So, do you believe it would be proper for 'wholeist' dentists to treat
GERD? Or do you think it would be more proper for them to refer to a
specialist of gastroenterology?

Adenosine

One would think by the terminology, that they would treat the mouth only as
it effects the entire organism.  However, somehow, they seem to (at least as
I have encountered) evolve into practitioners who utilize un-orthodox
methods and materials to treat patients with.  The concept of the diluted
water medicines used by holistic physicians comes to mind here.

From my POV obviously we treat one part of the body, pick you anatomical
landmarks as you see fit.  Why in the hell did we take all those courses in
school (FYJ) this does not limit our education to just dental school - we
took a few other courses too (FYJA).

No health practicioner worth his/her two cents will try to zero in on one
part of the body and ignore the whole.  The obvious is (FYJ)  to know when
there are issues outside of the scope of dental practice and get an MD to
listen and address those concerns.  When some dimwit tells you that your
mesial-buccal canal of your upper right second molar is in the same meridian
as your mojo - and that is the cure, it's time to lay rubber in the parking
lot.

Dentists are acutely aware that the part can affect the whole and vice
versa.  It is when some dipwad claims to be able to treat the whole by
addressing the part that you can find yourself in the tarpits.  That is what
a *holistic*  (choose your health care provider) does - preying on those
without hope for financial gain.

There is no excuse in this day and age for any dentist not to be aware of
these issues.  The obvious is to know when to refer and when to treat.
Every dentist practicing today IMO should be, and probably is holistic.
Just not by the standards of the crystal huggers etc............

Did I mention FYJ?

carabelli

"No tooth is worth damaging your immune system."  

The dental profession, through its leadership, has generally ignored or denied
the truth about the risks of using mercury and other metals in fillings.

The dental care profession that has managed to isolate itself from the rest of
medicine. This permits denial that the procedures and materials used in
dentistry usually result in chronic infections and toxicity that have
far-ranging, degenerative health consequences all over the body.

It's remarkable how advances in medicine are thought of as a major benefit of
modernity. Yet, considering what's going on with cancer, dentistry, AIDS, in
which politics, ego and perpetuating institutions are more important than
solutions, perhaps this time will be looked upon even less favorably than when
"leeching" was common. At least back then, it was lack of knowledge. Nowadays,
the errors are due to perversity; the knowledge exists but is disregarded to
perpetuate human power and dodge responsibility for error. Who is living in the
Dark Ages?

Dentistry has never been at the top of my list of things I would like to learn
about in this lifetime. In fact, for most of my life, dentistry has been on a
different list: "Things I would prefer not to know." But while ignorance is
bliss, ignorance can also be costly. The costs come in the form of declining
health and money spent for dental treatments that aren't in one's best
interest.

Tooth Truth provides some shocking and disturbing information about the current
practice of dentistry. By the end of the book, I could see why Dr. Frank
Jerome, D.D.S., states in his introduction, "This book is a warning to every
person that there is much danger every time they enter a dental office." The
dangers include almost every aspect of dentistry, from treatments recommended
to the materials used.

Dr. Jerome states, "It is common knowledge among dentists that over 95 percent
of all dental treatments are optional." It is important, therefore, that the
patient have the information to discern which of these treatments might be
beneficial and which might not. Tooth Truth is a book for the consumer, a
dental primer, providing an understanding of dental techniques and materials so
that informed decisions can be made when your dentist makes recommendations.

For most people, the normal course of action is to accept a dentist's
recommendations, have the treatment done, and then forget about it. In
contrast, Tooth Truth provides a broader perspective, letting us know the
consequences of a particular treatment ten years later so that we can decide
whether or not it is wise to have a particular treatment in the first place.

For example, if you know that crowning a tooth increases the probability of
needing a root canal later, then you might choose not to have a tooth crowned.
Dr. Jerome explains how damaging it is to remove all of a tooth's enamel in
order to crown a tooth. Furthermore, we learn that twenty percent of all
crowned teeth die. Once the tooth dies, most dentists will want to do a root
canal.

Rather than having a tooth crowned, Dr. Jerome suggests either a composite
filling or an onlay. An onlay is bonded to the top of the tooth and allows more
of the enamel to remain intact. An onlay is far less damaging to the tooth than
a crown, yet dentists are less likely to suggest this option. Dentists are
taught that they need to "do more crowns to increase practice profitability."

In fact, in quite a variety of areas, dentists do not seem to take into account
the toxicity of the treatment being recommended. An example of this is the
continued use of mercury in fillings. Dr. Jerome explores the use of mercury in
dentistry and discusses its toxicity. Mercury is poisonous to the body, and has
been proven to cause birth defects.

In addition to the health threats that mercury poses, the disposal of the
mercury-containing amalgam is a noticeable threat to our environment. The
mercury-containing amalgam filling is considered hazardous waste before it is
put in your mouth, and it is also considered hazardous waste if the filling is
ever removed from your mouth. (Yet, somehow it is considered safe while it is
in your mouth!) A newspaper reports that 25 percent of the mercury in the air
in Denmark comes from crematoriums. Mercury enters the sewers from dental
offices and contaminates the environment. Some dental offices in Europe are
required to use mercury separators on their sewer lines, but there is no such
requirement in the United States.

As it turns out, it is actually quite common to find toxic elements in dental
materials. Porcelain, for example, commonly has radioactive material added to
help give it luminescence. Nickel, which is carcinogenic, is commonly found in
braces and crowns.

In addition to toxic materials, dentists frequently recommend toxic procedures
as well. An example of this is the root canal. Since the philosophy of
dentistry is to "save every tooth," root canals are frequently recommended in
spite of the fact that root canals are a heavy burden on the immune system.
According to Dr. Jerome, the acute infection in the tooth may subside, but a
chronic infection continues and the bacteria continue to produce toxins.

In contrast to the "save every tooth" philosophy, Dr. Jerome's philosophy is
"no tooth is worth damaging your immune system." Dr. Jerome recommends having
the tooth pulled rather than leaving the dead tooth in your mouth. In addition,
he discusses the importance of properly cleaning the tooth socket after a tooth
is extracted.

Those who are familiar with Dr. Hulda Clark's books (The Cure for All Cancers,
The Cure for HIV and AIDS, etc.) will recognize this philosophy. In fact, it
was through Dr. Clark's books that I first learned about Dr. Jerome, as Dr.
Clark interviews Dr. Jerome in all of her books. Because of this connection
between Drs. Jerome and Clark, I assumed that Dr. Jerome's new edition of Tooth
Truth would have the same dental recommendations as Dr. Clark's latest book The
Cure for All Advanced Cancers [see The New Times, September 2000 issue for
review].

As it turns out, they have different recommendations in the area of fillings.
Dr. Clark recommends laboratory-processed composite inlays (cured according to
the procedure in The Cure for All Advanced Cancers so that no toxins can seep),
while Dr. Jerome uses the composite Visiofil. This is a major difference in
recommendations, and Dr. Clark devotees will want to take note of this
difference.

However, in spite of this difference, Tooth Truth contains a wealth of
information that can benefit everyone. Such technical distinctions and details
may seem like too much information for the average dental patient, but, given
the current practice of dentistry, it is no longer advisable that we blindly
follow a dentist's recommendations. For the preservation of our health, it is
essential that we become informed consumers in the area of dental care. Tooth
Truth provides the details of dentistry to help us make those informed
decisions.