Protecting You and Our Environment

Protecting You and Our Environment

Fifteen years ago I became one of the first dental practices to install digital x-ray system in our office. I am still excited because every x-ray we take has 80-90 per cent less radiation than traditional dental x-rays. Using the digital system also eliminates the dental developing and fixing chemicals. By eliminating them none of us are exposed to these toxic chemicals and do not have to breath them in. It also eliminates disposing of them into our environment. We also have filters that remove mercury and other chemicals from the air while we work. We have specific air filters to remove mercury and a filter on the waste line that also traps the old amalgam that is removed from the tooth. We place any mercury amalgam scrap into a sealed container for disposal by a hazardous waste company. Our lead apron recently wore out and we wanted to replace it. We also wanted to dispose of it safely as lead is another big concern in the environment. My assistants, Xia and Katlyn spent hours searching for a safe place to take it for disposal.

We have also reduced the use of chemicals in our office by using melaluca which is natural and also an approved disinfectant. We even filter our office water supply with reverse osmosis and carbon block filters to provide pure water for drinking and for use in the dental water we use for procedures and for the laser.  

I came across the following information about mercury and the environment from Dr Mercola. Dr Mercola is a ostheopathic physician and a health advocate and he has many interesting articles on his web site. He sends out a free daily health newsletter. This is from his newsletter:

(You can read more here)

_____________

Coal Plants and Dentists May be Accelerating Wildlife Extinctions 

Coal generates 54 percent of the electricity in the United States and is the single largest cause of air pollution. Coal fired power plants are also the number one source of environmental mercury pollution. Mercury is extremely tenacious once in the air, water and soil, and levels gradually increase over time, as it accumulates.

Each coal plant discharges an average of 170 pounds of mercury into the air each year, along with other pollutants. There are about 600 coal plants in the United Statesⁱ. So, if you do the math, you will discover that coal plants in the U.S. are releasing about 51 TONS of mercury into the environment each year. Just one gram of mercury can make the fish in a 20-acre lake unfit for consumption for a year.

A study by Island Restoration Network found dangerous mercury levels in 68 percent of swordfish, high enough to cause harm to wildlife. Recent evidence indicates mercury is now present in all fish. Other studies have demonstrated high levels of mercury in sensitive and endangered species across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, indicating that mercury pollution may be a significant factor in species population reduction.

The second largest mercury polluters in this country are dental practices. As a result of their continued use of mercury amalgam fillings, another 29.7 tons of mercury is discharged into the air, water and soil each year from installation and removal of amalgams.

Don't let the "cheap" price of these fillings fool you. When environmental cleanup costs are included, dental amalgams are actually the most expensive type of dental fillings on the market. Besides its toxic effects to wildlife, mercury is terribly harmful to humans as well.

______(end)_________


Another source of mercury in the environment is cremation. When a body is cremated, any amalgam fillings in the person's mouth are vaporized into the air and then is put forth into our environment.

We try to be very conscience of our environment and how we can best serve our patients. We make efforts in any way that we can to eliminate harmful chemicals from our office, as well as safe handling and disposal of metal's that are harmful to our environment.

Stay well!

Richard Stickney

About Us

Recently we had to write a letter for one of our patients that talked about our practice, our philosophy, and what made us different from other dentists. We thought it would be nice to share, in part, what it said with our patients and friends.

"I am a general dentist who practices whole person dentistry. I look at the teeth as being part of the whole body. I like to treat my patients with the most natural approach possible. We use biocompatible dental materials. We do not use any toxic chemicals in our office. We take only digital x-rays which have 90 % less radiation then traditional film x-rays. This also allows us to eliminate the harsh chemicals used to develop traditional x-rays.

We have many patients who travel great distances to get special care in our office. Many or our patients have autoimmune diseases that cause them to be chemically sensitive. We do our best to accommodate their sensitivities."

In my practice, I am committed to giving our patients individualized care and really take to heart their concerns and sensitivities. We take pride in giving our patients the best care possible. Whether you are new to the practice or are a long time patient, we thought you'd appreciate knowing how we are different.

Hoping you are all well,
Richard Stickney

Why Dental Examinations and X-rays Are So Important

Why are dental examinations and x-rays so important?

Dental conditions can change rapidly. Unfortunately, tooth decay and gum disease and even abscessed teeth often don't hurt. This is especially true with gum disease but tooth decay as well. The reason I say unfortunately is that if it hurt you would do something about it. Often times clients mistake no pain in the teeth and no bleeding gums when they brush as everything is fine. Virtually every day that I see clients we find something significant that the client was unaware of. The earlier we find a problem the easier it is to correct. My focus is on prevention of disease, and minimally invasive bio-compatable dentistry. Often times a client can prevent problems by making a few changes, such as: changing the way they clean their teeth, a diet change or taking anti inflammatory foods and herbs. The key to doing that is early detection. Find it before the problem is not reversible. Once problem is not reversible, we want to find it before it is a big problem. In the early stages the problem is easier to correct and less expensive. Even if it is more advanced when we find it we can often prevent bigger problems such as root canals and/or surgery. Again, the key is early detection. Early detection depends on having a dental team that focuses on excellence in diagnosis. Yesterday a patient told our receptionist, Kendra, that it is too expensive to come in twice a year for an examination and preventive care. I completely understand that. The challenge is that I saw several clients last week that had not come in for one to three years. Some of these people needed significant dental treatment. Most of it was preventable. So much can change in a relatively short time in the mouth. The best dental insurance isn't Washington Dental Insurance. It is brushing your teeth and gums at least 2 times a day. Floss your teeth at least one time a day. Avoid refined sugars. Come to the dental office two times or more per year for examination and preventive care. It is not a guarantee you won't have problems but it absolutely minimizes them. If there are problems we can prioritize them to reduce the impact of said problems.

Yesterday I had a client who refused x-rays. I understand why. I am sensitive about x-ray myself. I do not let TSA x-ray me at the airport because a hand search is simple. I have taken precautions to make our dental x-rays as safe as possible. I got one of the first digital x rays systems in Seattle in 1996 because it reduced x-ray exposure 80-90%. By getting this system I was able to eliminate the toxic developing and fixing solutions from our office so we don't have to breathe them or dispose them into the environment. The state of Washington inspector visited us last fall and found our system to be working perfectly. He commented that our system put out about 40% less than even other digital systems.

We use a lead apron to cover potentially sensitive areas. We even have a green tea extract that has been reported to have protective effect when exposed to x-ray.

Here is an actual patient x-ray showing what can be found underneath. None of these things hurt but the abscess is dumping toxins into the body. The decay is almost to the nerve. It looks like three root canals would be necessary with build ups and crowns. The back tooth might need to be removed. So there is a real benefit to having x-rays at the recommended interval which I customize to each patient depending on their risk factors. If you ever have questions about the reason why we make a recommendation do not hesitate to ask.

Be well,

Richard Stickney