Amalgam is fazing out

Amalgam was used in dentistry since forever, but lately it has been the subject of a lot of controversies and criticism. In an era when we are trying to be more health-conscious and more environmentally friendly - it is harder and harder to justify the use of amalgam any more. If this is the first time you hear about it - here is the skinny: amalgam is 50% mercury, now google "Is mercury toxic?" and brace yourself for some nightmares.
So lately European Union came up with a 3 year plan to faze out amalgam, starting with a virtual ban  for children under 15 years old, also pregnant and breastfeeding women as of July 1, 2018.
Hopefully some of those changes and rules will come in US soon, especially when these days we have so many better alternatives. Needless to say, our office has never used amalgam, we only use tooth colored composite fillings, we remove old silver-mercury in a safe environment for the Patient and for our staff. Safe removal of amalgam is becoming more and more popular especially with health-minded and environmentally conscious Patients, but for children and future Mothers too.
Using less amalgam and mercury is good for everyone, for Patients, for dental professionals and staff and for the environment too. Our office had amalgam traps and filters for years, from back when no one cared about this or required any standards. Our traps and filters get picked up and recycled or responsibly disposed, we don't pollute our city's or county sewers that eventually end up in the ocean, and we are proud of that!
But also there is a social injustice factor, that very few would think about. Since only amalgam fillings are covered by most insurance plans (composite fillings get downgraded and only partially covered) what happens is that lower income Patients are more likely to receive silver-mercury fillings. That goes for lower income children or Mothers too, and this is not fair.
It's time to end this and our office is proudly only using tooth colored, composite fillings (that happen to be BPA and gluten-free too), we are also SMART certified,
please check our website or give us a call for more info.

Not all x-rays are equal

How many times have you said "I love my dentist!"? How many times have you heard others saying - "I've been going to the same dentist for the last 20 years"? We hear these all the time, at every promotion we do, at every event, at every fair or convention we participate.
There is nothing wrong with that, your dentist knows your medical/dental history, they proposed and performed most of your dental treatments, they took care of your emergency pain when it happened.
And of course you love them for that!
This becomes a problem only when your dentist uses the same equipment and procedures as 20 years ago. This is something that you might not even notice since you've only been in the same office all your life. A lot of materials and equipment changed for the better lately, they are more health-conscious and environmentally friendly. Between the BPA free resin to low radiation x-ray machines there are a lot of improvements in dental offices in United States in the last decades.
We use digital sensors connected to computers these days instead of films for example, since they need less radiation and have instant exposure. Meaning that the dentist and you can see the x-rays on the screen in just a second, and you have the option to enlarge or change the contrast and brightness to be able to see the smallest cracks or cavities right in front of your eyes. The old films are as small as your watch, good luck seeing anything there!
The x-ray machines have similar settings these days and the sensor/computer setting should be 0.100 and 0.50 for children, as seen in the picture above. At least look for the computer or sensor symbol to make sure it's set up right. If you see a different symbol or higher numbers on the x-ray machine display or you see them using films - ask your dentist why and if they can change the settings. If they can't offer the lower radiation option you should refuse to receive higher radiation for every exposure they will take of your teeth.
There is a better, healthier way to do dentistry today and you shouldn't downgrade your oral health care just because you got used to go to the same dentist as your Father did. If they can't upgrade their skills and educate for the latest technology - they don't deserve your trust with your dental care needs, or your business. If they don't upgrade their equipment and their education for the better - it's because they want to pocket the money instead.
Try to find a dental office where they provide a better, healthier service, geared towards preventing problems rather than treating them. Yes, you can take care of your problems when they are incipient and easier to treat with less pain and inexpensive, before they become the big problems that will empty your wallet. For more info or to learn more about preventive dentistry please visit our website at https://www.alisoviejodental.com/

Why Biological Dentistry?

Biological Dentistry is not another specialty (like Cosmetic Dentistry) but rather a philosophy that can apply to all the subcategories of dental and to health care in general. It means to always seek the safest, least toxic and invasive way to accomplish the treatment, while treading as lightly as possible on the patient’s Biological terrain. Biological Dentistry also implies a more biocompatible approach to oral health.

There are now so many new ways to make dentistry work better, using modern technologies and biocompatible materials! It's our duty to advocate for the overall well-being of our Patients so we make biocompatibility a high priority in our office.
Everyone accepts that mercury is toxic, handling and disposal are strictly regulated. But if you have mercury in your mouth that is somehow OK apparently. We believe that your fillings should be made out of safe, biocompatible materials and we safely remove and dispose your old amalgam/mercury fillings.

In addition to using less toxic dental materials, we recognize the fact that Patients vary in their biochemical and immunological responses. The more a person suffers from allergies, environmental sensitivity, or autoimmune diseases, the more important Biological Dentistry becomes.
Public health science has failed over the years to verify a protective effect of water fluoridation on children’s teeth. Besides, more and more of the water we drink comes from bottles, it's filtered by our fridge or is coconut water, so dumping fluoride (a toxic byproduct actually, not naturally occurring) in all the water seems useless. Meanwhile, evidence of harmful effects of fluoride accumulation in our bodies continues to mount. There are safer products out there now that that have beneficial effects, we prefer those to fluoride.

In the old days, when the only restorative materials were amalgam or gold, and the only esthetic material were denture teeth, our profession had a hard time. Today, we can do better dentistry, in a less toxic, more individualized, more environmentally friendly way than ever. We have as many choices of attitude before us as we do techniques and materials. When you choose a Biological Dentist you know you are getting the safest experience for your overall health! Call us at 949-425-1447 for more info or visit us at http://www.AlisoViejoDental.com/