, mothers of 94 autistic children had statistically more amalgam fillings during pregnancy than 49 mothers of healthy kids. (vi)

In contrast to their higher mercury exposure during pregnancy, these autistic children had reduced mercury levels in their first haircut (mercury exposure can be measured in human hair). This may reflect a reduced capacity to excrete mercury from their body, which in turn may lead to elevated brain mercury levels.

And approximately 20 percent of the general public may experience sub-clinical central nervous system and/or kidney function impairment due to amalgam fillings.

When taken collectively, the research forces us to question the safety of dental amalgams. In my view, there is no doubt about it ... they are a danger.

But before you start yanking out your fillings, there is something else to consider ...

Genetic Variations in the Ability to Detoxify

Some of us are very good at detoxifying mercury and other toxins, while some of us store toxins like a toxic waste dump. Genetic variations (called polymorphisms) make some people more prone to metal toxicity.

One gene in particular is very important because it's related to the body's production of glutathione, our most powerful detoxifier and antioxidant. Your body can only excrete mercury when it's bound with glutathione.

The polymorphism of the gene that controls the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase (GSST) prevents excretion of mercury. That is the gene problem I have that led to my mercury toxicity. When that happens, the mercury stays in tissues and does damage. Plus, mercury also binds to key enzymes that help us produce glutathione -- in effect helping itself accumulate in our bodies.

Research also shows that people suffering from symptoms like fatigue, irritability, mood disorders, poor concentration, headaches, and insomnia due to their amalgam fillings are more likely than their peers to have the apolipoprotein E 4 (ApoE 4) gene. (vii)

ApoE 4 is known as the "Alzheimer's gene." It also promotes heart disease. ApoE 4 reduces detoxifying activity. This means that people with this gene can't get rid of mercury from their brains, contributing to its toxic effects on this organ.

I know this all sounds very depressing. And it is. But the good news is that there are things you can do to reduce your exposure -- and identify if you have toxic levels of mercury. So let me sum up what we learned in this week's blog and offer some suggestions for reducing your exposure.

10 Truths and Tips about Mercury Toxicity

1. Industrial exposure to mercury is significant and mostly comes from coal burning (220 million pounds a year) and chlor-alkali plants.

2. The main ways that humans are exposed to mercury are from contaminated fish and dental amalgams or silver fillings.

3. Mercury can affect nearly all your organs, especially the brain, heart, kidneys, and gut.

4. Many chronic diseases may be caused or worsened by mercury, including neurologic disease, ADHD, autism, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and more.

5. Some of us are genetically better adapted to detoxify mercury than others, leading to variable effects within the population.

6. You should reduce your exposure by avoiding large ocean fish (like tuna, swordfish, shark, and tilefish) and river fish. Eat only small wild fish. If it fits in your pan, it is probably okay.

7. Blood tests are relatively worthless for analyzing mercury toxicity, unless you have had a significant recent exposure or eat a lot of sushi or tuna.

8. Hair tests only check for mercury from fish, not from fillings so they only give you a partial picture.

9. The only way to find out your total body load of mercury is to take a medication with sulfur molecules that binds to the mercury like fly paper. This is called DMSA or DMPS.

This test should ONLY be done by a trained physician and involves taking one dose of this medicine, followed by a 6- or 24-hour urine collection to see how much comes out. (In my opinion, the most reliable testing is done by www.doctorsdata.com).

10. If you are toxic and sick, you may consider addressing your dental health by seeing a biological dentist who can safely help you deal with mercury in your mouth.

Going to see a conventional dentist who drills out your fillings without any precautions or protection can lead to serious health consequences. I strongly advise against it. However, amalgam filling removal CAN be done safely and effectively done by a dentist trained in the correct techniques.

That's all for this week. Next week, I'll give you more advice on how to safely eliminate the mercury in your body if you find you are toxic. Finding out if you are poisoned by mercury, limiting your exposures, and getting the mercury out of your body is absolutely critical if you want to achieve lifelong vibrant health.

If you would like to read more of the extensive research on the biologic effects of mercury and toxins on human health, please link to this extensive online bibliography. If you have any doubt about the evidence of harm across a broad range of health conditions of mercury, you must do your homework and review the research yourself.

Now I'd like to hear from you...

Do you think mercury toxicity is a legitimate health concern or a bogus problem?

Do you have any symptoms of mercury toxicity and what have you done about them?

Have you asked your doctor about mercury toxicity and if so, what was his/her response?

Are you exposed to many sources of mercury? What could you do to reduce your exposure?

Please let me know your thoughts by adding a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

References

(i) Lindh U. Removal of dental amalgam and other metal alloys supported by antioxidant therapy alleviates symptoms and improves quality of life in patients with amalgam-associated ill health. Neuroendocrinology Letters 2002; 23(5/6):459-482.

(ii) Stejskal V. Metal-specific lymphocytes: biomarkers of sensitivity in man. Neuroendocrinology Letters 1999;20:289-298.

(iii) Sterzl I., et al. Mercury and nickel allergy: Risk factors in fatigue and autoimmunity. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 1999; 20: 221-228.

(iv) Prochazkova, J., et al. The beneficial effect of amalgam replacement on health in patients with autoimmunity. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 2004; 25(3): 211-218.

(v) Stejskal, J. and Stejskal, V. The role of metals in autoimmunity and the link to neuroendocrinology. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 1999; 20: 351-364.

(vi) Holmes, A.S., et al. Reduced levels of mercury in first baby haircuts of autistic children. International Journal of Toxicology. 2003. 22(4): 277-285.

(vii) Wojcik, D.P. et al. Mercury toxicity presenting as chronic fatigue, memory impairment, and depression: Diagnosis, treatment, susceptibility, and outcomes in a New Zealand practice setting (1994-2006). 2006. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 27(4): 415-423.

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.

2009-11-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

Monday Night Football endorses the PPM performance mouthguard. This video really may be the tipping point for neuromuscular based PPM appliances. The response to this on MNF last week has been remarkable. Bringing credibility to the power of neuromuscular dentistry for the public is just what we as NM dentists have been waiting for. Unfortunately, the main stream dental profession does not believe, nor teach neuromuscular science, but the tide is changing!

2009-07-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

PPM Video
This is a good personal testimnoy from an amateur golfer who also happens to be a news broadcaster in Denver, CO. She was fitted with the PPM, and in front of cameras at a driving range she was able to immediately see the difference the PPM makes. Enjoy:

2009-03-24T12:28:00.001-07:00

This was broadcast in the UK on February 16,2009. It is an excellent documentary style news show on the issue of mercury in amalgam. The British Dental Association takes the same position as the American Dental Association,namely that amalgam is perfectly safe and no risk to humans. Nothing could be further from the truth, and the officials from the BDA noticeably squirm when cornered on the issue of the undeniable fact that amalgam leaches mercury vapor into the body. Their only fall back position was that it was an inconsequential amount of mercury released into the body. This of course flies in the face of all established science on toxicology, whereby potent neurotoxins such as mercury accumulate over time thus raising the body burden and ever increasing the potential for damage. I liken it to the situation where lead contaminated water has a small amount of lead such that no perceivable effect could be determined after drinking this water for a month... The logical question becomes would you drink this water for fifteen years? I think the answer would be emphatically no. This is the same as a mercury filling which continues to leach mercury vapor withuot stop for years and years. I encourage you to view this show.

http://www.toxicteeth.org/mercury_fillings_Feb_2009.cfm

2009-02-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

This article appearing today in the New York Times unfortunately represents a distorted and one-sided view point about TMJ. The older and now outdated organizations such as American Academy of Orofacial Pain, continue to propagate the notion that TMJ disorders are psychosocial and lifestyle related. They treat symptoms only and hope to have the pain disappear. The sad fact is many millions of patients continue to suffer from varying degrees of pain in the head,face and neck regions. Many other symptoms are also directly correlated with this disease. This condition can be debilitating to a normal life, and the conventional treatments in medicine and dentistry are totally inadequate.
The anatomical fact is that 90% or more of all headaches are muscular in origin. The key muscles that are the culprits are the jaw muscles. The logical reason the jaw muscles are chronically contracted and in spasm is mis-alignment of the bite. The statement in the article below that, "later studies revealed that malocclusion itself was an infrequent cause of facial pain and other temporomandibular symptoms", is completely false. The pain patients suffer is real and damaging to their lives. Clenching and bruxing are a direct sife effect of a mis-aligned bite and a mis-aligned bite is the cause of damaged TMJ joints. If this delicate system is pathologic, then muscles in the neck are going to be chronically contracted as well. The accomodation of the body in response to the damaged bite will be altered alignment of the head over the cervical spine and over time a damaged mis-aligned cervical spine. This postural change has multiple implications to pain states and other problems too lengthy to fully discuss here.
Suffice to say that only well intentioned, but sadly mis-informed dentists have a problem understanding these concepts. I have no problem with my patients understanding damaged, mis-aligned bites leading to muscle pain and TMJ related problems. The success speaks for itself in the resloution of pain and dysfunction my TMJ patients receive once the bite is corrected with appliances or other means.

Personal Health
Best Treatment for TMJ may be nothing

By JANE E. BRODY
Published: February 2, 2009
One person gets migraine headaches, another ringing in the ears, a third clicking and locking of the jaw, a fourth pain on the sides and back of the head and neck. All are suspected of having a temporomandibular disorders.

Up to three-fourths of Americans have one or more signs of a temporomandibular problem, most of which come and go and finally disappear on their own. Specialists from Boston estimate that only 5 percent to 10 percent of people with symptoms need treatment.

Popularly called TMJ, for the joint where the upper and lower jaws meet, temporomandibular disorders actually represent a wider class of head pain problems that can involve this pesky joint, the muscles involved in chewing, and related head and neck muscles and bones.

But too often, experts say, patients fail to have the problem examined in a comprehensive way and undergo costly and sometimes irreversible therapies that may do little or nothing to relieve their symptoms. As scientists at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research wrote recently, “Less is often best in treating TMJ disorders.”

A New Understanding

The TMJ is a complicated joint that connects the lower jaw to the temporal bone at the side of the head. It has both a hinge and a sliding motion. When the mouth is opening, the rounded ends, or condyles, of the lower jaw glide along the sockets of the temporal bones. Muscles are connected to both the jaw and the temporal bones, and a soft disc between them absorbs shocks to the jaw from chewing and other jaw movements.

TMJ problems were originally thought to stem from dental malocclusion — upper and lower teeth misalignment — and improper jaw position. That prompted a focus on replacing missing teeth and fitting patients with braces to realign their teeth and change how the jaws come together.

But later studies revealed that malocclusion itself was an infrequent cause of facial pain and other temporomandibular symptoms. Rather, as the Boston specialists wrote recently in The New England Journal of Medicine “the cause is now considered multifactorial, with biologic, behavioral, environmental, social, emotional and cognitive factors, alone or in combination, contributing to the development of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders.”

According to the American Academy of Orofacial Pain, the disorder “usually involves more than one symptom and rarely has a single cause.”

Among the “mechanical” causes that are now recognized as distorting the function of the TMJ are congenital or developmental abnormalities of the jaw; displacement of the disc between the jaw bones; inflammation or arthritis that causes the joint to degenerate; traumatic injury to the joint (sometimes just from opening the mouth too wide); tumors; infection; and excessive laxity or tightness of the joint.

But the most common TMJ problem is known as myofacial pain disorder, a neuromuscular problem of the chewing muscles characterized by a dull, aching pain in and around the ear that may radiate to the side or back of the head or down the neck. Someone with this disorder may have tender jaw muscles, hear clicking or popping noises in the jaw, or have difficulty opening or closing the mouth. Simple acts like chewing, talking excessively or yawning can make the symptoms worse.

Jaw-irritating habits, like clenching the teeth or jaw, tooth grinding at night, biting the lips or fingernails, chewing gum or chewing on a pencil, can make the problem worse or longer lasting. Psychological factors also often play a role, especially depression, anxiety or stress.

Proper Assessment

The overwhelming majority of people with TMJ symptoms are women. Women represent up to 90 percent of patients who seek treatment, Dr. Leonard B. Kaban, chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said in an interview. Most patients are middle-age adults, he and two dental specialists, Dr. Steven J. Scrivani and Dr. David A. Keith, wrote in the journal article.

Dr. Kaban urged patients to obtain a thorough assessment of the problem before choosing therapy, especially if they have symptoms like tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and migraine headaches.

He said doctors and dentists should “start with a thorough history — you can get 80 to 90 percent of the needed information just from talking to the patient about their habits.” This should be followed by a physical examination, checking for signs like muscle tenderness and pain in the jaw, limited jaw opening and noises.

“Among the biggest advances in diagnosis has been imaging studies, especially by M.R.I. and occasionally by CT scan with a cone-beam image,” Dr. Kaban said.

For those with complicated problems, he suggested visiting a multidisciplinary temporomandibular clinic, found at many leading hospitals and dental schools.

Therapy Options

Resting the jaw is the most important therapy. Stop harmful chewing and biting habits, avoid opening your mouth wide while yawning or laughing (holding a fist under the chin helps), and temporarily eat only soft foods like yogurt, soup, fish, cottage cheese and well-cooked, mashed or pureed vegetables and fruit. It also helps to apply heat to the side of the face and to take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, for up to two weeks.

Other self-care measures suggested by the orofacial academy include not leaning on or sleeping on the jaw and not playing wind, brass or string instruments that stress, strain or thrust back the jaw.

Physical therapy to retrain positioning of the spine, head, jaw and tongue can be helpful, as can heat treatments with ultrasound and short-wave diathermy.

Some patients are helped by a low-dose tricyclic antidepressant taken at bedtime, or antianxiety medication. Stress management and relaxation techniques like massage, yoga, biofeedback, cognitive therapy and counseling to achieve a less frenetic work pace are also helpful, according to the findings of a national conference on pain management.

If you clench or grind your teeth, you can be fitted with a mouth guard that is inserted like a retainer or removable denture, especially at night, to prevent this joint-damaging behavior.

But Dr. Kaban cautioned against embarking on “any expensive, irreversible treatment” before a thorough diagnosis is completed and simple, reversible therapies have been tried and found wanting.

As with other joints, he said, surgery is a treatment of last resort, when medical management has proved ineffective. As he and his colleagues wrote, surgery is primarily for patients who are born with or develop jaw malformations and patients with arthritis who have loose fragments of bone or require condyle reshaping.

Next Article in Health (29 of 37) » A version of this article appeared in print on February 3, 2009, on page D7 of the New York edition. .Click here to enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Times for less than $1 a day

2009-01-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

GREAT NEWS... Sweden has officially banned all mercury including the use of mercury containing amalgam fillings. Please see below for the official press release. This will hopefully speed up the US FDA to seriously re-consider the re-certification of amalgam as a safe medical device for use...

Subject: Sweden bans amalgam effective June 1 2009

A press release from the Swedish Ministry of Environment follows.

http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/11459/a/118550

Press release 15 January 2009
Ministry of the Environment

Government bans all use of mercury in Sweden
The Government today decided to introduce a blanket ban on mercury. The ban
means that the use of dental amalgam in fillings will cease and that it will
no longer be permitted to place products containing mercury on the Swedish
market.

"Sweden is now leading the way in removing and protecting the environment
from mercury, which is non-degradable. The ban is a strong signal to other
countries and a Swedish contribution to EU and UN aims to reduce mercury use
and emissions," says Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren.

The Government's decision means that products containing mercury may not be
placed on the Swedish market. In practice this means that alternative
techniques will have to be used in dental care, chemical analysis and the
chloralkali industry. The Swedish Chemicals Agency will be authorised to
issue regulations on exceptions or grant exemptions in individual cases.

In connection with the Government's decision, waste containing mercury will
be disposed of in deep geological repositories in other EU countries. The
Swedish market for hazardous waste is small. Last spring, a government
inquiry established that there are existing repositories for waste
containing mercury in, for example, Germany that more than adequately meet
the safety requirements on which Swedish legislation is based. Creating a
new Swedish repository would be around 15 times more expensive than
depositing waste in existing facilities in the EU. The bodies consulted on
this matter shared the inquirys conclusions.

"By using common solutions and almost forty years of experience of storing
mercury in the EU, we are not lowering safety standards. The waste will be
transported to a deep geological repository with high safety standards. In
accordance with the polluter pays principle, the owners of the waste will be
responsible for ensuring that disposal in a repository is arranged and
paying for it," says Mr Carlgren.

The disposal possibilities in other EU countries provide better incentives
for the desired development of safe, large-scale technologies to stabilise
waste containing mercury.

Since the beginning of the 1990s there has been a ban in Sweden on the
manufacture and sale of certain products containing mercury, including
thermometers and other measuring devices and electronic components.

The new regulations enter into force on 1 June 2009.

Contact
Mattias Johansson
Press Secretary to Andreas Carlgren
work +46 8 405 22 69
cell +46 70 950 22 45
email to Mattias Johansson, via the Senior registry clerk
Jerker Forsell
Desk Officer
+46 8 405 39 71

Anna Sanell
Desk Officer
+46 8 405 21 20

2008-09-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

In July of 2008 I was awarded the LVIM or mastership award for esthetic and neuromuscular dentistry from the prestigious LVI institute. This process involved four years and hundreds of hours to submit several completed full mouth cases that were scrutinized for acceptance to very high standards, in addition to oral defense of my treatments, and a comprehensive written exam. There are fewer than 20 LVIM dentists across the world and there are close to 7000 LVI dentists world wide.
This is the highest honor I have received in my 20 year career in dentistry, and one of the highest post graduate distinctions that can be acheived in the profession. I am very proud of this accomplishment, and it was a very powerful learning experience for me. It will greatly help me in providing a higher level of care to my patients in the future. I wanted to insure that I was the most qualified I could be to provide cosmetic and neuromuscular dentistry for my clients.
Although there is no specialty for both TMJ and Cosmetic dentistry, this award insures that I can provide a very high level of care and expertise in these complex areas of treatment. A special thanks to my beautiful wife Theresa who was with me to accept this honor, and to whom I am deeply grateful for her support and encouragement.
S D Buck DDS, LVIM

2008-06-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQsi777_B1g&feature=email

This video is very important to understand what actually happens in and around amalgam fillings. Making it visual drives home the point about the reality of mercury exposure to dental patients and dental professionals. It is shocking, please take time to watch this.
S David Buck DDS

2008-03-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

This article appeared in the Alexandria Times March 6th edition. Of special note is the former kicker for the Seattle Seahawks Josh Brown who gives a personal testimony about the enhancement in performance from use of the PPM. This service is available through my office and I will be treating Seahawk and Washington Husky athletes this coming season.
Dr. Buck

Adios steroids and congressional hearings
March 12, 2008
A Virginia dentist is ready to make Major League history.

Although you won’t see his name in any box score or scoring summary, Dr. Abraham Katz is fitting amateur and professional athletes at his practice in Herndon with a new and completely legal performance enhancer that is quickly racking up the points.

While a number of professional athletes across North America are now using the Pure Power Mouthguard (PPM); many are still hesitant to reveal to the public and their opponents the science behind the new invention which claims to boost strength and balance substantially. “When people think of a mouth guard they usually think of the boil and bite one that is bought in a local sporting good store so it is hard for people to realize this is something different,” he said. “The PPM uses sophisticated computerized equipment to locate their optimum jaw position and bite. When they do the tests and see the science behind it, they realize this is something completely different.”

Josh Brown, former Seattle Seahawks kicker who just signed on with the Rams, quickly realized the PPM was something different after just completing the best season of his career.

Brown finishing seventh in NFL scoring (127 pts) and eighth in field goal accuracy going 28-for-34 but unlike many of his peers recently agreed to be interviewed about the PPM and come clean.

“I’m a field goal kicker so at first I thought: why would I need a mouth guard,” said Brown. “But the PPM really did help me this past season. I had five or six tackles which is incredible for a kicker. The mouth guard also helped me run faster because my body was in its optimum position.”

Brown indicated that the PPM allows him to lift an extra 20 or 30 lbs for each exercise in the weight room and also claim the device improves oxygen flow to the lungs by opening up the airway.

As the testimonials start to take shape, Dr. Katz knows that the PPM will be widely popular given the recent publicity surrounding illegal performance enhancing such as baseball’s Mitchell’s Report.

PPM staff confirmed that 50 Major League Baseball players were fitted with the device during spring training.

“I even had one made for me because like a lot of people I spend some time every week in the gym working out,” said Dr. Katz. “I am definitely able to lift heavier weights, my endurance has improved and I also notice my form is better. What intrigues me the most is I know this can be used for any sport or type of physical activity – it really enhances your strength and balance.”

The PPM is not available at your local sporting good store; only specially trained neuromuscular dentists like Dr. Katz can fit individuals with the device.

By using sophisticated neuromuscular machinery and computer technology, the science behind the PPM puts each individual’s jaw in the most comfortable and ideal position to allow the rest of the body to do the work it was designed for.

This equipment includes state-of-the-art jaw tracking technology, and the J5 myomonitor, provide bilateral electrical stimulation to relax the muscles in the patient’s face.

“I’m really a big sports fan that hit on something that is helping improve the performance of a number of athletes,” he said. “There was no better feeling than watching sports on television and seeing athletes like Brown pop my invention in and out of their mouth and know that the PPM had a role to play in their success.”

There are currently 150 professional and collegiate athletes using the PPM from the MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL, UFC, NCAA football and basketball.

Reader Comments Send your comments!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2008-02-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

Cosmetic Dentistry

Never underestimate the advantage a cosmetically enhanced smile can give you. Even something as easy and quick as whitening your teeth can improve your overall appearance. Every once in a while, I ask people to think about the advantages.

The choice of porcelain veneers or other cosmetic dental treatments is sometimes tied to an event: a wedding, an important business function, a holiday, a graduation or some family event. But, if you think about it, there are so many ways an improved smile can impact your life on an every day basis.

There is no doubt that a better smile is an advantage in business. This can impact promotions, sales and career paths. In a society that has learned that teeth can be improved, when you see a misshapen smile or misaligned teeth, you often can’t help but wonder why the person has done nothing to fix their smile.

If you know someone who might benefit from cosmetic dentistry, this is why you should think about referring them to me for a cosmetic consultation. A better smile can mean a better presentation at work. Makeovers of all kinds lead to promotions all the time. It can improve a person’s social prospects. It can also give a new sense of inner confidence that can manifest itself in many ways.

If you know someone who might be interested in cosmetic dentistry to gain an advantage somewhere in their life, refer them to me. It could be the best advice they get all year.

2008-01-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

The government of Norway has officially banned the use of amalgam for filling material. See the image above or go to : http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/md/Press-Centre/Press-releases/2007/Bans-mercury-in-products.html?id=495138

What is of interest is that the rationale for instituting the ban is environmental risks posed by amalgam waste entering the environment. The dental professions in general are advocates and believers in the safety and efficacy of amalgam as a filling material. Apparently, the human mouth is the only safe place for mercury to be stored. Once it leaves the mouth all other scientists and policy makers have concluded that it is toxic. Even in the United States several waster water treatment municipalities have regulated that dentists install recapture equipment to not let scrap amalgam enter the sewer systems. I am proud to have been the first office in the United States to design, develop and install this separation equipment. This was in 1991. I now have helped to start a company that has the highest rated equipment and one of the leaders in the field. You can check it out at :

rebecsolutions.com

It seems as though the environmental impact may be the way in which amalgam finally is banned from use...the sooner the better

2007-10-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Have fun this Halloween

All you need is a quick trip to the grocery store to realize how much sugar is poured into the Halloween holiday each year. If you have kids, most likely you will have a sugar rush to deal with this week. To make the most of it, use this influx of sugar as a reminder to reinforce good brushing and flossing habits.
Sugar, saliva and bacteria can work together, leading to tooth decay that causes cavities. That is why brushing and flossing at least twice daily is important. This attention to cleaning should include between teeth and along the gumline.
You always hear about what you should do but sometimes it is important to review what happens if you don’t. In general, sucrose (which comes from sugar) and glycoproteins (a combination of a carbohydrate molecule and a protein molecule, can stick to teeth and begin the formation of plaque, which attracts bacteria.
Lactic acid is a byproduct of the bacteria when it metabolizes sugar in this anaerobic environment. It is the lactic acid that dissolves tooth enamel, leading to a cavity.
In addition to a diet that is rich in calcium and fluoride, brushing and flossing is crucial to preventing cavities. So, on Halloween, is it okay to indulge in some treats. Why not? Just make sure and brush and floss afterwards.

2007-08-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Our office is now a certified Pure Power Mouthguard center. A select few number of experienced neuromuscular dentists nationwide have been invited to become PPM dentists. The web site detailing this unique service is http://www.ppmmouthguard.com/ This service is the application of neuromuscular science to enhance athletic performance. We have known in the NM field for years that when the jaw is optimally positioned such that the physiology of the jaw musculature is ideal, the body releases inhibitory effects on upper body muscles. The relaxed and aligned jaw position acts as a counter stimulus to the central nervous system to allow more complete mucsle recruitment. The effect is immediate and very profound. The athlete experiences measurable jumps in strength, flexibility and balance. We have very recently provided these appliances to several of the Seattle Seahawks players. We have already heard favorable responses from the players wearing these appliances. The recreational athlete can also benefit from the strength enhancement acheived with the PPM. Any sport using upper body muscles can benefit. I invite you to explore the link to the ppm web site and call us to discuss further this amazing service.

2007-05-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

Julia Roberts above with amalgams in her mouth

Same photo re-touched to remove the offensive amalgams from public

view, the original shot below

>This was very interesting to me as an amalgam-free dentist. It raises several interesting cultural issues. Firstly, Julia Roberts has had much fame around her beautiful smile. It is her signature feature for many people. This photo was re-touched before publishment in various magazines to specifically remove the "offensive " amalgams in her lower teeth. As stated below many if not most photos of celebs are re-touched to remove physical defects or imperfections. So why has amalgam become a defect? It is apparently now not considered a healthy or appealing look. But, why hasn't Ms. Roberts had these replaced. She certainly has the means, but there obviously could be many other reasons for this. What I find of more interest is how much the amalgam debate has shifted to the public and a very obvious strong distaste for the non-cosmetic look of amalgam in the mouth as exampled by these photos. But, unfortunately as a profession, dentistry still advocates amalgam, and approximately 50% of all fillings in the US are still mercury contaminated amalgam. And yet the public doesn't like or prefer amalgam. For certain in the realm of what is now considered beautiful and esthetic to Americans doesn't include amalgam fillings in the human mouth...I feel sorry for the millions of health and appearance conscious Americans who have been subjected to the use of amalgam perhaps wihout given the choice to use other materials, and certainly it is appalling to me personally that millions of children continue to have this material placed without the choice or knowledge of what it is and what other materials are available

MAGLOMANIA! Julia Roberts' Digital Dentistry
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE? Roberts, ClooneyYou'd think a star as big as Julia Roberts could afford some porcelain crowns.
The new issues of People and Us Weekly both feature a photo of Roberts and George Clooney mugging at the American Cinematheque Award ceremony honoring the latter. In the original, unretouched version of the photo, Roberts' mouth is wide open in an apparent guffaw, and three dark fillings are clearly visible.
Both People and Us, however, altered the image to make her teeth uniformly white. Spokespersons for the magazines could not immediately say why they had added the virtual veneers, and Roberts' rep was unavailable for comment.
Of course, celebrity magazines have long been happy to Photoshop out the cellulite and blemishes of the biggest stars—while drawing hot-pink circles around those same defects when they appear on lesser beings.[Incriminating close-ups after the jump!]
YUK MOUTH Julia's grill, pre-touching
FRESH MOUTH Julia's grill as it appeared in Us Weekly and PeopleUPDATE: A People spokesperson responds: "I guess someone on staff didn't want readers to think Julia had too much candy as a child. She has a beautiful smile and mouth and we shouldn't have tinkered with it."

2007-01-31T08:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a recent case of the power of neuromuscular dentistry to literally change someone's life. This patient had suffered for years with debilitating pain in the face and neck, and chronic headaches. She had been treated with many different providers both medical and dental. She had been relegated to a long list of powerful medications to suppress the symptoms with many side effectss and little overall success. This pre-treatment picture is one a person in long standing craniofacial pain. The appearance of the face communicates this. Also note the watery eyes, which is another telltale sign of chronic pain. Look at the altered head position (chin up and forward tilt) which is the body's attempt to compensate for the chronic muscle tension in and around the head.

Here is the post treatment photo. She had neuromuscular reconstruction of the mouth. We rebuilt her damaged teeth and bite to an optimum physiologic state of balance and health. She is now pain free and has greatly improved quality of life. In her words," Thank you Dr. Buck for my new lease on life!"

2006-09-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

This the result of the FDA meeting of the dental products panel. This is a positive change from the past position of the FDA with regard to amalgam and its safety. This may well be the most significant shift ever in the amalgam debate, and in my opinion signals the beginning of the phasing out of the use of amalgam. The organized profession of dentistry will not take a position of leadership and it is remarkable that the FDA has moved to begin redefining its support of mercury containing amalgam.
SD Buck DDS

Joint Meeting of the Dental Products Panel (CDRH) and the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee (CDER) - September 6-7, 2006 (Summary)
The joint committee met on Wednesday, September 6, and Thursday, September 7, 2006, in Gaithersburg, MD, to discuss and make recommendations to FDA on its draft white paper regarding the potential adverse health risks associated with exposure to mercury in dental amalgam. The joint committee was comprised of 24 panelist including consultants.
On the first day, the joint committee heard presentations from a materials expert on the properties of dental amalgam, from officials from Health Canada and the Medical Products Agency (Sweden) on the scientific basis for the regulation of dental amalgam in their respective countries, and from the FDA on how the US has regulated amalgam and has performed risk assessments over the years. The first day concluded with 5 hours of public testimony including a talk by the honorable Congresswoman Diane Watson of California.
The second day added two hours of pubic hearing. In total 52 speakers presented in approximately 7 hours. The panel then deliberated on a series of questions the FDA had posed on its draft white paper review of the amalgam literature.
To the question of whether the white paper "objectively and clearly presented the current state of knowledge about the exposure and health effects related to dental amalgam," the panel voted "no" by a 13-7 margin. Some of the reasons cited by the majority were that the paper was limited and scope and had knowledge gaps particularly regarding exposure limits.
To the question of whether the white paper's conclusions were "reasonable" the panel also voted "no" by the same 13-7 margin. Some of the reasons cited by the majority were that no conclusion could be drawn because the evidence was often contradictory and that conclusions based on a limited search should not be made.
The joint committee concluded with personal recommendations by the members. These include that FDA should :
Consider informed consent for patients receiving amalgam
Consider labeling changes restricting its use in pregnant woman and children
Revisit the white paper to include a broader search, include data from other countries, and provide the rationale for study exclusion
Study the pharmacokinetics of mercury
Consider the relevancy of the "precautionary principle."
Not make any rash decisions by having the pubic remove their amalgams because it appears that this problem may affect only a small segment of the population.
Contact: Michael E. Adjodha, Executive Secretary, at 301-827-5283, ext. 123, or via email at: mea@cdrh.fda.gov.
A complete transcript will be available at: http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/cdrh05.html#DentalProducts
Transcripts of this meeting may be purchased from:
Neal R. GrossCourt Reporters and Transcribers1323 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.Washington, D.C.202-234-4433 or 800-473-1433and Food and Drug AdministrationFreedom of Information Staff (HFI-35) 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857 301-443-1726

2006-08-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

This is very interesting to read and it reveals the sad fact that the FDA is not about protecting the public, but is controlled by agendas and politics
SD Buck

Consumers for Dental Choice
1725 K St., N.W., Suite 511
Washington, DC 20006
Ph. 202.822-6307; fax 822-6309
www.toxicteeth.org
July 28, 2006
Associate Commissioner Randy Lutter, Ph.D.
Acting Associate Commissioner Jason Brodsky, External Affairs
Food Drug Administration -- via e-mail

Re: Von Eschenbach heads for confirmation hearings while Center on Devices sabotages FDA policies by protecting mercury amalgam

Dear Associate Commissioner Lutter and Acting Associate Commissioner Brodsky:

As Dr. Andrew Von Eschenbach prepares for confirmation hearings on August 1, the Center on Devices and Radiological Health continues to sabotage positive FDA policies by signing secret contracts with witnesses, ignoring conflict of interest rules on panels, and, worst of all, adopting a pro-mercury policy on dental fillings while the agency condemns mercury in other products.

The most controversial issue in dentistry today is whether mercury fillings should continue to be used. Mercury is no longer needed in oral health care; all modern dentists use alternative materials to fill any kind of cavity. But old-fashioned and factory-line dentists still place them in children and low-income Americans, because it is so easy – and profitable. Incredibly, FDA’s Center on Devices has handed the issue, carte blanche, to its in-house dentists – persons (1) absolutely unqualified to determine the impact of poisonous mercury on the fetus, the child’s brain, and the adult’s kidneys, and (2) with a brazen conflict of interest. Both points were raised in a letter three years ago by Senator Lautenberg; his concerns were ignored. These FDA dentists defend amalgam on the pseudo-science that it is safe because it’s been used for a long time (like cigarettes?); they handpick biased allies to do “literature reviews” to ratify their position.

We emphasize our belief that you two Assistant Commissioners have tried to turn the Center on Devices to a new direction regarding mercury amalgam. But the recalcitrant Center on Devices remains – as it has been called in the title of a House committee report and in a Supreme Court opinion – “FDA’s Neglected Child.”

A 2006 Zogby poll shows 76% of American voters cannot identify the main component of amalgam. FDA – in league with pro-mercury dentists – refuses to correct the deceptive promotion of this device as “silver fillings.” FDA condemns mercury in virtually all other products – even banning mercury in all veterinary products. By blocking mercury products in animals but allowing it in children’s mouths and in pregnant women, the Senate could well ask the Commissioner whether FDA puts a higher priority on protecting horses than protecting children and unborn babies.

The Center on Devices is violating several federal statutes:

It refuses to classify encapsulated mercury amalgam, thus violating the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act;
To allow sales without classifying, the Center adopts a subterfuge system of deeming amalgam “substantially equivalent” to a non-mercury powder -- thus allowing sales of a device that is 50% mercury that no manufacturer has ever proved to be safe.

Ordered to do an independent review of the amalgam literature but determined not to allow the science to emerge, the Center violated the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) statute by handpicking an unqualified meetings planner as strawperson contractor, then directing that a consultant for Big Tobacco actually write the report – for which the Center provided a blueprint in advance!

The Center violates the National Environmental Policy Act by repeatedly refusing to do an Environmental Impact Statement on amalgam – America’s 3rd largest source of mercury.

Here is the latest: the Center is blocking a fair and balanced inquiry by the joint committee assigned to investigate amalgam’s neurotoxicity. On April 3, you ordered that a joint committee, on September 6 and 7, 2006, “review and discuss peer-reviewed scientific literature on dental amalgam and potential mercury toxicity, specifically as it relates to neurotoxic effects.” Those putting together the event – Chu Lin, Director of the Division of Anesthesiology, General Hospital, Infection Control, and Dental Devices; Mary Susan Runner, Director of the Dental Devices Branch; and Michael Adjodha, Executive Secretary, Dental Products Panel – are creating a one-sided presentation to promote their in-house position and to marginalize the independent scientists, the mercury-free dentists, and the consumers injured by mercury toxicity:
Ø They signed secret contracts with guest panelists whom they refuse to identify. Mr. Adjodha justifies this closed door because it is “FDA policy”; when questioned, he says the policy is not in writing and he refuses to say how he learned it. An oral policy? One that says FDA may sign secret contracts with unnamed persons to testify at a public meeting? Here is another example why you must stop the Center on Devices from controlling amalgam regulation.
Ø The program is intentionally one-sided – Lin, Runner, and Adjodha refuse to contract with any independent scientist who has researched mercury’s toxicity. By using government funds to bring forward only the Center’s position, they are biasing the panel by suggesting only their position is credible.
Ø All three key decision-makers – Dan Schultz, Director of the Center, Director Lin, and Director Runner – refuse to testify. Instead, they are delegating low-level staff (unidentified, of course) to give “background.” It’s time for accountability: those who uphold this policy disaster – Schultz, Lin, and Runner – must come before the panel and justify their actions.
Ø One invited speaker with government funds, Timothy DeRouen, calls into question FDA’s new policy on conflicts of interest with panels. DeRouen headed the highly controversial mercury experiment on Portuguese orphans, now under investigation by the Office of Human Research Protection for implanting mercury without disclosures and fuzzy clearance procedures for orphans. Long before writing the report, DeRouen was an outspoken proponent of mercury amalgam; he testified at a public hearing in Seattle in 2002 that amalgam is safe. Such manifest evidence of bias should have been cause to yank his contract.

Mercury amalgam policy at the Center on Devices could well be called “FDA’s Neglected Child’s Neglected Child.”

Sincerely,

Charles G. Brown
Consumers for Dental Choice

cc--at FDA: Daniel Schultz, Chu Lin, Michael Adjodha, Les Weinstein, Patricia Kuntze

cc--Senator Mike Enzi, Chairman; Senator Ted Kennedy, Ranking Member; and Senator Members, H.E.L.P. Committee

_________________________________________________________________________

Consumers for Dental Choice
1725 K St., N.W., Suite 511
Washington, DC 20006
Ph. 202.822-6307; fax 822-6309
www.toxicteeth.org
July 25, 2006

Mr. Michael E. Adjodha
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Food and Drug Administration -- via e-mail: Michael.Adjodha@fda.hhs.gov

Re: Requests, Hearings of September 6 and 7

Dear Mr. Adjodha:

In 2002, FDA’s Center on Devices promised an independent review of the mercury amalgam literature. Instead, Dr. Mary Susan Runner, conspiring with Lawrence Tabak and Norman Braveman at NIDCR, engineered the handpicked appointment of an unqualified meetings planner (BETAH Associates) as strawperson contractor, and a consultant for Big Tobacco (LSRO) to do a report to mirror a blueprint given them in advance by NIDCR and FDA officials. Drs. Tabak, Braveman, and Runner insisted that no one with research experience be on the panel. Even then, LSRO had to reverse the research question (from evidence of harm to proof of harm) to get the cleansing document this cabal requested. Because this secret procedure so clearly violated the Federal Acquisition Regulation statute, NIH Director Zerhouni appointed a national CPA firm to do an independent investigation – in sharp contrast to FDA, who continues to cite this study as a basis for its pro-amalgam policies while covering up the fact of this investigation.

From the start, we have feared a repeat of the same intrigue to undo the order of April 3. The public record suggests a major institutionalize interest to protect the position you have wrongly staked out: Dr. Dan Schultz, by his abject failure to supervise; Dr. Chu Lin, by his approval of mercury amalgam without proof of safety and without even warnings to children and pregnant women; you, whose e-mail answer to consumer Pam Floener fails to disclose that encapsulated mercury amalgam has never been classified); and Dr. Runner, who disseminates false information denying Health Canada’s warnings about pregnant women and children, and gives the ADA and California Dental Association a veto in your sham Consumer Updates on Amalgam. Answering solely to the pro-mercury faction of organized dentistry, the Center’s policy is the opposite of the way FDA addresses other mercury products -- hiding the mercury from the American public, and even proposing a rule in 2002 that warns about zinc in order not to warn about the mercury. Rather than being the Gold Standard, FDA’s Center on Devices remains, as a Congressional report cited in a Supreme Court opinion notes, “FDA’s Neglected Child.”

I am now informed that, for the upcoming public hearings, you granted special status to the creator of the mercury experiment on Portuguese orphans, a move suggesting you are working to bias any scientific inquiry. Timothy DeRouen and his team, who pocketed a multi-million dollar federal contract for an unscientific and unethical experiment on institutionalized Portuguese children, are under federal investigation by the Office of Human Research Protection. (Have you informed the Panel of this federal investigation of the DeRouen-Martin team?) It is likely that, when the data are sifted through (if DeRouen allows his data to be examined), that this experiment will be as discredited as the LSRO/BETAH deal. But the human cost of DeRouen’s personal aggrandizement is much worse: hundreds of Portuguese girls now have unnecessary mercury in their bodies, and some therefore will almost certainly have mercury-damaged babies. DeRouen, knowing that American children can sue after they reach adulthood, cleverly sought out the lowest rung of a semi-developed country – although someone should inform him that these girls/women, too, can go to U.S. courts after turning 18.

DeRouen also has conflicts of interest. (1) His partner in this taxpayer boondoggle is Michael Martin, who sits on the ADA Council of Scientific Affairs. (2) DeRouen went on record at a public hearing, way back in 2002, testifying that mercury fillings are safe, long before analyzing the data, a decision that was criticized even by his handpicked toxicologist, James Wood. Clearly, Martin and DeRouen were sought out by the pro-amalgam dentists inside the federal government because they were already known advocates of mercury fillings. Are you going to ignore this week’s FDA pronouncements about conflicts of interest?

Have you assembled the panel we discussed this spring, one focused on mercury-free dentistry? Your proposed 2002 rule, with no evidence, concludes that the benefits of mercury fillings outweigh their risks. The truth is, No benefits exist for mercury fillings. Modern dentists won’t use them. They cause mercury toxicity. They cause teeth to crack later – indeed, the fact they cause lifetime employment for dentists is a major reason the ADA endorses their use. So let’s put the benefits v. risks of amalgam out for public debate, instead of secretly making unsubstantiated assertions.

You stated in our one conversation that you want staff to make a presentation. We support this, only if staff will answer questions about its past and current decisions. Staff needs to answer why they assembled the notorious LSRO/BETAH deal, why they have false information about Sweden and Health Canada in Consumer Updates, why they provide deceptive information about amalgam research to Capitol Hill, why they refuse to give warnings, and why they refuse to classify mercury amalgam as a Class III. If your idea instead is to parade staff at the start to repeat the Center’s rhetoric that this mercury being different, then refuse to answer questions about the continuing wrongdoings, it’s clear the cover-up is continuing.

Consumers for Dental Choice has six requests.

(1) Remove DeRouen’s “guest speaker” status, or give equal status to a rebuttal: With the controversy over this experiment, DeRouen does not merit this privileged status. But if you won’t remove it (e.g., if you have already promised this favor to the ADA), then provide equal status (guest speaker) and equal time to Professor Boyd Haley to rebut an experiment in no way justifies the continued use of mercury fillings. If you won’t even do that, it’s clear where this entire hearing is proceeding. (If you are thinking of bringing in the ADA’s favorite scientist, Thomas Clarkson, be forewarned that he is a paid consultant to the #1 manufacturer of mercury fillings, and would violate your rules about undisclosed conflicts.)

(2) Assemble a panel of dentists to discuss the issue of whether mercury fillings have any benefits. Yes, this is quite relevant, because the question for the Panel is weighing advantages vs. risks. Bring in your friends from the ADA as well as mercury-free dentists. In a public forum, no honest dentist will be able to say mercury fillings are needed. The sole advantage these days is dental convenience and dental profits.

(3) Invite qualified independent scientists – those who aren’t salivating after NIDCR/FDA million-dollar contracts. Many independent scientists have researched this field. You can invite Professor Vascken Aposhian of the University of Arizona, Professor James Adams of the University of Arizona, Dr. Murray Vimy of the University of Calgary, Professor Fritz Lorscheider (retired, now in South Carolina); or a plethora of scientists from other continents – e.g., Professor Chang of Taiwan or Dr. Maths Berlin of Sweden. These are people that FDA continues to pretend do not exist, doing studies that FDA facilely claims they are not aware of. Previous FOIA requests show that when this information is brought to the attention of Mary Susan Runner, she ignores it. Instead, FDA contracts only with known amalgam advocates, often those with de minimis credentials.

(4) Release the memoranda you are giving the panel. Since the Center is deceiving the public, we would be naïve to think you are not likewise trying to deceive the Panel. Show your good faith by releasing, now, the memoranda and correspondence to the two panels. Dr. Lin told me to file a FOIA, knowing that this request can be stonewalled until long after the hearing. For example, FDA’s Center of Devices sat on records for three years, until the day before our meeting with Assistant Commissioner Lutter and Assistant Commissioner Brodsky (and even then withheld records, because we have subsequently found responsive documents via other channels).

(5) Allow me to speak. I will need 20 minutes to educate the panel about the misinformation the staff has been providing them and the public for the past two decades, to the fact that FDA is partner to the ADA in withholding from the American public that the fillings are mainly mercury, and that the Center on Devices takes a position on mercury devices at odds with FDA policies that ban even mercury in veterinary products.

(6) Bring Dr. Schultz, Dr. Lin, and Dr. Runner before the panel. Have them explain (a) why they won’t classify amalgam, (b) why they won’t warn the public about the mercury (instead proposing in 2002 to warn about zinc!), (c) why they won’t require proof of safety like FDA does for other mercury products, (d) why they provide fewer protection to children and unborn children from mercury than FDA does for animals, and (e) why they engineered or tolerated the BETAH/LSRO deal instead of an independent literature review.
Sincerely,

Charles G. Brown

2006-07-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Recent Amalgam Study on Portuguese School Children

This is a recent study that has gotten some national and regional attention. It was sponsored in part at the University of Washington, which is why it is significant to the Seattle area. Basically the study was conducted in Portugal on school age children. The investigators provided amalgam fillings to children and than followed them with a battery of neurological tests and progress in school. They concluded that there was no impairment of IQ or school grades or neurological function after a period of years in the study subjects who received amalgam fillings in teeth, but they acknowleged an increase in mercury excretion in urine samples taken on study subjects. It is my opinion that this finding alone is cause for alarm and has many implications. Firstly, mercury is well known to accumulate in body tissues and not be observed in baseline unchallenged urine samples. The fact it was noted in these children implies that there is a much higher level of contamination in the body. It is further well documented that mercury at low levels in the body can and does cause damage to organ fuction and immune function among other things. It has a long list of neurological symptoms some of which were not tested for in this study. Furthermore it is well understood that children are far more sensitive as growing organisms to toxins like mercury, than adults and it is appalling to me to see that these children have been subjected to the a potent toxin like mercury. There is no guarantee that this exposure to mercury will in fact have no long term health implications in these children. The very nature of mercury being persistent and widespread throughout body tissues leaves a range of uncertain possible consequences.
Mercury in dental fillings said to be safe
Studies show amalgam fillings don't harm children as they age
By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay for Gannett News Service
Traditional amalgam dental fillings containing mercury are safe for school-age children, two new studies find.

The safety of such materials has long been debated, and the two studies are significant because they are the first-ever randomized clinical trials to evaluate the fillings' safety in a head-to-head comparison with resin (tooth-colored) fillings, which do not contain mercury. They were to be presented at the International Association for Dental Research's annual meeting, which opened June 28 in Brisbane, Australia.

One study, first published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was conducted in the United States and the other in Europe. Both reached the same conclusion: Amalgam fillings, which contain mercury, are not associated with neurological or kidney problems as children age.

But the studies still leave unanswered the safety of dental fillings in children younger than age 6, because those studied were all 6 or older when the follow-up began, said the experts.

Still, the findings are as solid an answer as parents are likely to get for a while, said one researcher.

"I would say to include amalgam as one of the materials to consider for restoring large cavities in molars," said Tim DeRouen, director of the Comprehensive Center for Oral Health Research at the University of Washington in Seattle, and the lead author of the Portugal-based study. "Unless you have reason to believe that you have an unusual reaction to mercury, you should not have to worry about health risks from the small amount of mercury exposure from dental amalgam," he said.

The U.S.-based study was led by David Bellinger, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. His team followed the health of 534 children, ages 6 to 10 years at the start of the study. Half of the children received an amalgam filling, and the other half received resin composite fillings. The researchers tracked five-year changes in full-scale IQ scores as the primary outcome of the study. The children had a mean of 15 tooth surfaces restored during the five-year follow-up.

In the Portugal study, conducted for seven years in Lisbon, the researchers tracked 507 children, ages 8 to 10 years old at the beginning of the trial. Again, the researchers assigned half to the amalgam and half to the resin composite filling group. They focused on tests of memory, concentration, coordination and attention. The children had a mean of 18.7 tooth surfaces restored in the amalgam group and 21.3 in the composite group.

In both studies, researchers found no significant differences between the amalgam and resin groups in terms of detectable loss of intelligence, memory, coordination or concentration. The U.S. trial also compared kidney function between the two groups and found no differences.

DeRouen said the new data "represents the only evidence about the issue to come from randomized clinical trials, the highest-quality research design that can be used to address the issue. They are expensive and take years to complete, so it isn't like there will be more (of the same type of studies) in the foreseeable future."

DeRouen said that fillings that contain mercury could pose a problem for people allergic to mercury. However, according to the American Dental Association, fewer than 100 cases of such allergies have ever been reported.

Bellinger acknowledged that the two studies don't include children under 6 years of age. "As far as I am aware, there are not studies of the effects of dental amalgam in children younger than six," he said.

"These are both important, controlled trials," said Dr. James Crall, chairman of pediatric dentistry at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry. "The results are consistent across both studies. They both showed some slight elevation in mercury levels (in the urine of the amalgram groups) over the seven years of the study but no significant differences in outcome measurements that related to neuropsychological outcomes (such as memory, concentration and other skills)."

While he, too, is not aware of any published studies of amalgam fillings in children under age 6, in baby teeth, he said, the exposure is short-term by definition, as the baby teeth drop out by age 8 or 9.

2006-05-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

How we use temporaries to get a great finished result in smile design

This cosmetic case shows how we use the temporaries to change or improve the final outcome of a cosmetic case. In this first picture the patient presented with concerns about the gap between the front teeth and also the lack of display of the teeth when smiling. She also wanted a brighter smile. In planning her case we presented her with eight upper veneers. We also used a laser to release a frenum that was holding her lip down somwhat. I took multiple photos and impressions for a diagnostic wax up to be able to preview the result the day of preparation.

This photo is after the temporary veneers are in place. The upper lip is slightly more lifted, but the lower lip has an unusual asymmetry that drops down to the patient's right in the photo. Seeing this allowed my lab to lengthen the right side somewhat and fill in more of this space to yield more symmetry to the lower lip and the teeth.

This is the final result and you can see the difference between the temporaries and the final veneers. The right side is now longer and fills in the space and is more harmonious with the lower lip. The correction made after viewing the temporaries was a big improvement and is one reason why temporaries made from a custom precision wax up are so important in getting great results.
SD Buck DDS

2006-05-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

Typical Presentation of Amalgam Damaging Tooth Structure

This case is very representative of an old mercury filling or amalgam that has caused significant structural damage the surrounding tooth. You will notice that this filling is a relatively small size, and yet it is apparent that multiple radial cracks are emanating from the amalgam. The deep discoloration is a sign that leakage has occurred under the surface and decay is now present. The repair will require a great amount of additional removal of tooth structure in order to bring the tooth back to health. This is caused by the expansion of the amalgam over time that weakens the tooth and causes fractures. Additionally, the amalgam doesn't seal to the tooth and bacteria leak under the surface at varying rates, which irritates the nerve and leads to decay. In my experience placing composite fillings over the last seventeen years, I do not see this type of damage occurring from well placed composite fillings, and I am now seeing 15-17 year old composites still holding up well without the cracking and leaking I see routinely from amalgam. Another reason we do not use amalgam.

2006-05-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

Cosmetic Dental Case of the Month
This case shows some of the design features incorporated into smile design that we use in our
office. Dr. Buck will complete a smile evaluation process that takes into account over thirty different parameters that compose a beautiful smile. Most patients think cosmetic dentistry is all about white teeth! There is so much more that goes into creating a pleasing and beautiful smile in the arena of design. We take this very seriously and this is why Dr. Buck is so committed to LVI ( Las Vegas Institute) where the best and most complete training in cosmetic dentistry is carried out. This case demonstrates the problem of smile line/lip line discrepancy. In the ideal esthetic position the upper incisors will fill the space within the lip and follow the gentle curvature of the lower lip. If through wear or trauma or a damaged bite, the incisors are short there will develop a disparity between the curve line of the lower lip and the line of the anterior upper teeth. See below the pre-operative condition shows this problem in a 50 year old woman. This problem makes the smile and the face look much older. We created 4 porcelain veneers to give this dramatic result and the patient was thrilled!

When the case is completed the upper anterior teeth now follow the curve of the lower lip and the face and smile appear much more youthful. Regardless of the color change, this single design change alone gives the patient a much more appealing smile

2006-05-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

My office has been carefully ordered to allow for maximal comfort and relaxation. Many amenities are available for our guests. Included above is our refreshment area complete with bottled water, juice, fresh coffee, herbal tea and snacks
The consultation room is private with a large plasma screen for viewing of digital photos
The treatment rooms are equipped with digital music and on demand programming for movies and tv, or a favorite DVD. Bose noise reduction headphones soften drill noise. Chairs have been fitted with tempurpedic pads for maximal comfort and support. Aromatherapy, heated neck pillows, dark sunglasses and lip moisturizer all help make treatment more comfortable. For longer more complex appointments we offer sedation and limo service for transportation to and from your home. State of the art equipment is used for your safety and the highest level of care including micro anesthesia techniques; lasers; micromotor electric handpieces; intraoral digital photography; digital filmless xrays; optical Difoti imaging for decay without radiation; plasma screen for viewing and education; full digital charting; sterile bottled water systems and full sterile equipment protocol.
Our reception area has been designed to feel like a fireside study with a fireplace and leather couch and soft lighting. All five senses are engaged to help with relaxation, including carefully chosen aromatherapy; the sound of softly falling water; candles; high fidelity digital soft music; a delightful beverage/snack bar; overstuffed chairs; furniture and bookshelves found in a fine home
We are 2 minutes from I-5 above downtown in a residential area with on site parking. We are on ground floor level with no stairs or elevators. Being centrally located and close to I-5 without the inconvenience of travelling dowtown is preferred by many.
SD Buck DDS

2006-05-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to Dr. Buck's blog. I hope to share with you more detailed information about the services we provide and deeper insight into the leading edge technology we employ at my office. I will share cases and provide information in the areas of holistic dentistry, neuromuscular dentistry and cosmetic dentistry. I will update you on events and happenings within the office as well. Enjoy!
SD Buck DDS

2006-05-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

We just returned from the World Famous Las Vegasd Institute as a team. We studied neuromuscular occlusion. I wanted my team to have a deeper level of knowledge in this important area. I assisted in teaching the course and it was a great bonding experience for the whole office. Of course we saw the sights and took in a show and some excellent food as well. Here are a few pictures of our adventure.
SD Buck DDS