Six Child Behavior Problems Triggered By Sleep Issues –

Getting your child to sleep can be challenging. With so many distractions nowadays, it’s easy for kids to lose track of time and lose sleep.  A study reveals that lack of sleep affects every aspect of children’s functioning and well-being. Behavioral changes are the most noticeable effects of insufficient sleep.

What are the behavioral effects caused by sleep problems?

Aggression

Children who snore or experience long pauses in breathing during sleep are more likely to develop behavioral issues.  Researchers found that 40% of children with breathing problems while sleeping develop behavioral problems. Aggression is one of those behavioral issues.

Parents of kids who show aggressive and disruptive behaviors often seek the assistance of counselors or therapists. However, these unwanted behaviors might not stem from social or psychological issues. Sleep problems may be the culprit behind your child’s aggression.

Anxiety

Anxiety is another behavioral problem that kids show when they have sleep issues. Sleep problems may lead to anxiety in children and teens and aggravate anxiety symptoms. Sleep deprivation impacts how kids and teens react to stress. Moreover, it intensifies anxiety symptoms including headaches, nausea, and sleepiness.

If your children show symptoms of anxiety, check their sleeping habits. It will help you understand the issue and get appropriate treatment. If sleep problems cause their anxiety, seek assistance from a professional such as a dentist specializing in sleep disorders.

Irritability

Small children, like toddlers, who cannot talk yet will let you know that there is something wrong whenever they act fussy and irritable. If your child feels more irritable than usual, it is already a sign that something is wrong.

When a child gets fussy, that can be because of inadequate sleep. Insufficient sleep can cause inattention and irritability on a short-term basis. To check, help your child to get sufficient sleep. Usually, irritability disappears after getting enough sleep.

Impulsivity

Impulsivity may be your child’s reaction to sleep deprivation. Adults and children have different responses when it comes to sleepiness. Adults feel sluggish when tired. Children have the need to overcompensate and speed up. They feel explosive and hyperactive when experiencing sleep problems.

Moreover, sleep problems have links to ADHD. About 50% of children with ADHD also show signs of sleep-disordered breathing. For a child with ADHD, poor or little sleep may aggravate their symptoms. As a result, the child can be impulsive.

Inattentiveness

Inattentive kids might be suffering from sleep issues. ADHD is often misdiagnosed in children with sleep problems. We also know that the primary characteristics of ADHD are inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactive behavior. It should be obvious, therefore that sleep problems can create inattentiveness.

Children who have sleep problems often experience difficulties sitting still in class. They need constant attention from their teachers. They also tend to talk out of turn or daydream whenever given instructions. Because of their inattentiveness, they cannot do school tasks and give up.

Defiance

A child with sleep problems can display Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) symptoms.

Children with ODD are often rebellious, hostile, and non-cooperative. These kids behave impolitely and wildly. They can bring bitterness and negativity to everyone around them.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is often caused by social and biological factors. However, sleep problems could also be a risk factor. Not having enough sleep will cause a child to develop symptoms of ODD. They will become crankier, more argumentative, and more defiant.

5 Ways Snoring Can Suffocate Your Marriage –

After marriage, most couples dream of drifting off together and enjoying a peaceful night’s sleep. Unfortunately, reality paints a different picture.

Statistics show that almost 30% of marriages suffer because of snoring. If they attempt to deal with the problem, the snoring spouse would feel dragged to the doctor and is often resentful. On the other hand, the spouse that must listen to the snoring feels tired and frustrated.  If it weren’t for their bed partner, most snorers would not even know that they have a problem.

Both the snorer and the bed partner suffer from sleep loss due to snoring. Other than lack of sleep, what are the other ways snoring can suffocate your marriage?

1. Heightened Stress Levels

According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 39% of American adults get less than seven hours of sleep every night. 1 out of 3 people from that 39% is so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities. The spouse is reportedly losing 1 to 3 hours of sleep every night because of restless sleep from the sound of the partner snoring.

Sleep deprivation can result in irritability, difficulty with memory and concentration, and daytime sleepiness. The resulting emotional state may contribute in the bickering between the husband and the wife, creating a more stressful environment at home.

2. Additional Marriage Complaints

Couples who have a partner suffering from snoring and sleep apnea have higher divorce rates according to a study from The Sleep Disorder Center at Rush University Medical Center. Married couples who are in this situation have a reduced quality of married life and a higher rate of marital dissatisfaction. People with snoring issues and their spouses often find themselves resentful and angry toward each other. In some cases, snoring may be used by the non-snorer to start or fuel an argument.

3. Significantly Reduced Intimacy

One reason why couples sleep separately is because of marital problems and domestic disputes. A lot of marriages ending in divorce start with sleeping in two separate rooms. Snoring is a common reason why married couples sleep in different beds. About 35% of married couples sleep in separate rooms due to snoring.  The non-snorer may get sufficient sleep at night at the expense of the marriage’s intimacy.

4. Additional Financial Constraints Due to Health Concerns

Snoring occurs more often in men and those who are overweight. It also tends to get worse as people age and is often a sign of sleep apnea. Snoring may not always be a serious health concern. However, it’s a different case if you are a habitual snorer and you disrupt the sleep of your bed partner including yourself. Snoring is related to many health risk factors. A study published in March 2008 entitled “Journal of Sleep” revealed that loud snorers have a 40% risk to suffer from high blood pressure, a 34% risk to have a heart attack and a 67% greater chance of stroke. Other than sleep apnea, snoring can cause several problems including:

• Heart disease
• Increased risk of stroke
• Arrhythmia
• Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Injuries
• Mental health issues
• Headache
• Diabetes
• Depression

When left untreated, undiagnosed sleep apnea comes with a $30 billion-a-year price tag from increased health care and medication costs.

5. Increased Risks of Injury or Death

It might sound a little extreme but snoring due to sleep apnea may cause injury or death. If you and your partner lose sleep because of this condition, it is important to realize the potential dangers posed by this sleep disorder.

The journal “Sleep” found that people with severe sleep apnea have a higher risk of dying prematurely because of health issues. Another study conducted by the Yale Center for Sleep Medicine with more than 1,000 participants found that sleep apnea increases the risk of stroke or death.

Sleep apnea can also cause fatigue which results in excessive daytime sleepiness and slower reaction times. These can cause work-related injuries, medication mistakes, falls, and accidents. Lack of sleep due to snoring can also cause a person to fall asleep during inopportune times like driving a car or operating heavy machinery which can contribute to auto accidents.

Snoring Treatment Options

There are several different snoring remedies that work:

Somnoplasty

This is a procedure to create lesions where a needle is placed on the surface of the throat tissue by the surgeon while applying low-power energy. The method is designed to end snoring by preventing the throat muscles from vibrating when air flows by.

Pilar Procedure

The surgery involves small rods made from polyester, 18mm by 2mm in size. The doctor places these rods just beneath the surface of soft palate tissues. Similar to somnoplasty, the muscles will harden and stop the vibrations from occurring. This treatment costs around $1,000 to $2,500 per session.

Safe, Gentle, and Effective Laser Snoring Treatment

This non-surgical approach is the latest in the line of dental treatments. A mild laser light is used to tighten and lift the soft palate. The result is an increased airway opening and a reduction in snoring. It is a relatively painless procedure and requires no needles or anesthesia.

Studies have shown that this laser treatment has a 97% success rate in reducing snoring. Typically, treatment requires three 30-minute sessions over six weeks.

To pursue this option, contact a dental sleep specialist.

Four Compelling Reasons to Never Ignore Snoring –

Most people see snoring as nothing more than a nuisance. However, the reality is that it poses a grave threat to your health and well-being. About 40 percent of adult males and 24 percent of adult females are habitual snorers. Most of them suffer from various medical, social, and psychological complaints and are unaware that snoring may be to blame.

If you or someone you know snores, here are some important reasons why you should find out what’s going on.

Snoring Disrupts Your Natural Sleep Cycle

If you’re a habitual snorer, you probably wake up countless times each night. It’s even more likely that you don’t remember waking up. You may think that these sleep interruptions are harmless. However, it is quite the opposite.

About half of the 90 million people who snore in the U.S. have sleep-disrupted breathing. You may be among this group. If so, your snoring will most likely occur during REM sleep. This is when you are most likely to be dreaming. Awakening here will disrupt your REM cycle.

Ordinary snoring without breathing interruptions occurs most in stage 3. This is the deepest stage of sleep. Awakening here will disrupt your deep sleep.

During REM sleep and deep sleep, the brain flushes out waste, organizes neural connections, and restores itself. Soring during these times will disrupt these important brain functions. This disrupted sleep can significantly affect how you feel and perform when you’re awake.

Snoring Contributes to Vehicular Accidents

Snoring and sleep interruptions reduce the amount and quality of sleep. Therefore, you miss out on the rejuvenating effects of deep sleep. As a result, you may feel tired or drowsy throughout the day.

Feeling fatigued might not only reduce your performance. It can also lead to unintended periods of sleep at inopportune moments like behind the wheel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studied sleep-related auto accidents. They estimate that driver fatigue is a direct cause of over 100,000 crashes each year. These are conservative numbers because it is difficult to link auto accidents with sleepiness.

If you’re a snorer and you feel tired most of the time even if you’re getting the required hours of sleep, it is best that you get yourself checked as soon as possible.

Snoring Kills Intimacy in Relationships

More often than not, bed partners of snorers suffer from adverse health effects of sleep deprivation. It’s not unusual for them to develop feelings of resentment and anger toward their snoring spouse. When confronted with the snoring issue, snorers often deny the problem, which just makes matters worse. If your bed partner is a habitual snorer, you have probably considered sleeping in a separate bedroom. You are not alone in doing so. This dynamic may contribute to the decision of 35 percent of married couples who sleep in separate bedrooms because of snoring.

Sleeping in separate bedrooms does not solve the issue. So, if your bed partner is a habitual snorer, you both should consider getting professional help.

Snoring Serves as a Warning for Serious Health Concerns

Snoring may be more than a nuisance; it could be an alarm for pressing health issues. If you’re a long-time, chronic snorer, check if you have the following symptoms:

• Waking in the middle of the night gasping for air
• Struggling to stay awake during the day
• Falling asleep unintentionally
• Waking up in the morning groggy
• Becoming more and more unproductive

If you have these symptoms in addition to loud snoring, you might be suffering from sleep apnea. This disorder is a chronic health issue in the United States.

By definition, sleep apnea is a disorder marked by very shallow breathing and repeated interruptions in your breathing while sleeping. The condition deprives the body of oxygen which can result in other chronic diseases, such as:

Diabetes

Sleep apnea sufferers often have diabetes as well. The American Thoracic Society investigated 8,500 participants in 2014 and confirmed the link between obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes.

Cardiac Arrest

People with obstructive sleep apnea are more prone to sudden death by cardiac arrest. In 2013, The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute tracked over 10,000 Americans diagnosed with sleep apnea. Over a five years period, 142 participants died of sudden cardiac arrest.  Those who died shared three common predictors: age of 60 or older, oxygen saturation of less than 78 percent when sleeping, and over 20 episodes of breathing or shallow breathing per hour when sleeping.

These two studies indicate that snoring may be the body’s call for help because of life-threatening health issues.

Conclusion: Reasons to Never Ignore Snoring

Although you can dismiss snoring as an annoyance, this article has shown that it harms the snorer’s physical and mental well-being. More importantly, you should never ignore snoring. This “annoyance” may be your body calling for help due to an underlying severe and possibly fatal health problem. Seek diagnosis and treatment using the best snoring aids that can eliminate your snoring.

High Fluoride Levels May Affect Young Kids’ IQ

By Tony Edwards, editor in chief of DrBcuspid.com
September 19, 2017 — Does a high level of prenatal fluoride exposure affect children’s cognitive function? What about their brain development after birth?

Fluoride in the urine of pregnant women showed a correlation with lower measures of intelligence in their children, according to a new study that focused on women and children from Mexico (Environmental Health Perspectives, September 19, 2017). The researchers found that an increase in maternal urine fluoride of 0.5 mg/L predicted lower scores on two scales that measure intelligence. However, they cautioned that fluoride seems to have no effect on brain development after birth.

“Our study shows that the growing fetal nervous system may be adversely affected by higher levels of fluoride exposure,” stated Howard Hu, MD, MPH, ScD, the study’s principal investigator and a professor of environmental health, epidemiology, and global health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto in Canada. “It also suggests that the prenatal nervous system may be more sensitive to fluoride compared to that of school-aged children.”

Neurocognitive development

While community water systems are not fluoridated in Mexico, people who live there are exposed to fluoride via fluoridated salt (250 parts per million [ppm] or mg/L), toothpaste, and fluoride that occurs naturally in drinking water.

The researchers wanted to see if prenatal exposure to fluoride was associated in any way with the neurocognitive development of children.

Using data from the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) project, they obtained complete data on 299 mother-child pairs. The study included data from 287 pairs with General Cognitive Index (GCI) of the McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities at age 4 and 211 pairs with full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) data.

They analyzed urine samples from these study participants and found that the mean fluoride levels measured in 299 mothers was 0.90 mg/L, while the children’s fluoride level was 0.82 mg/L. As maternal urine fluoride levels increased 0.5 mg/L, this corresponded to lower GCI and IQ scores for their children, the study authors reported. The researchers also considered factors such as maternal education, tobacco use, age, and others.

“Higher prenatal exposure to fluoride was associated with lower GCI scores in children at approximately 4 years old and with lower full-scale IQ scores at 6 to 12 years old,” the authors wrote. “Estimates from adjusted linear regression models suggest that mean GCI and IQ scores were about 3 and 2.5 points lower in association with a 0.5 mg/L increase in prenatal exposure, respectively.”

Not apples to apples

The authors cautioned that their findings needed to be confirmed in other populations and additional research studies.

They noted that the urinary fluoride levels in pregnant women in their study were somewhat higher than urinary fluoride levels found in nonpregnant general populations in Canada and the U.S., but they were within the general range of such levels.

“However, our findings, combined with evidence from existing animal and human studies, reinforce the need for additional research on potential adverse effects of fluoride, particularly in pregnant women and children, and to ensure that the benefits of population-level fluoride supplementation outweigh any potential risks,” they concluded.

Pediatric dentist Johnny Johnson Jr., DMD, president of the American Fluoridation Society, said the study added to the knowledge of fluoride from other countries but was not a direct comparison to U.S. intentionally fluoridated water systems.

“This study adds to the knowledge base that we have on fluoride from other countries,” Dr. Johnson wrote DrBicuspid.com in an email interview. “However, it is not an apples-to-apples comparison to intentionally fluoridated water as we have here in the U.S.”

The community water fluoridation in the U.S. is set at 0.7 ppm, which is significantly lower than the levels of fluoride in fluoridated salt, he noted. The fluoride levels of fluoridated salt are set to provide a daily intake of fluoride that would be equivalent to if the water were fluoridated, according to Dr. Johnson. Intake from this salt cannot be controlled like it is with community water fluoridation, he stated.

“Intakes of fluoride in Mexico come from fluoridated salt (100 to 250 ppm), natural fluoride levels in the drinking water, toothpastes, and potentially from fluoride supplements, which are available over the counter in Mexico,” Dr. Johnson wrote. “The level of fluoride in the water is not regularly monitored and has been shown to contain fluoride at low levels up to twice that of what is in fluoridated water in the U.S. (0.15 to 1.38 ppm).”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiCyPtPKBJ4

This is a 5-minute video with Charlie Brown at Consumers for Dental Choice on The Mission of Consumers for Dental Choice which appeared at the Campaign for Mercury-Free Dentistry website

Why does this government agency whose job is to protect all the citizens of this county, continue to ignore the dangers of mercury amalgam – Especially in our children?

This article is from Dr. Mercola’s website.

Story at-a-glance

• To protect all children from mercury exposure, the European Union in 2018 will ban dental amalgam for children under 15 and for pregnant and breast-feeding women — action considered to be the first step toward phasing out amalgam for everyone
• The pro-corporate U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) puts industry profits above children’s health, allowing amalgam, which is 50 percent mercury, in children in any amounts and without warnings
• Leading the mercury-free campaign, and leading the charge to end-play FDA into action, are Consumers for Dental Choice. I believe deeply in this cause and for seven years I have donated substantially to help this nonprofit group with its mission
• Through August 27, I will match all donations to Consumers for Dental Choice, up to a total of $100,000. If you want to protect the environment from dental mercury and protect your health and those dear to you, now is your chance to pitch in. Your gift will be doubled!

How Dentistry Is Poisoning the Next Generation

By Dr. Mercola

Since you read this newsletter, you probably already know that amalgam dental fillings are 50 percent mercury and that mercury-free filling choices are available.  But not everyone can make that choice. Whether insurance companies refuse to pay for mercury-free fillings or vulnerable children are subjected to it without their parents’ knowledge, mercury-based amalgam fillings still account for almost half of all fillings in the United States today.

Mercury Poisons Our Children

Mercury — a potent poison — is not safe for anyone, but it is especially dangerous for children, whose developing brains are very sensitive to the neurotoxic effects of mercury. That is why it is never a good idea to implant an amalgam filling centimeters from your child’s brain.

But as long as dentists use amalgam, no child — including those without amalgam fillings — is safe from the long reach of its mercury. Why? The environmental reason: Dental amalgam is the largest use of mercury in America today. Amalgam’s mercury goes into the air we breathe, the ground soil that grows our vegetables, the lakes we fish from, and the community water supply we drink from. Children are still exposed to dental mercury by such everyday activities as:

• Going to dental offices that use amalgam, which have higher levels of mercury in their air
• Living or going to school near crematoria, which emit mercury from cremated bodies with amalgam in them
• Eating fish with high mercury content, some of which comes from amalgam that is released into the environment

This week (August 20 through August 27), I am proud to match your donation dollar for dollar to the champion of the cause of mercury-free dentistry, Consumers for Dental Choice.  Consumers for Dental Choice has a great track record of success. Led by my friend, Charlie Brown, a former state attorney general, this nonprofit group ended the state gag rules which directed silence by dentists about the mercury in “silver fillings” (a false name if there ever was one).

Consumers for Dental Choice created and led the world alliance that brought home the bacon at the Minamata Convention on Mercury, imposing a duty on every nation to scale down amalgam use and providing a road map on how to do it. And Consumers for Dental Choice prevailed over the pro-mercury forces to gain a spectacular visit in Europe this year. Here is your chance to keep the momentum going.

Victory in Europe!

Big policy changes don’t happen overnight. Take Sweden, famous for banning amalgam use in its country. Actually, Swedish policymakers needed a series of baby steps that led to a total ban. The one giant step among them was to ban amalgam use in children and pregnant women. Consumers for Dental Choice and its European allies were determined to see the Swedish success replicated.

It took six years of meeting with government officials, submitting comments, presenting testimony, organizing the grassroots, collecting signatures for petitions, building a united team of European allies and meeting separately with each branch of its complicated government structure. It was all worth it. In banning amalgam for children and for pregnant and breast-feeding women, the European Union took the giant step toward banning mercury fillings!

Last December, the three major institutions that decide policy for the European Union (EU) — the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union — reached a provisional agreement to partially ban amalgam use. The European Parliament voted 99 percent (663 to 8) to approve the agreement. As a result, on July 1, 2018:

• Amalgam use in children under age 15 will be banned
• Amalgam use in pregnant women will be banned
• Amalgam use in breast-feeding mothers will be banned

But there’s more! First, in 2019, each country in the European Union will be required to set a national plan on how it will reduce amalgam use. Second, in 2020 the European Commission must make its up-or-down recommendation on whether to phase out amalgam. Small wonder, then, that the European Parliament’s press release proclaims: This new regulation “aims to phase out the use of mercury in dental amalgam.”

FDA Fails America’s Children

Now it’s time to bring the EU’s victory home to the United States, one of the only developed countries in the world that refuses to even warn parents about the risks amalgam poses to their children. That is why Consumers for Dental Choice is leading the charge to get the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to act.  While the EU is taking steps to protect the children from amalgam, FDA’s 2009 amalgam rule fails to protect American children.

Under the Code of Federal Regulations governing FDA, the agency must offer reasonable assurance that medical devices, like amalgam, are safe. But FDA’s 2009 rule admits that there is no assurance of safety for children. In fact, FDA admits that amalgam puts children at a serious risk:

“The developing neurological systems in fetuses and young children may be more sensitive to the neurotoxic effects of mercury vapor. Very limited to no clinical data is available regarding long-term health outcomes in pregnant women and their developing fetuses, and children under the age of six, including infants who are breastfed.” 

Their rule was so problematic, FDA was forced to ask its advisory panel of scientific experts to review its 2009 dental amalgam rule only a year later.

At that second hearing in December 2010, again and again the panelists made their concerns about amalgam use in children known, saying “definitely not in pregnant women and definitely not in those below 6 years of age;” “why put amalgams in children if we know they’re going to live with that for the rest of their lives? And we don’t know what that’s going to do;” “I think that there really is perhaps no place for mercury in children.”

The man in charge of reconsidering FDA’s abysmal amalgam rule, FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health director Jeffrey Shuren, acknowledged that “Now, the panel did … point out that there may be certain populations who are more sensitive to dental amalgam, like young children and pregnant women.”  And later in response to the panel’s concerns, he promised an announcement by the end of 2011.

Did FDA make such an announcement in 2011?  No. Nor in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 or 2016.  For FDA, the time is truly up. A couple of years ago, Shuren had the nerve to claim that “Under the EU system, the public are being used as guinea pigs … We don’t use our people as guinea pigs in the U.S.”  But the European Union is starting to protect its children while FDA’s own amalgam rule promotes using children as guinea pigs for a mercury product that FDA knows can cause harm and admits is not proven safe for children.

Rather than to smugly accuse the European Union of treating consumers like guinea pigs, perhaps it may be time for Shuren to look in the mirror. Keep the momentum going for mercury-free dentistry. I will double your donation if you give today — or any day up through August 27, 2017.

Consumers for Dental Choice Takes Action — And You Can Too!

FDA staff members complain to each other that “this topic [amalgam regulation] seems to be cursed.” Consumers for Dental Choice made that discovery via repeated use of public right-to-know laws. Since the FDA — before the end of the Minamata Convention, before the European Union partial ban — already saw amalgam as a “cursed” arena, well, as the saying goes, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

Consumers for Dental Choice has filed a citizen petition to insist that FDA catch up with Europe and ban amalgam use in children under age 15, pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers. Now FDA and Shuren need to hear from you! It’s time for FDA to catch up with the European Union. Here are some ways to make your voices heard today:

• Email FDA director Shuren at [email protected] and tell him to “Ban dental amalgam for our children now!”
• Phone director Shuren at 301-796-5900
• Sign this online petition telling FDA to catch up with the EU. Then share it with your friends, colleagues, patients and family

There are powerful forces supporting the continued use of this toxic poison. Here’s an article about what you can to oppose these forces. This article is from Dr. Mercola’s website.

Insurance and Government Block the Transition

to Mercury-Free Dentistry

The major barriers to mercury-free dentistry are insurance companies and government programs. These third-party payers favor the pro-mercury dentists and their product: amalgam, a primitive, pre-Civil War, tooth-unfriendly pollutant that is 50 percent mercury. The term “silver fillings” is a falsehood; they are mainly mercury

By Dr. Mercola

Polls — and common sense — tell us that when consumers learn dental amalgam is 50 percent mercury, they demand a safe alternative for their mouths and bodies. But millions of consumers who are ready to switch are trapped in a vicious system that insists on putting toxic mercury in their mouths. Two culprits freeze in this primitive pre-Civil War, tooth-damaging pollutant:

1. Insurance companies, whose outdated policies push lower-income consumers into amalgam
2. Government programs across the board, where factory-style dentistry by the Pentagon, the Indian Health Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Medicaid and others block consumer access to 21st century oral health care

America — and the world — are fortunate to have Consumers for Dental Choice, headed by Charlie Brown, leading the charge against both pro-mercury insurance companies and pro-mercury government agencies with programs like Demand Your Choice. Throughout Mercury Awareness Week (August 20 through 27, 2017), I promise to match your gifts to this excellent nonprofit group dollar for dollar.

Why do I put my money where my mouth is — matching up to $100,000? Because I have closely watched Consumers for Dental Choice, and I have witnessed one achievement followed by another, including:

• Protecting rights of mercury-free dentists by defeating the notorious gag rule that prevented them from disclosing the truth about amalgam’s mercury
• Gaining fact sheets for consumers in some states and cities
• Winning at the Minamata Convention on Mercury so each ratifying nation (including the U.S. and Canada) must cut down amalgam use
• Leading the campaign that succeeded in banning amalgam for children and pregnant and breast-feeding women in the huge 28-nation European Union

This dental consumer succinctly describes how insurance companies enrich the pro-mercury dentists — at our expense: “With my current employer insurance, mercury-free fillings aren’t covered at all … so I have paid out of pocket for all my mercury-free fillings. My current insurance covers amalgam completely.”

How Insurance Policies and Government Programs Promote Mercury Fillings

In the U.S., many third-party payers — including private insurance companies, federal government programs and state government programs — no doubt pose the major barrier to mercury-free dentistry in North America today and promote amalgam use, each in their own way.

1. Private Insurance Companies

Consumers with dental insurance are actually more likely to receive amalgam than uninsured dental consumers. How can this be? Many private insurance companies advertise that they do cover mercury-free fillings (usually referred to as “composite” or “resin” in the policies). But buried in their policies’ fine print are two common terms that limit this coverage in favor of amalgam.

• First, many plans outright do not cover mercury-free fillings in posterior (back) teeth.
• Second, many plans contain a “least expensive alternative treatment” (LEAT) clause. Under a LEAT clause, the plan will only pay for the least expensive treatment alternative — no matter how inappropriate that alternative may be. Mercury fillings, without a doubt, are no longer appropriate for a laundry list of reasons.

The bottom line: Insurance too often shuttles consumers into the pro-mercury dentist factory assembly line operating under the infamous motto of “Drill. Fill. Bill.”

2. Federal Government Programs

Many federal government programs — including the Indian Health Service (IHS), Federal Bureau of Prisons and Department of Defense — still use amalgam, making the federal government the largest single amalgam user.

The IHS demonstrates the federal government’s disproportionate and unusual use of amalgam. A 2011 study found that dental amalgam is used for 73 percent of dental restorations in patients of “other” race (defined as American Indian/Alaska Native/Asian/Pacific Islander), many of whom receive IHS services. By comparison, dental amalgam is used for “only” 51 percent of restorations in white patients.

The National Congress of American Indians adopted a resolution calling for the phase out of amalgam on the reservations. But 200 years of history continue: Despite one treaty after another, the U.S. government turns a deaf ear to Native Americans, no matter how reasonable and emphatic the petition.

Consumers for Dental Choice and its partner, the International Indian Treaty Council, continue to insist that the voices of Native Americans be heard over that of the bureaucrats and the pro-mercury leadership at the Indian Health Service.

3. State Government Programs

The federal government is not alone — state governments also promote amalgam use in their school, prison and Medicaid dental programs. For example, on March 1, 2015, the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) issued a provider bulletin telling dentists, “Medicaid will not pay for composite restorations in the molar teeth regardless of whether the practice markets itself as ‘amalgam free.'”

Not only did this new rule promote further amalgam use, but it also prohibited amalgam-free dentists from participating in the state’s Medicaid program, telling dentists: “If your office cannot provide amalgam services, please have your patients call the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership (CTDHP) (1-855-CT-DENTAL) to locate a new dental home.”

(“Dental home?” If your “home” serves up mercury — evacuate now!) Between its refusal to pay for mercury-free composite on molar teeth and its dismissal of dentists who do not use amalgam, Connecticut’s Medicaid program promotes further amalgam use — and that’s just in one state!

Problems Caused by Insurance and Government Protecting Mercury Fillings

By promoting the use of amalgam, these third-party payers are doing more than upsetting their customers. They are:

• Increasing mercury exposure: Dental amalgam releases neurotoxic mercury vapor into your body. Children, the unborn and the hypersensitive are especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of mercury. When third-party payers promote amalgam use, they are putting even the most vulnerable people at risk for increased mercury exposure.
• Lowering the quality of oral health care: As if mercury exposure isn’t bad enough, as a pre-Civil War concoction, amalgam requires the removal of healthy tooth tissue, weakens tooth structure and cracks teeth — leading to higher dental bills later. When third-party payers promote amalgam use, they are lowering the quality of oral health care.
• Worsening mercury pollution: Dental amalgam is the largest mercury use in the U.S. — more than light bulbs, thermometers or batteries. Most of this mercury, about 28.5 metric tons annually, ends up polluting our air, soil and water. Once amalgam’s elemental mercury reaches the environment, it can convert to methylmercury, which can contaminate the fish we eat.

Mercury pollution can cause severe and permanent neurological conditions, especially for children and the unborn, whose brain and nervous systems are still developing. When third-party payers promote amalgam use, they are aiding and abetting this horrible impact on human health and human life.

• Limiting access to dental care: Surveys show that 32 percent to 52 percent of U.S. dentists no longer use amalgam, and the number still using it has been steadily declining. However, insurance is not keeping up with dentists. By not fully covering the mercury-free fillings that dentists are now using, third-party payers are in effect limiting the number of dentists that their customers can go to and get the full benefit of their policy.
• Interfering with patient autonomy: The right of every patient to make decisions about their own bodies — including what filling material is implanted in their teeth — is enshrined in laws, policies and resolutions throughout the world. When third-party payers promote amalgam use, they are interfering with patients’ rights to make their own choice — and patients overwhelmingly choose mercury-free fillings.

Consumers for Dental Choice and Its Demand Your Choice Project

Consumers for Dental Choice runs a multipronged campaign to reform dental insurance — and make it pay for the mercury-free fillings its customers need by:

• Urging dentists and their patients to send letters and sign petitions to their insurance companies, demanding full coverage for mercury-free fillings. Hundreds have already joined in. You can check out the campaign at DemandYourChoice.com!
• Challenging U.S. government programs that promote amalgam fillings, focusing on the Indian Health Service first. Our team is following up on a series of meetings and a petition to IHS.
• Exposing state Medicaid programs that mandate mercury fillings, like in Connecticut, where we push the Department of Social Services to change this discriminatory policy; and in Oregon, where we won, but the state government didn’t want to tell dental patients!

It is insurance and government programs that implant mercury fillings in the American economy. If we beat them, we beat amalgam! As a health-wise and environmentally responsible business, Mercola.com proudly covers only mercury-free fillings in its employee insurance plan.

Mercola.com will never pay one dime to cover a mercury filling! We hope other business owners and other human resource departments will follow our example. Contact your insurance company to demand full coverage for mercury-free fillings — and eschew mercury fillings!

How to Protect Yourself From Amalgam — Even When Your Insurance Company Doesn’t Want To

Over the years, many dental consumers have been surprised to learn that their dental insurance would not pay for mercury-free fillings. Last summer, Consumers for Dental Choice conducted a survey asking for consumers’ opinions on dental insurance. Here’s what they found:

• 70 percent of respondents did not know that mercury-free fillings were not fully covered before they bought their insurance
• 40 percent of respondents have experienced trouble getting their insurance to pay for mercury-free fillings
• 95 percent thought that all dental insurance plans should favor mercury-free fillings over amalgam

Yet, the vice president for dentistry at one of America’s biggest insurance companies told Charlie Brown that no one ever complained about their pro-amalgam policies! Clearly, it’s time to ramp up the volume, so insurance companies stop pretending there is no consumer dissatisfaction with them ramming amalgam down the throats of Americans.

Hundreds of consumers are already active in Consumers for Dental Choice’s Demand Your Choice campaign. Click here to find the tools you need to take a stand against your insurance company’s pro-mercury policies by:

• Getting informed: Learn to identify dental insurance policies that fully pay for amalgam while restricting — or even denying — coverage for mercury-free fillings, especially in back teeth.
• Taking action: You can register your objections to amalgam with our easy-to-fill-out online form or use a sample letter as a guide.
• Spreading the word: Please share this article, post on Facebook or use word-of-mouth to urge more people to challenge their insurance companies’ toxic policies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeOg7vtH9Xs

This video  and the following article can be found at Dr. Mercola’s website.

 

For Optimal Health, Mind Your Oral Microbiome

and Avoid Fluoride, Harsh Mouth Rinses and

Amalgam Fillings

While often overlooked, your dental health can have a significant impact on your overall health. It’s difficult to achieve high-level physical health if your oral health is ignored. Dr.Gerry Curatola, founder of Rejuvenation Dentistry, has over 30 years’ experience in biological dentistry. As Curatola notes, your mouth is your “gateway to total body wellness.” Indeed, thousands of studies have linked oral disease to systemic disease.

Inflammation is known to be a disease-causing force leading to most chronic illness, and gum disease and other oral diseases produce chronic low-grade inflammation that can have a deleterious effect on every major organ system in your body.

Oral disease can therefore contribute to diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s, just to name a few. Advanced gum disease can raise your risk of a fatal heart attack up to 10 times. And, according to Curatola, if you get a heart attack related to gum disease, 9 times out of 10 it will be fatal.

There’s also a 700 percent higher incidence of type 2 diabetes among those with gum disease, courtesy of the inflammatory effects of unbalanced microflora in your mouth.

Caring for Your Oral Microbiome

When the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease enter into your circulatory system it causes your liver to release C-reactive proteins, which have inflammatory effects on your entire circulatory system. So a major part of oral health is attending to your oral microbiome.

Achieving oral health is really about promoting balance among the bacteria in your mouth. Interestingly, probiotics do not work in the oral cavity, so it’s not as simple as adding beneficial bacteria to your mouth. Instead, as an initial step, you need to cease killing microbes in your mouth. Curatola explains:

“Pathogens are now being recognized as resident microbes that are out of balance … [T]he same bacteria that keep us alive can have a pathogenic expression when disturbed.

I have been tooting the horn about getting out of the ‘pesticide business.’ I’m also speaking about natural pesticides. Not just triclosan, clorhexidin and those synthetic types, but also tea tree oil, tulsi oil, oregano oil and other antimicrobial oils that … have a potent disturbing effect on the oral microbiome.

In the mouth, you don’t want to have a ‘scorched earth policy,’ nuking all bacteria and hoping the good bugs come back … [G]ood bugs basically have a harder chance of setting up a healthy-balanced microbiome when you disturb them, denature them, or dehydrate them with alcohol-based products.”

Avoid Mouthwashes and Fluoridated Toothpaste

So, as your first step, stop using antibacterial mouthwashes and rinses. Instead, consider taking nutrients that support gum and oral health. Two important ones are vitamin C and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Bleeding gums is often a sign of CoQ10 deficiency.

There are also a number of homeopathic tissue salts that can be beneficial for oral health, including silica, calcarea fluorica (calcium fluoride), calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate.

Calcium fluoride should not be confused with the chemical formulation of sodium fluoride found in toothpaste, which is toxic and carries a poison warning. Fluoride not only harms your microbiome; it also has many other detrimental health effects. In fact, fluoride over-exposure from toothpaste, fluoridated water and other sources, has led to a virtual epidemic of fluoride damage. At present, 4 out of 10 adolescents in the U.S. have fluoride-damaged teeth — a condition known as dental fluorosis.

Many assume that use of fluoridated toothpaste and water is an issue that relates to your dental health alone. But according to a 500-page scientific review,¹ fluoride is an endocrine disruptor that can affect your bones, brain, thyroid gland, pineal gland and even your blood sugar levels.

At least 34 human studies and 100 animal studies have also linked fluoride to brain damage,² including lower IQ in children, and studies have shown that fluoride toxicity can lead to a wide variety of health problem.

The Dangers of Mercury Amalgam

Total Video Length: 14:23

Aside from fluoride and antibacterial agents, mercury is another dental-related substance that can wreak havoc with your health. In the video above, Dr. Oz interviews Curatola about the dangers of “silver fillings” which, despite their name, contain mostly mercury, a well-known neurotoxin and dangerous environmental pollutant. About 50 percent of the amalgam filling is mercury; the remainder is a mixture of copper, tin, silver and zinc.

Mercury amalgam is defended by its apologists for the bizarre reason that it has been used in dentistry for over 150 years. Being a pre-Civil War remedy is not something to brag about! Medicine long ago stopped other pre-Civil War harmful practices, such as bleeding patients and giving them a bottle of mercury to drink.

Amalgams have been linked to a long list of health problems, including fatigue, memory loss, tremors, problems with motor coordination, inability to concentrate, migraines, mood swings, anxiety and autoimmune problems.

Norway, Denmark and Sweden have all banned mercury amalgam, citing health and environmental hazards. So why is amalgam still being used by half of all dentists in the U.S.? The answer is: because it’s inexpensive and easy to use, which boosts the profits of dentists’ who can make more per chair per day using mercury fillings.

Is Your Insurance Company Still Operating in the Dark Ages?

Many dental insurance companies also do not cover 100 percent of non-amalgam restoration work, which keeps the allure of amalgam alive. For example, some insurance policies only pay for amalgam in molar teeth; if you want composite, you have to pay out-of-pocket. A consumer penalty exist for those who exercise their right to have mercury-free fillings in their molars.

This is really unacceptable, considering the massive costs of amalgam, including (1) to human health, (2) to the environment, (3) to our food supply and the added mercury, (4) to dental workers breathing the mercury-laden air and (5) to consumers who incur future dental bills from amalgam’s destructive nature, in contrast to the minimally-invasive and tooth-friendly alternatives.

Also, while amalgam is very strong, capable of withstanding decades’ worth of wear and tear in your mouth, it actually makes your tooth weaker. A greater amount of healthy tooth material must be drilled out in order to place amalgam, compared to when using modern composite materials.  Amalgam-filled teeth are therefore weaker and more prone to cracking, which necessitates additional restoration work. Composite materials tend to have the opposite effect, helping to maintain and even strengthen tooth integrity.

Take Action — Make Mercury-Free Dentistry a Reality for All

During Mercury-Free Dentistry Week, August 21 through 28, I will match your donations dollar-for-dollar to Consumers for Dental Choice, up to $100,000. Consumers for Dental Choice is a small, effective organization with the sole mission of making mercury-free dentistry a reality in North America and around the world, and they’ve been working to protect your right to choose mercury-free dentistry for the past 20 years.

The American Dental Association (ADA) continues to insist that the mercury in amalgam is safe for children, even though the FDA makes clear in its regulation that no clinical studies show amalgam’s safety for children under age six, nor for pregnant women. On the other hand, studies have suggested dental amalgam is responsible for at least 60 to 95 percent of mercury in human tissues.³

Dental amalgams are also responsible for environmental mercury pollution — so much so that when environmental cleanup costs are factored in, dental amalgams are likely the most expensive type of dental filling available.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dental clinics are the main source of mercury product pollution, which is discharged into public water treatment centers. The U.S. Geological Survey says that the largest use of mercury, by far, is dental amalgam. Dental amalgam is also the largest use of mercury in Canada and in the European Union.

How Much Amalgam Is Too Much?

We now know that amalgam fillings release mercury vapors every time it’s stimulated, such as when you’re eating or brushing your teeth. The question that remains to be answered is: How much amalgam poses a definitive health threat? Is it dangerous to have one filling? Or is the risk negligible until you reach a certain number of fillings?

We still do not have a definitive answer to this. However, we do know that mercury is a potent immune suppressant and that it is extremely toxic to your central nervous system (CNS). Hence, if you experience immune or CNS symptoms and have amalgams in your mouth, your amalgams could potentially be a contributing factor. Ditto if you have any of the classic signs of mercury toxicity, which include:

• Tremors
• Memory loss
• Inability to concentrate
• Motor coordination problems

A typical amalgam filling contains about 750 to 1,000 mg of mercury.⁴ This is nearly 500,000 times more mercury than is present in contaminated sea food. Eating mercury-tainted seafood can expose you to about 2.3 mcg,⁵ and that alone was enough for scientists to call for a worldwide warning⁶ back in 2006.

Tests suggest a single amalgam filling may release as much as 15 micrograms (mcg) of mercury per day. In the video above, Dr. Oz brushes a set of molded teeth with a row of amalgam fillings in a sealed container equipped with a mercury measuring device and, within seconds, 61 mcg of mercury is released!

These mercury vapors can easily pass through your cell membranes and cross your blood-brain barrier into your central nervous system, where they can cause serious psychological, neurological and immunological problems. According to an extensive scientific review⁷ about mercury and children’s health, there really is NO known safe level of exposure for mercury. So any dentist who tells you that mercury exposure from amalgam is “minimal” or “inconsequential” is doing you a reprehensible disservice.

Should You Have Your Amalgams Removed?

The answer to that really depends on your general health and the number, age and condition of your amalgam fillings. As a general guideline, Curatola recommends talking to a qualified biological dentist about removing your amalgam fillings if you:

• Have eight or more mercury filings
• Grind your teeth
• Eat acidic food regularly
• Drink soda regularly

All of these factors increase the amount of mercury vapor being released from your amalgam fillings, raising your risk of experiencing problems related to mercury toxicity.

However, it’s important to realize that amalgam removal can pose a serious health threat in and of itself, if done without the proper safety precautions. For this reason, it’s important to find a qualified biological dentist who is trained in safe amalgam removal. It would also be wise to take steps to boost your immune function prior to removal to help with the detoxification process.

When amalgams are removed, a large amount of mercury is released. If the proper precautions aren’t taken, your body can be suddenly flooded with a massive dose of mercury, which can lead to acute kidney problems. I experienced this myself more than 25 years ago when I had my amalgams removed by a non-biological dentist.

Biological dentistry views your teeth and gums as an integrated part of your body, and any medical treatments performed take this into account. Biological dentists are well aware of the dangers involved with toxic materials such as amalgams. Some of the steps that need to be taken to keep you (and your dentist) safe during amalgam removal include:

Providing you with an alternative air source and instructing you not to breathe through your mouth	Putting a rubber dam in your mouth so you don’t swallow or inhale any toxins, and using a high-volume evacuator near the tooth at all times to evacuate the mercury vapor
Using a cold-water spray to minimize mercury vapors	Washing your mouth out immediately after the fillings have been removed (the dentist should also change gloves after the removal)
Immediately cleaning your protective wear and face once the fillings are removed	Using room air purifiers

It’s Time: DEMAND Mercury-Free Dentistry

The game changer for mercury-free dentistry is the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Consumers for Dental Choice led a worldwide coalition to secure amalgam into that Convention, whose goal is a world free of anthropogenic (man-made uses) of mercury.

Minamata calls on every nation to shift insurance and government programs from favoring amalgam to favoring mercury-free materials. With the Minamata Convention on the verge of being ratified, this is our chance to help Consumers for Dental Choice take things to the next level — its enforcement in every nation. You can help by making a generous donation today, knowing I will match it dollar-for-dollar, up to $100,000. Donations are tax-exempt and can be made online or by mailing a check to:

Consumers for Dental Choice
316 F St., N.E., Suite 210
Washington DC 20002

Today, consumer demand for mercury-free dentistry is really only held back by insurance companies and other third-party payers who mandate continued amalgam use. To empower you to take control of your health, Consumers for Dental Choice has developed tools you and your dentist can use to challenge your dental insurance company’s decision to deny you your right to choose mercury-free dental care. Learn more by visiting DemandYourChoice.com.⁸

 

What’s Lurking in Your Silver Fillings?

It’s estimated that 75 percent of Americans are ignorant about that fact that amalgam fillings are actually 50 percent mercury, and this is no accident. The American Dental Association (ADA) popularized the deceptive term “silver fillings” so consumers would think amalgam is made mainly of silver when actually it has twice as much mercury as silver.

Mercury is an incredibly potent neurotoxin; it doesn’t take much to cause serious damage because it’s an absolute poison. If you were to take the amount of mercury in a typical thermometer and put it in a small lake, that lake would be closed down due to environmental hazards.

Yet, amounts much higher than that are readily put into your mouth if you receive a “silver” amalgam dental filling, as the majority of material in the filling is actually mercury. Download your free copy of “Measurably Misleading” and learn how the FDA and dental industry are misleading consumers and why that’s bad for American families and our planet.

 

Help Support Mercury-Free Dentistry

We believe in inspiring progress — and nowhere is the progress more evident than the work of Consumers for Dental Choice and its Campaign for Mercury-Free Dentistry. So consider donating your funds where you know it will get results.

Consumers for Dental Choice takes the Holistic Approach to Advocacy. You wouldn’t go to a traditional dentist who uses mercury amalgam fillings. So why would you go to a traditional activist to fight for mercury-free dentistry? That’s why so many people, including myself, support Consumers for Dental Choice’s holistic approach to advocacy.

Resources to Help You Find a Biological Dentist

The following organizations can help you to find a mercury-free, biological dentist:

• Consumers for Dental Choice
• Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions (DAMS). Email them at: [email protected] or call 651-644-4572 for an information packet
• Holistic Dental Association
• Huggins Applied Healing
• International Academy of Biological Dentistry & Medicine (IABDM)
• International Association of Mercury Safe Dentists
• Talk International

Let’s Help Consumers for Dental Choice Get the Funding They Deserve

Consumers for Dental Choice and its leader Charlie Brown continue their full-court-press campaign to bring mercury-free dentistry to the U.S. and worldwide. If you wish to stay informed, I encourage you to follow them on Facebook; if you wish to stay informed by receiving their announcements, you can sign up by CLICKING HERE.

You can help stop dental mercury today! Please consider donating to Consumers for Dental Choice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating mercury-free dentistry.

Previous studies have shown that electromagnetic radiation from MRI’s and X-ray exposure increase the release of mercury from amalgam filled teeth. This is the first study to confirm that this also occures with exposure to Wi-Fi devices.

Here is a reprint of the origanal articel that appeared in the Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering: