Fluoride with Lead: A Toxic Combination

According to a recent report published by the Fluoride Action Network, fluoridation chemicals added to public water supplies can leach lead from water pipes and increase lead levels in children’s blood. The report, produced in light of the current lead poisoning crisis in Flint, Michigan, explains that fluorosilicic acid (the chemical that fluoridates the drinking water) intensifies the corrosion from lead pipes and fixtures.

Fluorosilicic acid is a caustic fluoride byproduct of the commercial fertilizer industry and is added to public water supplies, including Flint’s, in a failed effort to prevent tooth decay. (See our many posts on Fluoride at The Brand Wellness Center website that explain this.) Even though lead water pipes were banned in 1986, these pipes are still in use throughout the nation’s water supply infrastructure.

Keeping tooth decay at bay: A holistic approach to preventing and treating cavities

One of the most rewarding aspects of dental practice is helping patients avoid oral problems. I know that even a simple cavity can cause physical discomfort, emotional stress related to appearance, and wellness of the whole person – body, mind, and spirit – I take the wellbeing of each patient seriously. I believe in preventing and treating tooth decay with a holistic approach.

concern over treatment cost and taking time off of work. As a healer concerned with the

How tooth decay occurs

Your teeth are covered with a thin coating of enamel, which protects the underlying porous dentin structure. Enamel is incredibly strong, but it is not impermeable. Your mouth is home to hundreds of strains of bacteria. Many are beneficial; they help to break foods down for digestion. However, like any living organism, as bacteria eat, they excrete. In this case the excretion is quite acidic. It combines with acids from sugars in sweet foods and carbohydrates, sticking to teeth in a gooey film of plaque. These acids infiltrate microscopic tubules in tooth enamel and begin to dissolve its mineral compound. The result is tiny lesions that, without care, eventually become holes in your teeth – dental caries, tooth decay, or cavities.

Skeptics ask, “Why consider amalgam removal?”

Dental amalgam has been used in the United States to fill cavities since before the Civil War. In those early days, the material was inexpensive. Even today, some dentists prefer amalgam because fillings can be completed quickly. Prep work doesn’t require a lot of finesse – the dentist simply drills out a substantial portion of tooth structure and presses the malleable material into place. Plus, amalgam lasts a long time. However, these “silver” fillings actually contain only a tiny bit of silver. This combination of metals includes about 50 percent mercury. Many health-conscious patients are choosing to have amalgam fillings removed because of the implications of having one of the most toxic elements known to mankind situated a few inches from the brain. Yet doubters continue to ask, “Why consider amalgam removal?” Let’s take a look at some of their common contentions, from a holistic perspective.

Skeptic claim #1 – “Mercury is harmless in an alloy.”

An alloy is a combination of metallic elements. Dental amalgam is an alloy of copper, tin, and silver, with mercury as a binding agent. Mercury does not become inert in this mixture. Friction (chewing, biting, and grinding) allows mercury vapor to escape from amalgam and be absorbed into the lungs, digestive tract, and soft tissues of the mouth.