What about the use of ultraviolet light for dental bonding?

Probably pretty safe if you don't stare at the light source. We switched from UV to 540 angstrom unit wave length visible blue light in '73 and doubt anyone uses UV no mo'.

Our dentist, the only one I've ever met (other than you) whose integrity I fully trusted, currently uses sealants on the teeth of my sons. Would you comment on their use, please? I should add that my children have no cavities whatsoever at ages twelve and nine.

Congratulations on creating kids with healthy mouths! You're doin' something right!! And more congrats on only meeting one dentist in your life. I've met thousands due to my involvements with Dad's dental supply & manufacturing businesses all my life & my activities since '72 & can assure you that none of us are sane (perhaps a result of breathing mercury vapor while removing that toxin from folks' teeth?). We vary only in our ability to hide our insanity. You may have noticed I've never developed that ability.

Plastics for sealing teeth to prevent cavities are mostly derivatives of unfilled Bis-GMA resins. Nothing magic about them. We etch the teeth with 37% phosphoric acid and paint on the resins, usually light cured. They bond to the microscopically roughened enamel and seal the defects (pits and fissures) in the biting surface of the teeth. They work. They seal out bacteria and their food supply. They don't prevent cavities on the smooth surfaces between teeth.

The Hygienic way to avoid the use of sealants is to attain optimum health through the total NH lifestyle so that all systems of the body are working optimally and the natural flow of fluid from within the tooth to the outside will prevent any toxins from bacteria or other sources from entering the tooth. Toothbrush and floss is completely ineffective in preventing cavities in those pits and fissures 'cause the defects are narrower than the bristles of the brush, so if you or your kids are going to eat sucrose and live unhealthfully, the sealants are an excellent band-aid approach to prevent lots of cavities. I've used them successfully since 1971. Close to 100% of our government-educated modern Americans prefer expensive band-aids like dental sealants and root-form implants and coronary bypass surgery to healthful living changes. With kids on the Standard American Diet (S.A.D), we recommend sealing any deep pits (some kids don't have the pits). If you respect your dentist's integrity, I'd follow her/his recommendations.

Please comment on titanium crowns.

Pure titanium is one of the most bio-compatible materials known & it's been used for at least a quarter century to replace many internal body parts, including tooth roots (implants) and it can be cast accurately to fit the dies on which crowns are made, so I suspect it would make a great material for crowns. I've had limited experience (i.e., none) with any dental hardware other than implants made of titanium. Pure titanium's likely a bit too soft for crowns or onlays, so you'd probably have them made from an alloy, which brings us back to additional metals. I've been spoiled since 1978 by having our own technician in-office. Presently it's not practical for in-office labs to cast titanium, so the advantages in quality and communication far outweigh the unknown advantages of titanium alloy over gold alloy for my restorations.

How often do your patients ask you questions about what you're putting in their mouths? Is there any lay publication we can read to get informed?

In 30 years of clinical dentistry NO ONE (team, client, NO ONE) has ever asked me about references for dental composite restorative materials, which is why I know of no "lay publication" to which to refer you. Apparently there's ZERO interest. "Normal" folks don't care what materials their dentist sticks in their mouths. That's one of the reasons I like us abnormal Hygienist-types! I've delegated research and selection of these sorts of products (ones that a solo dental practice can't accurately research) to Drs. Gordon and Rella Christensen of Clinical Research Associates in Provo, Utah. They're impeccably honest and I've known them and their organization for a quarter century.

How's a consumer to know what's put into his body?

Ask.... and find out your dentist, his lab and the manufacturer may not know either and if any of you DO, no one knows what's the 'best' material for a given situation (best dentistry is NO dentistry; that should result from Hygienic living, if it's started early enough, perhaps with one's great-grandparents). Perhaps one of the best understandable, reputable and up-to-date reference is the five-volume Clark's Clinical Dentistry, which ought to be available at your local Dental School Library if your dentist doesn't own a copy (most dentists don't, because it isn't Òrequired" and costs about $500 plus $175/year for updates, so, unless your dentist really cares about being current he probably doesn't own one -- This might be a good way to select a dentist: call and ask to read part of his Clark's Clinical Dentistry to find out if there's a copy in the office).

Will you comment on the health of teeth in regards to the World Population Diet.

I don't know what the WPD is. Every study I know of has shown that the closer humans stick to their aboriginal, natural food intake, the healthier are their teeth. This has been shown in every primitive society ever studied. As soon as we Europeans intrude upon the noble savage and introduce religion, clothing, sugar and processed food, their teeth go to hell. The closer the natives live to the trading post, the worse the health of their teeth. The studies by Page, Price, Pottenger mentioned in these hallowed pages by Dr. Bass and in the M2M by many others are probably amongst the best references. The history of the increase in dental caries (decay, cavities) seems to parallel the history of the increase in sugar consumption, which parallels the history of the increase in processed foods.

Probably our worldwide "uninformed dietary experiment", begun around 1900 when our ancestors developed the technology to feed enough livestock to enable "civilized" folks to shift from a plant-based diet to the present animal/salt/grease/sugar/chemical-based diet. I'd guess we're parallelling the "fifth generation stage" of Dr. Pottenger's experiment with all those cats, where the chronic diseases are beginning to affect people BEFORE the age of reproduction. This will probably produce a large percentage of sterile humans who won't be swelling our population. The population might even decline closer to the perhaps one billion the earth can comfortably accommodate (down considerably from the present 5 billion!). The good news in that scenario is that it might just buy us humans enough time to discover the other earth-like planets & the technology to migrate. Did I get off the subject of dentistry? Please forgive. I think humans are important & would like to believe they'll succeed!

Would you say that problems with teeth may serve as a valuable signal for overall health?

Yup, the mouth seems to be a barometer of the overall health of the body, although I doubt it's any more significant a barometer than any other part. It's just that the mouth is so accessible compared to the internal organs. Iridologists, for example have studies to support the idea that the iris of the eye is an even more specific barometer of the rest of the body & acupuncturists can study the whole body thru the ear lobe & reflexologists can diagnose the body thru the sole of the foot & supposedly the various meridians connect individual teeth to all the organs so I should be able to diagnose pancreatic problems depending on which tooth seems to be rotting first, etc.. Because of my weird profession, I've been researching this subject since 1/90, through the ANHS library, ADA and CDA libraries and a few medical libraries. VERY little has been written on the subject, so I've been organizing a report on this connection that's still in the 'illegible scribble' stage.

What about instinctive eating, consuming only foods that taste good by themselves?

That's been my practice for a few years, although I hadn't given it much thought. Just seemed simpler to eat what tasted good rather than adding pinches of this and that to enhance taste of stuff that doesn't taste good enough. I suppose anopsologists would agree, yes? AND....I LIKE it!! since '90 I been eating WHATEVER I WANT, WHENEVER I WANT & AS MUCH AS I WANT!! and people accuse me of depriving myself!!?! Most of those people do the same thing & feel guilty for wanting poisons & they think I'm beating myself up 'cause I no longer want poisons!?! People are sure curious animals. I guess "free will" does that. Animals NEVER consider eating poisons. "Civilized" humans seem to eat more poisons than food. Strange?

Can lemon juice cause cavities?

I believe cavities are caused first by a stasis or reversal of the fluid flow through the teeth. In health, fluid flows outward from the pulp, through the dentinal tubules, 'twixt the enamel rods to the surface of the tooth. In dis-health, after eating toxins such as sugar, drugs, processed "foods," the fluid flow stops or even reverses, sucking resident bacteria and their nutrients into the tooth. The actual carious lesion (cavity) probably results from the highly acid toxic by-products those bacteria produce from their metabolizing of sugars, etc. Strong acids DO dissolve your enamel 'cause it has a high mineral content. Lemon juice is a fairly strong citric acid, and I have seen considerable demineralization and dissolution of enamel in mouths of folks who habitually sucked on lemons for many years. Not decay, just eroded enamel and exposed, sensitive dentin.

Incidentally, RAPID enamel loss is MOST obvious in the mouths of bulemics who regularly rinse with the battery acid they regurgitate from their perverted li'l tummies. Each case shows a unique & consistent pattern of enamel dissolution; lemon suckers lose enamel from the font of the teeth, chronic vomiters lose the enamel on the backs of their front teeth. As the enamel thins, the dentin begins to show. Since the dentin is darker, people often respond by using ever more abrasive tooth powders & pastes, thus wearing the enamel even thinner & exposing even more of the dark enamel. Human behavior must delight the gods, eh?

I had a terrific experience with a dentist when I was a kid. He hypnotized me and then filled four cavities, and to this day I don't remember a thing. This was my only dental experience as a boy that wasn't marked with pain and bad memories. I understand acupressure and acupuncture and other alternatives can be effectively used in modern dentistry

Yes. My wife, Lou and I studied medical hypnosis in a five-week course when we lived in San Francisco in '71, expecting to use it extensively in dentistry. We don't. Yes, we use acupressure, auricular electro-acupuncture, and electro-anesthesia & have done so for years. All very little.

Why so little? Takes excessive time to introduce the procedures, folks are not familiar with these things, initiation and setup take more time than many people are willing to invest. I was extremely surprised & disappointed by the lack of interest most people have in these alternatives to getting poked with a sharp stick & having toxins injected into their bodies. The results of several generations of "education" inflicted by government-controlled schools & media is perpetually amazing. It IS effective! CONTINUE