Holistic
Holistic dentistry focuses on oral health in connection with overall well-being, considering the body as a whole system for treatment.
At Bangalow holistic dentist
In order to keep up-to-date and to always provide you with the safest, most effective, biological dental treatments and biocompatible products available, we are members of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT).
Are you aware that mercury, fluoride and untreated gum disease can pose risks to your health?
Please go to the IAOMT website and learn about these matters in their science-based position papers which are heavily researched and cited.
Mercury Amalgam Filling Removals
At Bangalow Holistic Dentist we use rigorous safety measures when removing mercury amalgam fillings. To protect you and to protect the environment, we are SMART certified (Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique), adhering to the highest standard given by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.
As a pioneer of holistic dentistry, Dr Cluer has not placed a mercury amalgam filling in a tooth for nearly 30 years. If you have silver fillings in your teeth, they will be mercury amalgam, which means approximately 50% mercury combined with other metals. Sometimes they’re hidden beneath crowns.
At your request, we can remove your mercury fillings and replace them with biocompatible, tooth-coloured, composite fillings or ceramic restorations, or provide you with other options if applicable.
If you’re considering mercury amalgam removals, book in for an initial consultation, at which time we’ll discuss diet, nutritional support, and the sequence and timing of removal for each tooth. Please remember, the removal of mercury amalgam fillings is a specialised field which requires highly protective measures and nutritional support for your body. Choose your dentist wisely.
- Each mercury amalgam filling is approximately 50% mercury, plus a mixture of silver, copper, tin, and sometimes zinc.
- Mercury can escape from the fillings, in fact, it is continuously emitted, absorbed and retained in the body – in the brain, liver, lung, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract, in particular.
- Mercury is a neurotoxin.
- Any amount of mercury taken into the body should be considered hazardous. Exposure, even in tiny amounts, is toxic and can lead to significant health risks and adverse effects.
- Certain factors can intensify the output of mercury from an amalgam filling, such as chewing food, consuming hot drinks, brushing, grinding of the teeth and the number of fillings in the mouth.
- Dental amalgam is a major contributor to environmental mercury pollution. Causes include waste water from dental clinics, human waste, cremation and burials.
- High levels of mercury vapour are found inside and outside some dental clinics
The 2003 Executive Summary of the 1991 World Health Organisation Environmental Health Criteria 118 states that the daily intake of elemental mercury from amalgam fillings is 1–27 ug per day, and they deem this to be a potentially significant source of exposure.
In a 2005 report, the WHO states: “Recent studies suggest that mercury may have no threshold below which some adverse effects do not occur.” [iaomt.org]
In order to provide the public with the facts and to dispel the myths surrounding dental mercury, the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology has put together some easy-to-read articles and videos. These are science-based and thoroughly researched and cited.
Are you growing increasingly concerned about your old amalgam fillings?
When you visit Bangalow Holistic Dentist for mercury amalgam removal, we will be following the SMART protocol. SMART protects you, our staff, and the environment, from harmful mercury vapour and particles, which are released at increased levels when mercury amalgam fillings are removed from the teeth.
What is SMART?
The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology has developed a set of safety recommendations for mercury amalgam filling removals. This protocol is known as SMART – Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique.
These extensive safety recommendations and protective measures are in addition to the traditional removal techniques (such as masks, high volume suction and water irrigation).
SMART protective measures include:
- Non-latex nitrile dental dam placed in the mouth and properly sealed
- High volume air filtration system – even for only one filling – to remove mercury vapour and amalgam particles
- Protective gown as substantial quantities of mercury particles are not collected by suction devices
- Windows open to reduce mercury concentration in the air
- Properly maintained and installed amalgam separator to ensure waste is not released into effluent from clinic
- Charcoal, chlorella or similar absorbent for patient to rinse with and swallow before procedure, unless contraindicated or declined by patient
- External air or oxygen via nasal mask or cannula, so no mercury vapour is inhaled during procedure
- Amalgam sectioned and removed in the largest chunks possible using a particular drill
These are some of the protective measure we adhere to at Bangalow Holistic Dentist. We’re sure you’re getting the picture that we take mercury amalgam filling removals seriously! You can find out more about the SMART protocols here:
Please note: Amalgam filling removal is not recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding women.
Dr Cluer is SMART certified for your safety
Dentists who have obtained SMART certification from the IAOMT have completed coursework and tests related to mercury and the safe removal of amalgam fillings.
If you live in or around Byron Bay, Lismore, or Ballina you won’t have to travel far. Our dental clinic is in the beautiful Northern Rivers township of Bangalow, NSW. Make an appointment online using our convenient booking system.
After many years of research and experience in the field of mercury amalgam filling removals, we have chosen to recommend a comprehensive, advanced, and sophisticated mercury detoxification system from Quicksilver Scientific. By taking these supplements as directed, you’re giving your body the best possible chance of successful detoxification.
Our bodies have their own detox systems so why do we give supplements?
Although the body does have its own inherent detoxification systems, disruptions to such systems are caused by exposure to things such as pesticides, chemicals, and mercury in amalgam fillings. Correct nutritional supplementation will target, support and maximize the natural detoxification systems of your body.
Here is a simple and clear explanation, including the three fundamental conditions required for successful detoxification of mercury and other heavy metals: https://www.quicksilverscientific.com/detoxification
To support the body’s natural processes of elimination, there are two sets of products that we generally recommend. Depending on number of fillings to be removed, your age, health status and other factors, one of these should be right for you:
A complex system called The Detox Qube®
A simple system called Merprotect.
Quicksilver Scientific’s Detox Qube® is a complex and comprehensive protocol and kit of supplementary products containing the necessary elements to support cellular and systemic elimination of mercury when having all your amalgam fillings removed. It consists of four core Quicksilver Scientific products:
- Liposomal Glutathione
- Liposomal Vitamin C with R-Lipoic Acid
- Clear Way Cofactors
- IMD Intestinal Cleanse
Read about the Detox Qube® (scroll down for a comprehensive explanation):
Quicksilver’s Merprotect is a simple, one week protocol and product. This is an option for patients who have fewer fillings and consequently less mercury for the body to deal with. You’ll need to be in good health to consider this option.
Read about Merprotect here:
If you are considering removal of your amalgam fillings, you must understand the importance of effective detoxification, as with an inefficient detox there can be risks which include re-absorbtion of mercury into the tissues of your body, and overload or stress on the detoxification organs.
If you wish, we can arrange a test (Mercury Tri Test) to determine your initial levels of mercury and retest after you have had them removed to see how well you have detoxed.
We understand that getting your mercury amalgam fillings removed and replaced is a big decision – a financial commitment and also adherence to a dietary and supplementation program. Please call Bangalow Holistic Dentist or come in for a consultation with Dr Cluer to discuss mercury amalgam filling removals and the detoxification-support options available to you. We will work with you to meet your personal needs and any budget requirements, i.e., design a removal program (timetable) and detoxification system that you can afford.
Gum disease
Gum disease affects 60 – 70% of the adult population. It is an infectious disease, initially caused by a build-up of plaque. The infective pathogens include bacteria, parasites and funguses.
Gum disease is the early stage of gum disease, in which there is reddening and bleeding of the gums. This can usually be reversed with daily brushing (using correct technique and product with 1% hydrogen peroxide), flossing, and a professional clean with our dentist or dental hygienist.
If gum disease is left untreated, it can lead to a more severe form of gum disease called Periodontitis. The gum pulls away from the tooth and forms a space known as a “periodontal pocket”. In an even more advanced form, teeth can move, or you could lose a tooth.
If you are clinically diagnosed with periodontal disease, we will offer you a microbiological analysis using a phase contrast microscope. Our treatment aims to eliminate the pathogens over a 4 – 6 months period of monthly visits to the dentist. When there’s enough structural support, and if the tooth hasn’t been damaged by root planing, this method, called the Bonner Method, has a 96% success rate.