Cent4dent Blog

In the Fall 1999 Journal of Public Health Dentistry, dental researcher and former dental journal editor Brian A. Burt, Ph.D., M.P.H., B.D.Sc., University of Michigan Emeritus Professor, writes:

“It is therefore concluded that the risks of using supplements in infants and young children outweigh the benefits. Because alternative forms of fluoride for high-risk individuals exist, fluoride supplements should no longer be used for young children in North America.”(8)

To read the entire article,

click here

Our website also has a tremendous amount of information on this topic, click here:

The date is rapidly approaching for the FDA to ban Mercury Fillings. Thanks to the tireless work of Charles Brown, counsel to Consumers for Dental Choice, the population will soon learn (finally) that silver fillings, really aren’t silver, but made of the most toxic naturally occurring substance on earth, Mercury.

To read this entire article, click here:
To learn more about the issue, visit the mercury links page of our website, click here.
Lawyers, read this essay about mercury filling torts, click here.

I am often asked by friends and patients, “Who is YOUR dentist”?

I must tell you that Dr. Steven Markus has been my friend and dentist for many years. His expertise goes without saying and his kindness and genuine desire to be of help to his patients is legendary. Like many great people Dr. Steve is a character, funny, smart and good company. You could not be in better company in a dental office than to have Dr. Markus and his experienced team help you to be dentally healthy and to make your smile something to smile about.

Sander White DDS

Sandy White

Sander White DDS

2193 West Chester Pike

Broomall, PA 19008

ScienceDaily (May 20, 2009) — The inactivated flu vaccine does not appear to be effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations in children, especially the ones with asthma. In fact, children who get the flu vaccine are more at risk for hospitalization than their peers who do not get the vaccine, according to new research that will be presented on May 19, at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego.

Flu vaccine (trivalent inactivated flu vaccine—TIV) has unknown effects on asthmatics.
“The concerns that vaccination maybe associated with asthma exacerbations have been disproved with multiple studies in the past, but the vaccine’s effectiveness has not been well-established,” said Avni Joshi, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. “This study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the TIV in children overall, as well as the children with asthma, to prevent influenza-related hospitalization.”

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend annual influenza vaccination for all children aged six months to 18 years. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (3rd revision) also recommends annual flu vaccination of asthmatic children older than six months.

In order to determine whether the vaccine was effective in reducing the number of hospitalizations that all children, and especially the ones with asthma, faced over eight consecutive flu seasons, the researchers conducted a cohort study of 263 children who were evaluated at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota from six months to 18 years of age, each of whom had had laboratory-confirmed influenza between 1996 to 2006. The investigators determined who had and had not received the flu vaccine, their asthma status and who did and did not require hospitalization. Records were reviewed for each subject with influenza-related illness for flu vaccination preceding the illness and hospitalization during that illness.

They found that children who had received the flu vaccine had three times the risk of hospitalization, as compared to children who had not received the vaccine. In asthmatic children, there was a significantly higher risk of hospitalization in subjects who received the TIV, as compared to those who did not (p= 0.006). But no other measured factors—such as insurance plans or severity of asthma—appeared to affect risk of hospitalization.

“While these findings do raise questions about the efficacy of the vaccine, they do not in fact implicate it as a cause of hospitalizations,” said Dr. Joshi. “More studies are needed to assess not only the immunogenicity, but also the efficacy of different influenza vaccines in asthmatic subjects.”

For further information visit the vaccines and autism pages of our website.

Subject: [ACEsthetics] Steve Markus/Inside Dentistry

Hey Steve, that was an incredible article in the May 09 Inside Dentistry. Everyone should read it !!!!

It was a monster effort and so well done . That’s the problem with too many journals , the good stuff can get overlooked . I got a lot out of it , especially the anterior tx. Man , you’re hot!!!!!!!!!

Lorin Berland, DDS Dallas

To see the article, visit our website, and query the word bulimia.

Shareholder challenges, legal risks, growing for Danaher/Kerr, #1 amalgam mfr

Danaher Corp., whose subsidiary Kerr is the largest manufacturer of toxic mercury amalgam, faces the twin specters of shareholder dissatisfaction and litigation exposure.

1. Shareholders oppose Danaher’s pro-amalgam policy

Sister Valerie Heinonen of the Ursuline Sisters, Michael Bender of the Mercury Policy Project, and I attended the Danaher annual meeting on May 5, presenting our resolution that the corporation consider a phase-out of manufacturing amalgam. Our proposal got 16.49% of the shareholder vote, an astonishingly high number for a first-time out. Clearly, many shareholders want Danaher to give amalgam the heave-ho.

President Obama tells agencies to stop pre-empting victim remedies

In a reversal of Bush Administration policies, President Obama has directed agencies to preserve consumer remedies when it writes regulations. This is one advantage of the FDA rule issuing this year rather than last. (The Supreme Court has ruled that consumer remedies are pre-empted with Class III devices, Riegel v. Medtronic, 552 U.S.__ (2008), but allowed with Class II devices, Medtronic v. Lohr, 518 U.S. 470 (1996)).

3. Throughout 2009, Consumers for Dental Choice has been laying the groundwork for litigation should Danaher continue to dig in its heels

* At the annual meeting last month, I presented a memorandum to each member of Danaher’s board of directors, stating why Danaher should exit manufacturing mercury amalgam, highlighting the legal exposure. www.toxicteeth.org/DHR_presenttn_5-5-09.doc

* In January, I wrote the general counsel of Danaher, laying out why Danaher was acting against the interest of its own shareholders in protecting amalgam. www.toxicteeth.org/Brown_to_Graham_Jan-4-2009.doc

*Also in January, two trial lawyer association journals published my article presenting a blueprint for litigation against Danaher and the other major manufacturers, Dentsply and Vivadent. www.toxicteeth.org/mercury_fillings_toxic_tort_2009.pdf

Danaher has both tarnished its reputation and increased its legal exposure by mounting a callous defense of two-tiered dentistry (what an NAACP witness before Congress called “choice for the rich and mercury for the poor”); www.toxicteeth.org/Danaher_supports_Two-Tiered_dentistry.doc At the Danaher board meeting, we challenged — and we will continue to challenge — this immoral position.

Charlie

30 May 2009

Charles G. Brown, National Counsel
Consumers for Dental Choice
316 F St., N.E., Suite 210, Washington, DC 20002
Ph. 202.544-6333; fax 202.544-6331
charlie@toxicteeth.org,
www.toxicteeth.org
Working for Mercury-Free Dentistry

For Further information, visit the mercury links page of our website.

Birmingham Post
05-21-09
Experts have issued a warning against drinking large quantities of cola, saying it could lead to muscle problems, an irregular heartbeat and bone weakness.

The number of cola lovers suffering health issues is on the rise, they said, adding there had been a food industry push towards an “increase in portion sizes”.

As well as tooth decay, diabetes and “softening” of the bones, doctors have seen patients suffering from hypokalaemia where potassium levels in the blood drop too low.

This can increase the risk of muscle problems and heart rhythm abnormalities, which could prove fatal in some cases. “We are consuming more soft drinks than ever before and a number of health issues have already been identified including tooth problems, bone demineralisation and the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes,” said Dr Moses Elisaf, from the University of Ioannina in Greece, who led an academic review of the issue.

“Evidence is increasing to suggest that excessive cola consumption can also lead to hypokalaemia, in which the blood potassium levels fall, causing an adverse effect on vital muscle functions.” His study, published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, detailed cases where patients drank two or more litres of cola a day.

In one case, a 21-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to the hospital suffering tiredness, loss of appetite and repeated vomiting. The patient had consumed more than three litres of cola per day for the previous six years and was found to be suffering from severe hypokalaemia and a heart blockage.
Once she was taken off cola and given potassium replacement substances, she made a full recovery.
Other case studies of people drinking between two and nine litres of cola a day found they suffered muscle problems ranging from “mild weakness to profound paralysis”.

The authors said their findings were relevant because we now live in an era when the food industry sells drinks in large sizes. One theory is that the sugar content of cola could lead the kidneys to excrete too much potassium, while another is that the caffeine content of cola leads to a redistribution of potassium in the body’s cells or increased excretion from the body.
The most common ingredients in cola drinks are glucose, fructose and caffeine, Dr Elisaf said.

“The individual role of each of these ingredients in the pathophysiology of cola-induced hypokalaemia has not been determined and may vary,” he added. “However, in most of the cases we looked at for our review, caffeine intoxication was thought to play the most important role.

“This has been borne out by case studies that focus on other products that contain high levels of caffeine but no glucose or fructose. Despite this, caffeine-free cola products can also cause hypokalaemia because the fructose they contain can cause diarrhoea.”

Dr. Markus comments: What this fails to address is the amount of mercury that a child will be exposed to due to the fact that with rampant decay, and the expense of treating it, parents often opt for the least costly material, dental mercury amalgam fillings. Without informed consent as to the hazzards these fillings can be, dentists worldwide place them in the mouths of unsuspecting children.

For more information visit these pages:

Dr. Markus addresses the ADA about the presence of soda machines in schools >>>

City Council of Philadelphia mandates informed consent >>>>>

Re: AMALGAM BILL IN PHILADELPHIA
Bill No. 040904, The Use of Mercury in Dentistry

This bill is scheduled for a vote by City Council on Thursday, November 15, sometime between 9 a.m. and noon.

Dear Council:
I understand that there is an email and fax campaign attempting to undermine the hard work that Consumers for Dental Choice has done here in Philadelphia. I encourage you to study the science and not accept the diatribe that the ADA and its lemmings put forward about the fact that the dental fillings which contain 50% mercury (the most toxic, naturally-occurring substance on the planet) is safe for the environment, and becomes inert once placed in the mouth.

If that were true, why would the ADA have been telling dentists for decades to keep unused scraps of filling material in a tightly-closed glass jar, under a high specific gravity fluid, like antifreeze? Why would they be encouraging dentists to install mercury separators on their buildings to remove mercury before it hits the sewage treatment facilities?

I encourage you to visit the mercury links page of my website www.cent4dent.com, to learn why when in September of 2006, the FDA panel convened to determine mercury safety voted 13-7 against the hypothesis that mercury fillings were safe. The chief argument of the pro-mercury side was not safety, but cost.

I questioned the panel as to what they felt the decrease in cost would be on the medical side of the ledger, with all the savings anticipated due to the unnecessary medical treatments that are being rendered to treat patients for symptoms that their physicians have failed to recognize as mercury poisoning.

Stephen J Markus, DMD FACE
http://www.cent4dent.com
http://www.SmileSouthJersey.com
drmarkus@cent4dent.com

Journal of Periodontology, American Journal of Cardiology develop clinical recommendations on treatment of periodontitis, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
June 2, 2009

CHICAGO, Illinois–Cardiovascular disease, the leading killer in the United States, is a major public health issue that contributes to 2,400 deaths each day.

Periodontal disease, a chronic inflammatory disease that destroys the bone and tissues that support the teeth, affects nearly 75 percent of Americans and is the major cause of adult tooth loss. While the prevalence rates of these disease states seem grim, research suggests that managing one disease may reduce the risk for the other.

A consensus paper on the relationship between heart disease and gum disease was recently developed by the American Academy of Periodontology and The American Journal of Cardiology. The paper is published concurrently in the online versions of the AJC, a peer-reviewed journal circulated to 30,000 cardiologists, and the Journal of Periodontology, the official publication of the AAP.

Developed in concert by cardiologists and periodontists, the paper includes clinical recommendations for medical and dental professionals to use in managing patients living with, or who are at risk for, either disease. As a result of the paper, cardiologists may now examine a patient’s mouth, and periodontists may begin asking questions about heart health and family history of heart disease.

Specific clinical recommendations include:

* Patients with periodontitis who have one known major atherosclerotic CVD risk factor such as smoking, immediate family history for CVD, or history of dyslipidemia should consider a medical evaluation if they have not done so within the past 12 months.

* A periodontal evaluation should be considered in patients with atherosclerotic CVD who have: signs or symptoms of gingival disease, significant tooth loss, and unexplained elevation of hs-CRP or other inflammatory biomarkers.

* A periodontal evaluation of patients with atherosclerotic CVD should include a comprehensive examination of periodontal tissues, as assessed by visual signs of inflammation and bleeding on probing, loss of connective tissue attachment detected by periodontal probing measurements, and bone loss assessed radiographically. If patients have untreated or uncontrolled periodontitis, they should be treated with a focus on reducing and controlling the bacterial accumulations and eliminating inflammation.

* When periodontitis is newly diagnosed in patients with atherosclerotic CVD, periodontists and physicians managing patients’ CVD should closely collaborate in order to optimize CVD risk reduction and periodontal care.

The clinical recommendations were developed at a meeting held in early 2009 of top opinion leaders in cardiology and periodontology. The consensus paper also summarizes the scientific evidence that links periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease and explains the underlying biologic and inflammatory mechanisms that may be the basis for the connection.

According to Kenneth Kornman, DDS, PhD, editor of the Journal of Periodontology and a co-author of the consensus report, the cooperation between the cardiology and periodontal communities is an important first step in helping patients reduce their risk of these associated diseases.

“Inflammation is a major risk factor for heart disease, and periodontal disease may increase the inflammation level throughout the body,” Dr. Kornman said. “Since several studies have shown that patients with periodontal disease have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, we felt it was important to develop clinical recommendations for our respective specialties. Therefore, you will now see cardiologists and periodontists joining forces to help our patients.”

While additional research will help identify the precise relationship between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease, recent emphasis has been placed on the role of inflammation–the body’s reaction to fight off infection, guard against injury or shield against irritation.

While inflammation initially intends to have a protective effect, untreated chronic inflammation can lead to dysfunction of the affected tissues, and therefore to more severe health complications.

“Both periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease are inflammatory diseases, and inflammation is the common mechanism that connects them,” said Dr. David Cochran, DDS, PhD, president of the AAP and chair of the Department of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

“The clinical recommendations included in the consensus paper will help periodontists and cardiologists control the inflammatory burden in the body as a result of gum disease or heart disease, thereby helping to reduce further disease progression, and ultimately to improve our patients’ overall health. That is our common goal.”

For more information read the Floss or Die pages of our website.