News you won't see in controlled mainstream media.

Hello to all the wonderful fellow warriors battling their way through this toxic mercury world,

I am in dire need of some advice. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Three and a half weeks ago, a dentist placed a large "permanent" mercury amalgam filling on a broken molar that had had a series of breakage and temporary filling problems for years.

After the anesthetic wore off, my mouth--lips--swelled up like balloons (at first I thought eat your heart out, Angelina Jolie!) and I acquired a strong metallic taste that felt like I was carrying around batteries in my mouth... I immediately pursued research into the possiblity of poisoning from my filling, and of course, not only did I discover the horrible truth of mercury amalgam poisoning (something I'd unfortunately only paid vague attention to in the past), but BINGO, also discovered that 90% of the health problems I've been living with over the last 10 years or so are known consequences of mercury toxicity.

***

Just some of the health problems I've had (and that have always mystified my doctors, who invariably shrug and say "in your case, it's idiopathic: we just don't know why this is happenign to you") that I now know are from the mercury that has been leaking for years from my other fillings include:


FMS
MVP (Mitral valve prolapse heart condition, & palpitaions)
Inability to breathe fully--feeling of being strangled when I try to breathe
constant gas and burping
Chronic severe kidney and bladder infections
Brain fog
Memory problems, esp. short-term (I don't think people believe me when I tell them this, but I literally can never remember what i did th eday before)
Memorization/retention problems: can't learn new information (this one is REALLY tough being a PhD student)
Crackling at the base of my neck (really disconcerting)
Clicking and popping in my joints (esp wrists and ankles)
Candida
Bruxism (severe)
and many many more significant health problems

***

I immediately set to work to find a wholistic mercury-free dentist to help me with removal. This was a challenge since I currently live in a very small city. However, I found one in a large city --Chicago-- which is about 2 1/2 hrs away. The dentist practices safe removal protocol and is willing to see me on wednesday, and based on how desperate I sounded over the phone and how certain I am that I want the filling out, she is going to remove the filling on the same day (Wednesday) as my initial consultation with her. Her staff (on the phone) said that the dentist would almost certainly be replacing the filling with an inlay and that this will cost $1400 US. I am going to have to go into debt to do this, but I see no other option. I feel I need this evil thing out of my mouth NOW!!! before it causes an even further deterioration to my health.

I do understand about waiting to remove the other remaining fillings, and to do them slowly, no more than 2 at a time, and with 2-3 month intervals between removals.

But here's my problem.

I have to write a major PhD exam in a few weeks. (I am supposed to be studying for it now--yeah right.) I do not have the option of rescheduling it because I have already postponed it twice (due, surprise surprise, to all the health problems I've been having). If I do not write this exam on the scheduled date (July 11), I really seriously risk being kicked out of my program--and therefore losing my professional future.

I'm terrified at the prospect of getting my mercury filling removed on wednesday and then suffering debilitating mercury backlash symptoms so bad that I woudlbe unable to study for and write the exam.

But I'm equally terrified at the prospect of putting off the removal a minute longer than I have to.

This is what I need advice on!

I know that if this was case of fillings that have been there for a long time, a month longer wouldn't necessarily make a huge difference, but in this case we're talking about a majore deposit of poison into my system 3 1/2 weeks ago that I have been desperate to get out--would have gone immediately back to the ignorant dentist who put it in and isnisted he remove it, except, thank god, I learned about the dangers fo going that route!

So I'm struck numb with apprehension (not to mention with mercury poisoning).

Which do i do?

A) Go ahead with the removal on wednesday and possibly fail my exam due to unforeseable fallout/reactions

or

B) postpone the removal until right after my exam--a month from now, and until then live with the filling that is causingn such a huge and terifying toxic reaction


<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

FYI
While the host of symptoms I have been living with for years are chronic, this last filling triggered a number of very scary new and acute symptoms including

Night sweats (I also have these really bad around this time of year 5-6 years ago, too)
pains all over
taste of chemical "fumes" in my mouth and throat
severe numbness and tingling in arms, hands, legs
Strong heat and burning sensation in L eye and feels like "fumes" coming from it…
Coughing, "fumes" in back of throat
Burning feeling deep in stomach
Pain in L eye, neck, top of head (L side); L eyeball very painful, feeling as if it is bulging out
Frequent heart palpitations
Numbness comes and goes in arms
Chronic pain in back of neck (stronger on L side) and lower back
Numbness in lower left leg
Burning sensation on cheekbone
Pain and cracking and popping in all joints: wrists, ankles, base of neck.
Feeling weak and flu-like
and more

All I have been able to do for the past 2-3 days is research mercury toxicity online. My studying lies abandoned, and I am teetering on the brink of despair.

Exacerbating problems:
My financial situation is not great
My husband and i are dealing with a bedbug infestation, bedbgus that came back with him from a hotel in NYC in March. I don't even want to go into it right now, but bedbugs are INCREDIBLY difficult, nearly impossible to eradicate, and that's WITH toxic insecticides. This is unfortunately our second experience with bedbugs (we had them in 2004 when we lived in Europe for a year; i got so badly poisoned from insecticides that time that I had a seizure and then toxic hepatitis that lastedmore than a year, not to mention hair falling out. I SWORE that I wouldnever put my liver through anyhtign like that again, and then here we are, 3 years later with bedbugs AGAIN, and, trust me, no choice, unless we want to live with then bedbugs).

So that's my situation in a (a large and gregarious) nutshell.

I'd much appreciate thoughts or advice from experienced mercury-fighters with regard to what i should do on Wednesday--go or postpone?

Yesterday I bought activated charcoal to take on the day of removal, along with some of the other things mentioned on this forum, and I will be ordering algin today (actually, I just tried to order it now by phone, but I got an answerng machine; I'll be trying again).


Thank you for taking the time to read all this,
Ordinary Person



P.S. Has anyone noticed by chance that their health problems have tended to get worse recurringly around a specific time of year? My husband and I have realized that for several years now, my health falls apart around Midsummer/mid-June, and I spend th erest of the summer battling it to get things under control. I just thought that was very interesting, and wondered if anyone else has experienced a similar cyclical aspect.

update: I have just ordered the Algin from Only The Best Herbs, by priority mail.

Please wish me luck. I have a feeling I'm going to really need it regardless of which route I take.

ordinary person

Hi... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
First thing that struck me was why not an option (C);

Have the whole damn tooth extracted (still with full protection obviously).

Sounds like its going to be difficult and expensive to 'fix' regardless, and actually may not be fixable anyway. If its been damaged so much with the bruxism, repeat fillings etc then could there be deep fissures within, maybe absorbing mercury right now? I suppose it depends on the location/function but the loss of one tooth? nothing really in comparison. Of course there may need to be a revision of this 'cavitation' in the near future, but if this dentist is aware of such then ok, its another problem to address but... the mercury SOURCE will be out. Seriously i would consider this option over the next couple of days. Dont let mercury have the slightest chance to destroy your career prospects, as it did mine. One tooth is nothing...

Be and Stay Empowered! x

OP, if your removal person is all they are cracked up to be, seems like ya gotta be better off getting that piece a nerve poison OUT. Don't see how it could get much worse (less ya swallow some) as it's off-gassing up a storm bein fresh an all. I would get that crap out ASAP, doin precautions an the mop up like algin and big C doses(after).
If ya DO go for the tooth removal, ya need a lotta debridement afterwards so as not to have a cavitation, like I just had.
I'm sure this question will inspire a rash a information but for my 2 cents worth, don't wait, it's workin it's evil ways as tis.
Very best a luck.
And what about chucking the pest mattress?

I agree with the other forum members in removing the whole tooth ,I noticed when I started having my amalgam fillings removed that just having a few of the fillings removed I seen an improvement in my health just with the small amount having been removed , even the best dentists can make mistakes and can release small amounts of mercury back in your system from drilling and the dental material used for the onlay may effect you in a negetive way also , and as so many of us here have found out can effect you for you for a while .if it were me ,I would not take that chance with so much riding on it.( when in dought ,pull it out)

Hi OP,

Very sorry to hear about your situation. Your set of symptoms is very similar to mine:

My Amalgam Story

You asked...


This is a tough decision. It's like trying to predict the future so there is no right answer. In your situation, I might be inclined to wait because the exams are obviously important and it's difficult to say what kind of recovery and/or you'll have to go through after the removal. Just my thought.

About the bed bugs...

This is the most interesting remedy I could find:

http://dermisil.com/bed_bugs.htm

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much Virago, Elvis and Russ for giving me your thoughts and advice. I really appreciate it.

I did consider having the tooth extracted—that was actually my first thought. It seemed like a logical and affordable route. Hell, I thought recklessly, if it comes to it, I’d rather just have them all out than keep suffering worsening health. But then I spoke with someone in my town who has had her mercury fillings replaced and asked her about extraction and her reaction was that that’s a VERY bad idea, that you should always do everything you can (without poisoning yourself of course!) to keep your teeth in your jaw -- due to meridians. I don’t know quite understand the whole meridian thing, but what I have read so far online about it does seem to make some sense. It seems that other organs along the same meridian could suffer consequences. I saw that people have posted some stuff about their experiences with meridian connections elsewhere on this forum, but it’s all still a bit murky yet to me. I need more information on this. But the upshot is that I am now wary of jumping right into summary extraction until I understand the options better.

So the extraction option is something I will definitely be asking the mercury-free dentist about on Wednesday along with the meridians & teeth question.

I think I agree that it’s better out now rather than waiting until after my exam. My fear is, precisely, that I might somehow get further mercury poisoning during the procedure, even with the dentist’s best precautions, as has happened, unfortunately, to others on this forum… But, my thinking is it only went in 4 weeks ago now so presumably whatever damage it has done has been limited versus say if it had been in for 4 years.

**

I also have a question with regard to the cognitive effects of mercury poisoning: my short-term memory has been shot for years as has my ability to retain new information (I use various strategies to get by). I know these symptoms are commonly reported with candida and mercury poisoning. But what I want to know is does anyone ever find that on waking up in the morning, they experience a short spell of complete loss of awareness, as in not knowing who or what you are, what planet you’re on, what you’re supposed to do next, etc. I.e., total absence of normal consciousness even though I am definitely not asleep anymore at this point. I struggle to emerge from that state of primal blankness for several moments and then –finally and to my relief-- I remember who I am, etc.

I know this sounds weird—it is weird. Surely not normal brain function. Maybe it’s just stress… but come on, could I be that stressed upon waking in the morning?? I’ve never heard of this, but it has happened occasionally to me in the past, and has happened several times over the last week. It’s scary not to know who you are, even if it’s only for a minute. (I don’t do drugs btw! )

OP


P.S. Elvis: The mattress was chucked long ago!

***

Here is the website of the dentist I’ll be going to :

http://www.mercola.com/forms/garcia_practice.htm


And here’s some very encouraging independent feedback I found online from one of her patients (she was writing in to a forum on mothering):

“Hi I just signed up as a new member to this community website and love it so far. I have a wonderful holistic dentist, but she is in Schaumburg, bit of a hike from Oak Park. I heard there's another good one in Oak Park but I don't know the name. If I find out, I'll definitely post it.

My dentist's name in Dr. Lina Garcia and she is terrific. I had all of my mercury fillings out with her and I couldn't say enough good things about her. There is such good energy in her practice! You go there and you know you are in good hands and can completely trust her. It is amazing! She is holistic minded and she after I had the last of my fillings taken out, she gave me a homepathic detox kit. She also does radio talks on autism.

Her office # is 847.592.0969. She practices out of the same office as Dr. Mercola, a very famous holistic doctor. She might have a website as a link to Dr. Mercola's but I'm not sure. I bet if you googled her, you'd find her. Otherwise, call the office and I'm sure Julie could direct you to the site.”
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=655433



So, fingers crossed. I’ll post an update after Wednesday.

OP

I'd pull it because it obviously is a tooth with a history of problems already. You can spend your 1400.00 dollars fixing it now but you'll probably end up pulling it within 5-7 years anyway if it's all cracked up, and there might be problems between now and then too. With all of your health problems trading mercury for plastics is something to think about also.

Find a good non-mercury dentist with integrity in a small town nearby (non-mercury dentists usually have a good sense of mercury problems, he doesn't have to be a holistic or biological dentist), be sure to tell him to remove/scrape out the periodontal ligament (to avoid cavitations downline). Most dentists that are confident doing extractions (and have lots of experience with it) will advertise 'Extractions' in their yellow page ad.

I was worried about the 'meridian' thing since I had heard about it also, but I think it's a bunch of baloney by now. I have had a few teeth pulled the past several months (unfortunately, read mercury damaged) and I am no more unbalanced than prior. No balance problems period.

Matter of fact I thought my skiing was much better without the crummy teeth bothering me. I also focus much better mentally now. However, I also had a good few months of heavy duty IV chelation in there, and if your hands/limbs are numb you should probably seek the same because chances are excellent you are developing kidney problems and related. I would spend the money on a good integrative med dr who does heavy metal chelation and forego the silent but deadly pretty tooth cosmetics.

Last extraction I had the dentist was quite a pro at molar removal. Just an ordinary general dentist, with many years of experience. I can't really say he extracted it because he cut the thing right in two and lifted it out of my jawbone... no after pain, no swelling, no problems. I signed a consent form for oral surgery, not extraction.

Get a colonic or 5 also.

Russ,

Thanks for finding that product and letting me know about it! I looked into it and the main ingredient is diatomaceous earth (DE), which is something I've been thinking we should really try and add to the cocktail of bedbug weapons (they need to be treated with an arsenal of things to effectively get rid of them; no one pesticide does the job with these monsters: it really is a nightmare!) So my husband and I bought a supply of diatomaceous earth (DE) today at our local health food store, along with a duster applicator for it and special safety masks at menards. Wouldn't have been motivated to switch from thinking about it todoing it wihtout your psat,so againm thanks. Fingers crossed on this, too.

OP

oops. that last line should read: wouldn't have been motivated to do it without your post, so again, thanks.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Man. I obvoiusly know NUTHIN about bedbugs, thought they was in the BED!
But I do know a thing or two about dentists, no way I'd go to some non-bio person, in fact you prolly have found one a the best, I woulda gone to Dr. Garcia maself if I was in America, considered it last year before I found ma good guy here. You are smart and lucky , I like Dr. Mercola, too.
The energy meridian stuff is not B.S., ( I mean how many thousands a years has Chinese medecine been around?) Like many things, depends how sensitive y'all are, an some folks ain't at all. I can tell you my extracted teeth are causing me big time disturbance but I'm a very sensitive soul. An it ain't about balance, in Chinese medecine each tooth sits on a energy pathway for different organs, for example, front upper teeth are kidney/bladder sex organs, an once somebody has one a these extracted it can cause an imbalance in the system, not imbalance itself, thats too simplistic.I had a bad tooth on my liver meridien and I got mild hepatitis at that time an no, I wasn't travelin or doin drugs, I was just weak an susceptible.
So where are these badbugs? Too bad ya can't get a room sized zapper, that'd do it.
Really lookin forward to hearin how it all went, I understand the trepidation but I think you will feel a great sense a relief.
An that mornin thing y'all are talkin about? wouldn't mind that oncet in a while, kinda sounds like a mini vacation from me!

Very best a luck.

Elvis,
You are FUNNY! Thank you for making me laugh at something that rather terrifies me--it's great to laugh in the face of fear. Those non-waking-up experiences have made me wonder if that is what alzheimer's might feel a little like... Hopefully, I and everyone on this forum will never have to find out...

Bedbugs are just unbelievable. If I start talking about them, I won't be able to stop, so I won't. It's just that we've been through a real ordeal with them and are reliving it currently again. Someday I'll write it all up but right now, we're just hangin in there. But an excellent resource all about bedbugs has sprung up over the past few years: it's bedbugger.com and it's an essential resource for anyone currently battling bedbugs or anyone who's just interested in learnign more about them. Bedbugs, alas, are a growing international epidemic because a) they are very very resistant to current insecticides (the only thing that effectively kills them is DDT which was (rightfully) banned in the 50s when it was found to be a carcinogen) and b) more people traveling than ever before are unwittingly spreading them (bedbugs are notorious stowaways).

Sadly, and as usual it's the most disadavanatged members fo society who are going to/already are suffering the most from this plague: old people and homeless/quasi-homeless people and low-income people and sick people... (Not that we're rich, quite the contrary--I'm going into debt just to have this one filling removed, but still we had enough in our (now depeletd) bank account to deal withthe tremendous expense of the bedbugs. So we are actually among the very lucky ones, really.)


OP

How can something be about balance and then not be about balance?

Many things affect balance, and balance of your overall health is not excluded from the picture. Bad nutrition can even upset your balance, from simply feeling not right, to dropping cups and keys everywhere you go.

I'd venture the loss of someone's front teeth is quite apt to make them feel rather unsexy, meridians or no meridians, pretty much a no brainer there. There are pressure point connections for sure, but my experience tells me that pain and discomfort affect them more than a missing tooth. Your body can adjust to that but it will suffer all over with one bad tooth.

Maybe try pennyroyal for your bedbug problem, Amish farmers have used it for aeons to keeps bugs out their barns. You might also sprinkle a little bit of dry grits between your mattresses and under the bed, wherever. The bugs and their larvae eat the grits and then they explode as it absorbs liquid in their internal parts. Great for keeping ants away too. Though a little boric acid mixed with sugar will kill a whole colony of ants in a jiffy too.

Elvis might want to check into the various Chinese practices of mercury use before sustaining too much praise in that direction. The Chinese practice of using radiator fluid in toothpaste desires much praise also. Endless amounts of time and money spent moaning fixing and zapping could be cured in an instant with extraction. But how someone chooses to spend their time is their own business.

The loss of a tooth, if it's your first loss, can be very traumatic. But you get over it, and then slap yourself silly later for putting up with the nasty thing for so long.

Certain things can be fixed successfully, and others unfortunately cannot. For myself, I prefer overall whole body good health, and when it comes to teeth, extracting known bad ones is a much safer bet than trying to fix a truly unfixable problem in various different ways.

If dentists actually used bio-compatible materials I would feel differently, but they don't. In a conversation once with a biological/holistic dentist, I said to her, 'Exactly what is so bio-compatible about methacrylate?' and she replied 'You've got me there'. Personally i think the 'bio-compatable' hype is simply that, mostly hype and rhetoric, and for that reason. Plastic dental materials, and the ensuing drilling/filling, can cause substantial problems just like amalgam can. It's just a matter of time. A very high percentage of people with methacrylate based bone implants develop sensitivity problems within 3-4 years of the implant for example. Methacrylate is used as a binder in most dental materials and extensively in adhesives. It's a clear sticky resin in it's most basic form.

Plastic sensitivities can also mimick mercury sensitivities btw, because plastics also affect your nervous system among other things. They are all highly carcinogenic. Personally, because I have known plastic sensitivity issues, I also feel that mercury is even easier to deal with than those. Irregardless of what manufacturers claim, there is lots of research that shows plastics are not completely inert. Plastics are somewhat biodegradable, they just take a long time to decompose. I can chelate, bind and flush out heavy metals but I (and my very experienced doctor) have absolutely no idea how to bind and flush plastics. EDTA may help, flax may also help. Your body naturally breaks down ingested substances into their basic chemical components in the (sometimes skewed) attempt to benefit from them as nutrients.

Just something to think about.

Well good luck today an please let us know how ya got on, I got a friend in Chicago might need a better dentist and I m real inerested in Dr, Garcia for a few folks with prollems round your way.Where d'ya live in Canada?

Now that ya mention it SS, I can see how spendin time with a needle full a chemical drugs (while ya still got your fillins in) or havin a colonic tube up your bondoonie is a far superior way to spend one's time compared to zappin, but to each their own as ya so nicely conceded. Im just confused, do they dip the needles in mercury or grow the herbs in it?
Call me crazy but I got a lil respect for a 3,000 year old system a medecine an almost all practitioners in my country are pure herbal, apart from the mercury needles that is.
Look forward to hearin from ya,OP.
P.S. doin TCM doesn't mean ya have to buy their toothpaste, where all would ya get it anaways? I just mix ma own, brimstone an treacle, I swear by it.
(feel free to add a pinch a cilantro, did y'all know that's Chinese parsley?))

Did I ruffle your feathers Elvis?

Three colonics in 2 months is hardly worth mentioning as a use of my time, and my IV chelation was a better choice than death I felt.

Of course you are quite welcome to choose your own path to health or destruction as well. A colonic would probably mess up your meridians anyway.

I do apologize for contaminatin this thread by gettin involved in a spittin contest , OP.I'm sure ya can make up your own mind on the Chinese med. Ya prolly got smart friends.
Whats the dissertation on? I'm mighty impressd ya can do it atall what with the poisinin factor.

Ruffled feathers? Naw, I ain't a bird brain.

Hi!
First I sympathize. I'm finishing my Masters myself and was accepted at the PhD level but I was able to obtain an additional delay because of my health problems.

My advise is [color:"blue"] get the amalgam out ASAP [/color] but get the dentist to write a letter in which he or she explains the situation in details, including mercury poisoning and the fact that you can't just detoxicate in 2 days, that it is a long process and normally, the University should grant you an additional delay.

Good luck !

Zappers-- believe it or not, actually do have a place in alternative health. I have two of them -- and have actually stopped a bad cold/flu in it's tracks by using one. It was a cheap model also that only cost $10.00 but is based on Hulda Clark's instructions.

I also read about meridians. It is something to be taken seriously.

Elvis, you would just LOVE the book I am reading right now called "Energy Medicine by Donna Eden. She mentions something about meridians in that book. -- very interesting!

The ancient Chinese had alot of Wisdom . I can't say the same for our MODERN cultures---wether Western or Eastern with the toxic food additives (pet foods, etc) and Western pharmecueticals that kill.


Anyway-- if the tooth needs to be pulled, I'd have it pulled -since it is just one tooth. Maybe daily massaging the gums in that area for the rest of her life could help the meridian - as though the tooth were still there .

Also - I definitely have respect for herbal therapies and colonics and even enemas- My grandmother died of colon cancer, so I do whatever I can to help my colon stay clean. I am disgusted that in my area there are no colonic clinics. The only way I can get a colonic is through one of our many local medical hospitals-and it can only be done through doctor referral through medical insurance. One can't simply call and ask to have a colonic done unless a doctor say's it is necessary. And then- I'd be subjected to all sorts of chemicals -- it wouldn't be done the way holistic colonic specialists would do it.

Elvis, if you can get a colonic done in your area, grab the chance-- I wish it was available in my area. For now I am using other ways to clean out the colon.

I am not not joking or elaborating when I say my 'meridians' do not miss my 3 lost teeth (7 if you count the wisdom teeth).

It would seem more logical that bad teeth adversely affect your meridians, and overall health -everything call it whatever you would like, more than the loss of that bad tooth. Your 'meridians' will scream with joy.

I cannot imagine a mercury toxic person being unwilling to seek colon cleansing. Nothing is more effective, not even chelation. Chelation without colon cleansing is an oxymoron.

Boldy, there must be someone who does it near you. Call some integrative med specialists in your area or ask around at health food stores.

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much everybody for all the comments and suggestions.

Here’s my update:

I saw Dr Garcia on Wednesday. I’d been so looking forward to having my recent mercury filling out and replaced with something non-toxic (she uses cerac), but it turned out that due to admin/scheduling confusion as a result of one of the office staff being away on holiday, they had booked me for a consultation only (although on the phone, I’d been confirmed for the consultation and replacement all in one visit).

They began by taking full mouth x-rays with a special x-ray machine that emits only 10% of the usual amount of radiation. After that, Dr Garcia talked with me and gave me the following facts and recommendations:

1-The molar that has had that recent amalgam filling (that caused my body to have such a violent reaction to its toxicity) is sandwiched between a molar with an old root canal and another molar with an amalgam filling.

2-She feels the root canal tooth should be extracted.

3-Once extracted, the root canal tooth would be #1 in a trio of teeth that I’ll label thus: #1) root canal tooth, #2) recent amalgam molar, #3) an old amalgam molar.

4-Therefore, the solution--for this part of my mouth—is to have a bridge made for the empty spot where the root canal tooth was (spot #1) that would be held down by the other two amalgam teeth (spots #2 and #3), except they won’t be amalgam fillings any longer because she will replace both those amalgams with cerac.

5-Once that bridge job is done, she will go on to replace the rest of my amalgam fillings over time.

And of course the whole thing is going to be VERY expensive, but I knew it would. We can’t afford this, but have to do it anyway. Fortunately, Dr Garcia’s office has a no-interest long-term payment plan.

Fortunately, I only have the one root canal, and my total number of amalgam fillings is 8 (not 10-12 as I’d suspected from peering into my maw in the mirror).

Although I was there because I just wanted to get that latest filling out of my mouth asap (and then proceed, over time and as budget permits, with replacing all the rest of my amalgams), in the end I was glad we sat down to talk it over given the situation. This somewhat slower plan makes much more sense, because as she pointed out, I’d have to get the root canal tooth out at some point anyway (sooner rather than later; and she believes it is a causal factor in my health problems) and, if I just get the one amalgam replaced now, it would have to be re-replaced at that later point when the bridge is being done.


(On a side note, my husband pointed out that a lady who was there at the same time as us is a regular patient who had flown in from Israel to get dental treatment… we were rather impressed by what this says about Dr Garcia.)

I tried to describe all that as clearly as possible but I’ve a feeling it may not be all that clear... It does all make sense to me, though.

I now have an appointment for next month for the extraction of the root canal tooth. I couldn’t handle scheduling it any earlier than that because I have my big exam coming up. I am disappointed not to have this bloody “battery” out of my mouth by now as I’d hoped, but this whole thing—severe toxic reaction to it and ensuing research research research until I had some answers, information and a general plan {THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU RUSS AND LAURA FOR THIS AMAZING FORUM RESOURCE AND FOR ALL THE DATA AND MATERIAL YOU HAVE RPOVIDED--AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ELSE FOR SHARING ALL YOUR QUESTIONS, TRIUMPHS AND LOWS. ALL OF IT IS JUST INVALUABLE TO “NEWBIES” LIKE ME WHO ARE GROPING IN THE DARK}, has already stolen a huge amount of my studying time.

So, I’ll be off-list for a while (except for an occasional lurk and perhaps a post or 2) until my exam is done.

OP


P.S.

Hey Elvis, my area of scholarship is dance history—more specifically, death and dance in all its manifestations (dancing at funerals, dancing as grief and trauma therapy, dance in which death is represented, and the list goes on). It's not as gloomy as it sounds! A second area of specialization is world dance and dance and human migration. I’m from Montreal originally but am now back and forth between Toronto and Illinois until my PhD is finished (!) and then will be permanently in the US.

Boldylox, my grandmother, too, died of colon cancer. And I have her body (well, not literally! You know what I mean! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />) and so, especially now and as I age, I must actively try to keep that from happening to me… There’s also a lot of ovarian/reproductive cancer in the women in my family tree… I *try* not to worry, and am trying to do the right things to avert that fate… I feel *so much* for Sandi, in her battle with OC. My mother is currently battling OC as well. She was diagnosed in 1999 and is, several rounds of chemo later, still doing great, and very very healthy—KNOCK ON A MAASIVE PIECE OF WOOD (a cathedral door will do! [trivia tangent: did you know, actually, that the expression “knock on wood” originates from a custom in the middle ages wherein desperate pursued/persecuted people would knock on the cathedral door for refuge?])

Russ, I read your story: it is just amazing—a wealth of informative and inspiring material. Thank you so much for writing it all up in such rich detail and sharing it so others could benefit. And again, thank you for running this forum resource. It is such an amazing "place" and is so brilliantly providing that crucial support which is so particualrly needed when we are facing scepticism and ridicule from all around us in our dealings with people who ought to be supportive (doctors, family members, etc.). You are a giant hero in this "amalgam battle" landscape.

Re colonics, meridians and zapping… I have respect for all of these therapies/theories, although I need more information about the latter two… Interestingly, my husband tells me he had an acquaintance in Toronto who was Korean-Canadian who had two molars pulled rather than have fillings (of any kind) put in. He told my husband that he felt really great after the extractions and that this approach was common practice back in South Korea. I think that’s an interesting anecdote when you consider that the meridian system is Asian in origin. But I suppose this only goes to show that there are always going to be multiple approaches and viewpoints everywhere—just like in this forum. As you all have pointed out, seems like most of the time, for people dealing with “neglected” illnesses like ours, we have to proceed by trial and error and figure out what works best for us as individuals. Although I've been battling candida for ages (10 years +) and a host of other symptoms (textbook mercury poisoning stuff), I feel like I'm really just beginning that journey, now that I know about mercury poisoning.

sosick,
Do you think mercury is sitting around minding it's own business until you chelate it out ? Do you think it only binds to the chelators ,not your cells?Mercury is far most toxic than platics.

No, I do not think mercury sits around minding it's own business, and I have tried to make that point numerous times, repeatedly, in regard to the value of chelating even if you still have amalgams.

Mercury is more toxic than plastics only in regard to quantity really. Both are quite toxic. It irks the heck out me that dentists will use a rubber dam to drill down an amalgam filled tooth for instance, but don't blink twice when you swallow (or breathe in) plastic filings from their work.

Personally I even think there is a link between plastics and the increasingly high cancer rates of the past 50 or so years.

OP,
There are new root canal filling materials that provide a better
seal and therefore prevent infection and are non-toxic.If you pull the root canaled tooth and put in a bridge,it is likely that you will eventually lose the two teeth that will form the bridge due to nerve damage from preparing the bridge and subsequent infection .Preparing a tooth for a bridge is also more likely to fracture a tooth that placing a filling.Ofcouse someone will say that they have no problems with their bridge but they are the exception to the rule. How much money will the dentist make if she replaces your mercury fillings and redoes your root canal vs how much she makes (now and in the future ) if she places a bridge?

I was against root canals no matter what, but was surprised to discover that a biologic dentist here (possibly best in the country) seems to be taking them onboard. He would never do them once becuase of the toxicity and is trained in every aspect of biologic dentistry, travelled extensively and is in touch with like-minded dentists all across the world. He has also been on the internet involved in debating with other dentists (who still use mercury).

So there must be a way of doing them now that obviously appeals to him. He wouldn't go near it otherwise, he's ultra fussy. Here is what is said about the root canals on his website.
http://www.integrativedentalmedicine.com/ocalexic.html

a dentist in Australia that has studied in oral toxicology etc, does them also. He talks about it on his website. You maybe interested in checking this out.
http://www.shdc.com.au/?s=services&p=root-canal-treatment

So perhaps they have found a way of doing them now that far surpasses how they have been done in the past (or are still being done by some other dentists who may not be aware of the toxicity issue with them).

Thanks for the heads-up, Jill.




Like what? Can you point me towards a web page with some info on this?




Again, can you point me towards some information and data on this?

Thanks!--Much appreciated.

OP

Just clicked on the websites recommended by Bex--thanks!

Still confused though. it seems like you guys are suggesting I consider getting my existing root canal re-root-canaled as it were--is that right? (rather than having it pulled).

However, if Dr Garcia (my dentist) does do the "ocalexic root canal treatment" I imagine she would have discussed this with me. And she's one of the best (and one of very few) mercury-aware dentists available to me. I can't realistically travel further away to get the "ocalexic root canal treatment"...


But I also still don't understand about the increased likelihood of future problems with bridgework, and would really appreciate any data/info you guys have on that.

It's all new stuff to me. For some reason, I've always had trouble understanding even the basics of dentistry; now of course, with my health at stake I am on a crash course.

Again, many thanks!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I had 2 of them super -duper root canals done on old root canals and I had to have em pulled 3 months later, might could a worked first time around but I think it ain't worth the physical toll on your body/wallet. Better to feel better I'm thinkin.
Real interestin about the dance subject, dancin is life blood to me.

OP,
In order to place a bridge, the two adjacent teeth will be drilled down to almost nothing and crowned which makes them far more succeptible to nerve damage. The best discussion on this topic is in the book "Tooth Truth" by Frank Jerome which is in most public libraries.In any case ,it seems to me that if a tooth is infected it will hurt . If your root -canaled tooth does'nt hurt ,perhaps you should leave it alone for now especially if x-rays show no signs of infection.If you do eventually decide to have it pulled , you don't necessarily need to get a bridge . You can get a false tooth that is attached to the adjacent teeth without crowning those teeth.Keep in mind that dentists ,even biological ones ,always reccomend the most radical procedure possible. What's a biological dentist anyway? As opposed to what-a mechanical dentist?
Many people that I know that have had bridges say that they don't fit well.

OP,
There are many different materials and procedures for root canals . Maybe Elvis had the wrong one.

I just wanted to post quickly about the root canal issue. My lower back molar was root-canaled about 2 years ago, before I was aware of the health issues related to root canals (or mercury). I recently decided to have it re-treated rather than extracted because I am already down 4 teeth and 4 wisdom teeth (all pulled for orthodontia years ago because I have a really small mouth) and removing that tooth effectively removes my ability to chew on that side.

I struggled with the decision to pull or retreat, but I figured I would take the chance on it and I can always pull it later if necessary.

My retreatment involved getting the root canal re-treated. The endodontist used a product called bio-pure to cleanse the inside. The materials available now are supposed to be better than even 2 years ago. However, I also had the tooth treated with ozone. Interestingly, that caused a severe ache for several days as well as a headache. I believe it was killing of some of the bacteria that the bio-pure didn't touch. I will have a second ozone treatment this week and then get it sealed up. My dentist said that they will be able to test at the gums for bacteria in the future to gauge how the tooth is doing. Note that my original root canal never "hurt" me, but I believe it was very toxic, especially after the post-ozone reaction. I wouldn't use pain as a gauge of how toxic the tooth is to your body.

Jill,

Thank you so much: I've actually had a couple of long discussions about all this with my husband over the last few days who knows a lot more about all of this than I do (though he obviously is not an expert), and he reasoned persuasively exactly the same thing as you have said here. So, thank you for posting, because it gives me a second confirmation of a well-thought out persepctive.

Yeah, our feeling about the root canal tooth is that there is indeed NO rush to get it out.

And Dr Garcia does strike me as just the slightest bit overzealous in her root canal convictions (not that I necessarily disagree, just that it seemed that her wanting to pull my root cnaal tooth seemed to be a fait accompli before she even discussed my situation and needs with me).

This zeal to focus on my root canal is actually somewhat off-putting since I made the appointment to see her in order to have my mega battery-tasting filling asap, but she derailed that into a complex project that, according to her, must begin with the removal of the root canal tooth. And truth be told, she spent less than 2 minutes discussing amalgam filling issues with me in spite fo the fact that that's why i was there!

She basically waved that off, sayign vaguely, "once we get the root canal taken care of, we'll replace all your amalgam fillings." (She is on the right track, of course, but disappointingly dismissive of the issue that had brought me to see her).

What is even more frustrating about her approach here is that the timeline stretches out rather far into the distance: if I follow her protocol, I am first to get the root canal out (I scheduled this for next month; tho now I am of course in the process of serious re-evaluation of this and I think i will call to cancel), THEN I must WAIT a few months, she said, in order for the tooth socket (is that what it's called?) to heal ... and so she wouldn't start work on this bridge until OCTOBER....

I.e., she expects me to just keep sucking on this awful battery-tasting mega mercury filling until then. The more I have been thinking about it, the less confidence I feel in her judgment.

So yes, I am going to start exploring options!

I am seriously considering the false tooth option... for reasons of vanity I don't findmyself jumping for joy over this one: I'll evidently have to confront/deal with my vanity and fears of imminent "hag-ness"... lol! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

***

Hi Law Student,

Thank you, so much, for your extremely informative post as well.


So:

At this point, I am leaning towards the following scenario:

A) find a safe dentist who will remove that d**mned amalgam filling and replace it with cerec (cerec seems like the best of all evils?)

B) Let the root canal tooth be for the moment (like Law Student, mine doesn't hurt either), and when I can afford it, get it extracted and then replaced with a false tooth rather than a bridge (it's close enough to the front of my mouth that my vanity desires a "falsie")

C) get all my other amalgams safely replaced (again with cerec, I assume)

The reason i am thinking of having the root canal tooth out btw as step # 2 rather than put it as step #3 is that during the course of my talking wiht my husband about all this, we figured out that that the root canal may very well be the precursor to all my health problems (prior to the root canal, I had pretty good to excellent health, within a 6 months to a year of the root canal I experienced onset of FMS, breathing problems, MVP and several dozen more symtpms that you all know about and most of you share with me).

I don't mean to suggest that the root canal would be the only cause of my health problems. After detailed analysis of my health problems and "mystery" symptms (and ruling out all other causative factors that I and my docs are aware of) and extensive review of the available literature on mercury amalgam poisoning, there is no doubt in my mind that my body is being battered by chronic poisoning from my amalgams. yay! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Anyway, this was a very interesting realization, and in fact is what Dr Garcia had said she suspects. (Again, her views and suspicions re root canalas being a serious contributor to many people's health disorders are sound in my view, but it's just that right now, I happen to need to get the mercury filling out first before I deal with the root canal! Very sorry if I keep repeating myself. The frustration has me a little riled up.)

Alright. Sorry for the long-winded post. As always, thoughts and comments most appreciated.


OP

I pretty much had the same experience with a biological dentist... the big step in the door consultation fee... nothing gets done, he tests the teeth... one, maybe 2, of them is obviously a major electrical circuit (duh which one did I have extracted by a regular dentist... no time to wait here so sorry)... lots of advice as to what to do 2 months from that day. sent by him for allergy tests to a kinsielogist who bills me $90/hr for 2 hours of chatting about things I already know and testing with materials I already know I am sensitive to and whose testing methods were rather dubious in my opinion.

I give up. I don't mind feeling like a retard but i hate the idea paying one for advice.

Ordinary person,
If you can't afford to get all of your amalgams replaced now, you can have them removed and replaced with temporary fillings which are not toxic and which last about a year.

Oh My Goodness--[*slaps self on forehead*--why didn't I think of that? I've had temporary fillings before!]--THANK YOU SO MUCH for pointing that out, Anonymous, and saving me from plunging further into debt!

I'll DEFINITELY explore that option when I get to the dentist.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


BTW, I've been researching my options, and have found a dentist practice in the Chicago area that follows the Huggins protocol - Drs Boem and Rothchild. They're the only ones in the state (I got this info by calling the 1 800 number on Dr Huggins website).

I have made an appointment with them for next month and they are going to be obtaining my 18 x-rays from Dr Garcia's office. Somehow, I'd assumed that Dr Gracia also followed the Huggins protocol, but there you go. I feel much more comfortable now in mymind about going ahead with what needs to be done.

I'll post follow-ups as things develop.

Wishing everyone health and happiness.

OP