Well, thanks to Russ and Laura (and at the urging of my loving husband), I finally summoned the courage to consult with a holistic/biological mercury/metal-free dentist. Thanks, Laura for your patience during our phone chat last week!
Today I met with my new dentist. I've become quite cynical in my old age vis-a-vis doctors. I'm pleased to say that so far, this dentist managed to impress me. He instantly put me at ease and even relaxed me. Prior to my visit, I was given an 18-page medical history/questionnaire to fill out. I"ve never had any physician or dentist ask so many detailed questions about me or my family. In the past when I have gone to the trouble of filling out the occasional small questionnaire for other doctors, none appeared to ever read them. My new dentist read every single page, thanked me profusely for being honest and giving him so much of myself through information and he even asked further questions and took notes!
His opinion is that my lifetime of allergies and candida problems probably stem from amalgam illness. The candida and allergies are actually ways that my body is trying to protect itself from mercury. In the past whenever I tried to clear allergies and candida, I always got sicker because I was removing protective buffers from mercury. Not only am I mercury toxic, I am also allergic to the mercury and metals in my mouth.
The dentist said that if I wished he would do formal testing, but that his muscle testing (he used kinesiology) had never been wrong in the 25 years he's been practicing. He is also a doctor of integrative medicine and an N.D. Since I have had muscle testing done before in connection with other modalities, I knew that my body responded to it. In other words, I don't believe the body lies and I feel that with an experienced practitioner, accurate assessments can be made for certain allergies and conditions.
He said that my one root canaled tooth is toxic with a constant bacterial infection and that this infection has been draining into my body. That would explain the awful taste I have had in my mouth for so long. Again, he offered to take cultures on the area when he removes the tooth, if I want to know what type of bacterium is there.
He gave me a very thorough exam, checking the health of my teeth, gums and took panoramic x-rays of my mouth as well as bite-wing x-rays.
After doing research and also speaking with Laura (and reading her story and Russ' story), I elected to make an appointment to have my amalgams removed all at once. I have 16 amalgams. One tooth will need an onlay (and that will take two visits). On the second visit I will also have my root canaled tooth extracted (haven't decided whether I want to leave an empty space there afterwards or do something else). I also have one cavitation from a wisdom tooth extraction I had 30 years ago!
I will first need to visit with a practitioner in his office who does allergy clearings. She will try to prepare my body for the amalgam removal by attempting to remove my allergy to the metals in my mouth. Then, two weeks later I will have my amalgams removed.
There will be nutritional and supplemental recommendations made to prepare me for the removal during the allergy clearings. I'm already taking quite a few therapeutic vitamins/supplements and I feel they have helped me over the years. But they won't recommend any new supplements until they're sure I"m not allergic to them since I'm so sensitive.
The doc will give me an I.V. of Vitamin C during the procedures. And I don't know what else they will do. I'll fill you all in when as they determine what my body wants. They like to test everyone before they start making recommendations for chlorella or even garlic or anything ..... since everybody's needs and sensitivities are different. They gave me a huge folder with all kinds of interesting handouts and articles. One handout has all the teeth on a chart with corresponding meridians to the body. Each tooth affects parts of the body. Really interesting stuff. They encouraged me to keep reading, asking questions and such -- they believe that their most powerful tool is a patient who has done research. They encourage prayer, meditation, and whole body, holistic approaches in healing.
The doc is also trained in cranio-sacral therapy and uses it when necessary. They use it alot when patients have emotional releases during amalgam removal.
Anyway, I'm sure I've not been very complete in describing all this. I will learn more as I go and as I read all the handouts they gave me. Oh! Forgot to say, that this dentist will treat me and oversee further metal detox as needed (if I want). He recommended giving the body plenty of time to readjust before even attempting any sort of detox which would be on the heavy side.
I was afraid that I was too sick to have this all done. I'm sicker this year than I've ever been -- I believe it's due to extensive cleansing and killing of candida and allergy elimination while I still have amalgams. Also, this year has been very stressful emotionally -- my daughter suffered a serious injury in a car accident (broken neck) -- of which she is now healed, thank the Lord! But, I now have chronic epstein barr virus, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, recurrent bacterial infections, in addition to allergies and candida. My symptom list is long.
The dentist didn't think that I was too sick. He offered that he's done amalgam removal on people far sicker than me. He said as long as I had the mercury in my mouth and the root canal with infection and cavitation, my body would never be able to catch up. He said the goal is to remove the stressors on the immune system and the immune system should kick in. He admitted that I might need additional therapeutic help to jump start and balance my body -- whether it's due to adrenal exhaustion, further candida cleansing or whatever. We'll have to wait and see how things go and what my body reveals.
I was afraid that the people in this office would try to sell me the farm. It's a practice of many physicians, dentists and practitioners of integrative medicine and biological dentistry. I had envisioned being told that I needed to use every modality they offered and was fearful of $$$$ signs everwhere. Well, this was not the case. And that is a first for me, I gotta tell ya. They weren't trying to sell me the farm.
Meanwhile, I'm going to start taking the Algin in preparation of all this. I'm really curious to know if I'll feel any symptomatic relief even though I'm starting it prior to amalgam removal.
Here is a link to the National Integrated Health Associates practice that I went to. After my dental work, I plan to consult with one of the holistic M.D.'s there. He specializes in lyme, candida, chronic fatigue, metal detox to name a few. While I have a very good internal medicine doc -- I'd be interested to hear what a holistic physician would say.
http://www.nihadc.com/The protocols and methods recommended, offered and used are outlined with a fair amount of detail -- especially in the biological dentistry section. They give alot of info on the protocols they use for removal and follow up.
Any recommendations that you experienced, knowledgeable people here have for me would be greatly appreciated. I've learned so much from reading this forum (and also the sources -- books, etc. you 've recommended).
Finally, Russ and Laura, I'd like to thank you both for everything you have done and continue to do. There will be a very special place in heaven for you both, of this I am sure.
I'll keep you all posted as I journey forward!!!
Hugs,
SomedaySoon (a/k/a/ Sharon)
