The cons of conventional dentistry

More seriously, it is claimed (even by a number of "alternative" dentists such as those who [commendably] practise mercury-free dentistry) that conventional but toxic dental practices are fraught with health dangers (i.e. lack consideration for the detrimental systemic effects of dental treatments such as amalgam fillings and root canals), including interfering with the capacity for self-healing inherent in your entire body, even your teeth, gums and mouth.

The many conventional dentists I've had the (rather sad) pleasure to meet did not believe nor were ever interested in helping me improve my teeth, i.e. empowering me to take charge of my dental health. Their only interest was in drilling, filling and billing. Thankfully, a few outstanding exceptions to the rule exist (though I have not personally met any of them) some of whom are quoted here. Not infrequently, these "renegade" dentists jeopardized their livelihood and career by speaking out and standing up for what they knew was the right thing to do (also compare On mercury- and toxin-free dentistry.

After years of less than positive experiences, personally I have decided to avoid dentists since I simply don’t wish to carry  foreign materials in my mouth (whether they be fillings, crowns, inlays...) with their possible or proven health hazards such as amalgam mercury and other harmful metals and/or toxic chemicals leaching into the body, radioactive contamination etc. It also appears that even the "simple" act of drilling into a tooth constitutes major trauma for the tooth thus attacked (not to mention the whole person if not benefitting from local anesthesia), comparable to an operation performed on another part of the physical body.

Two quotes from Amazon reader's reviews reflect similar experiences:

The dental schools and the American Dental Association do not have your best interests at heart. They have been causing illness, suffering, and death by refusing to acknowledge the damage done by conventional dental practices. Unfortunately, we therefore must educate ourselves. I recommend starting with [Root Canal Cover-Up] and Robert Kulacz's excellent book, The Roots of Disease. Your research may cause you cynicism and even anger when you learn what our dentists have been doing to us all these years -- and how much it will cost to UN-do their damage -- but take heart knowing that at least the damage CAN be un-done.¹

I would suggest ... to read some politics behind how the dental associations were created in order to eliminate any responsibility dentists had for protecting human body versus protecting dead teeth. Most dentists are trained and paid to be teeth savers and somewhat innocently end up becoming body killers. They don't know what they are doing."¹

A concise list of the cons of conventional dentistry

• Conventional dentistry is a symptomatic approach largely based upon surgical procedures and techniques, rather than an approach trying to address and heal the root causes. If root causes are not addressed, the disease is likely to progress.
• Conventional dentistry introduces numerous toxins into the body and thus harms human health (and the environment such as by contributing a large part of the air-borne mercury pollution load).
• The conventional dentistry practice of doing root canal treatments is accused of being responsible for, triggering or contributing to numerous chronic and degenerative diseases.
• Conventional dentistry damages the teeth themselves (such as by drilling out both decayed and sound tooth structure to lay a filling, subjecting the tooth to mechanical and chemical trauma, reducing healthy teeth to mere stubs to put in a bridge, "soaking" teeth in toxins such as mercury and other toxic metals, weakening teeth by filling them etc.).

On mercury- and toxin-free dentistry²

There are a number of very active dentists and organisations working to eliminate toxins and harmful procedures from dentistry.

Some of them are admirable "heroes" ready to risk (and indeed losing or having lost, at least temporarily) their license to practise dentistry for their convictions. The repeatedly quoted Dr. Nara is one of them, a less well-known one is Dr. Larry J. Hanus, an outspoken advocate of mercury-free dentistry who had his license suspended by Iowa's dental board³ for a whopping 13 years. His crime had been to warn patients that "silver" fillings mostly consist of the neurotoxin mercury.

No more dentists?

In conclusion of this personal introduction, a quote from renegade dentist Dr. Nara:

Someday, hopefully soon, the dental profession will become extinct... it will happen as soon as the public learns about the cause and cure of cavities and gum problems. No one I've ever known in over 30 years has not wanted to solve their own problems... once they know how."
Robert O. Nara, D.D.S.

For now, I am very grateful that there are dentists willing to undertake the dangerous work of undoing some of the damage wreaked by other dentists (as in safely removing old amalgam fillings), research less toxic materials, apply ozone to kill caries bacteria (and thus help heal cavities) and even invent techniques allowing a tooth to regenerate and/or regrow.

Footnotes by Healing Teeth Naturally

1 from an Amazon reader's review of Dr. George E. Meinig's book Root Canal Cover-Up)

2 See Links to proponents of mercury-free dentistry.

3 In application of the ADA's former gag rule [declared unconstitutional in 2002] that imposed silence upon dentists with respect to telling the truth about mercury fillings.

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On conventional dentistry's treatment arsenal