I have had a number of unexplained medical problems including joint pain, fatigue, and unexplained hives. My doctors ran a bunch of tests that told us nothing. Eventually, they said I’d feel better if I exercised more. I did that and while I lost some weight (yay!) it didn’t help with the other things. I went back and the doctors hinted it was in my head. I was frustrated and realized I was on my own. I starting doing a bunch of research. There’s a whole lot of conflicting information, but one thing which kept coming up is the dangers of certain dental material. Several of the articles suggested getting a Clifford’s test. It took me a bit to find a doctor who did the test but I finally did. It turns out I’m allergic to a lot of metals and other dental materials. I think I may finally have the answer I’ve been looking for but my dentist doesn’t “believe in” the Clifford’s test. He said it’s a scam. Yet, I saw the physical reaction. I’d like to at least test the theory. Is there a dentist who works with patients who have allergies such as mine? I have a lot of dental work. I’m thinking if I remove them and switch them for something I’m not allergic to I’ll know if it works or not.

Karen

Dear Karen,

This has been quite a trial for you. It has been the experience of many that if doctors can’t figure out what’s going on after what they consider a reasonable effort, some of them will blame the patient or say it’s “in their head”. Fortunately, not all caregivers, both in the medical and dental field, are so prideful.

In your situation, I’d look for a holistic dentist. This isn’t a specialty. It’s more of a philosophy of treatment. They consider your whole body and not just your teeth. If you have a sensitivity to any material, they’ll work around it.

Finding an Holistic Dentist

Because there is not a recognized holistic dentistry specialty, it’s not always simple to find one. I’d start by just doing an internet search under one of these three terms:

• Holistic Dentist
• Natural Dentist
• Biological Dentist

There are additional benefits as well. You’ll be glad to know that, even though there are some differences as to how they flesh out their philosophy of treatment, all of them are mercury-free dentists. Additionally, they all know how to do a sanitary amalgam removal. So, when you get rid of your silver fillings in order to get them replaced with white composite fillings, you won’t have to fear any exposure to the mercury or mercury vapors. They know the correct procedure and will protect you from any toxins. This is especially important given your allergies.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Holistic Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.