Access to Safe and Appropriate Dental Care for People With MCS/ES: Part 2

Access to Safe and Appropriate Dental Care for People With MCS/ES:

Part 2: Resources and Links

What we really need are mobile dental vans that have no-VOC interiors and staff for people with severe MCS/ES, and safe and accessible dental offices and practitioners for everyone else. Until then, we need ways to protect ourselves and must often educate the dentists and staff as to how they can take care of our needs.

From mild to severe MCS/ES, different measures may be required.

Here are useful links that can help you prepare, and a sample office policy:

Clifford Materials Reactivity Testing: http://www.ccrlab.com/

This site has some good info to consider (scroll down past the ads):

http://stason.org/TULARC/health/dental-amalgam/13-Is-There-Information-For-The-Chemically-Sensitive-Patient.html

Dentistry and Chemical Sensitivities EHCD (another option for testing)

The Environmental Health Center-Dallas can take the worry out of dentistry.  For those with sensitivities, the choices required in dentistry can be challenging. The Center has the capability to skin test many different products required for dental health.

http://www.ehcd.com/services/dentistry.html

MCS Canadian Sources: Dental resources
including dentists and information for patients and information on mercury amalgam
(note that web archive links cannot access PDF files)

https://web.archive.org/web/20131104152745/http://www.mcscanadian.org:80/dental/index.php

Access to oxygen and least toxic tubing and cannula /article

http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinical-zones/respiratory/when-should-a-nasal-cannula-be-used-to-deliver-oxygen/5023696.article

Dental Care and Amalgams (mercury free info)
(note that web archive links cannot access PDF files)

https://web.archive.org/web/20121010030311/http://mcs-america.org:80/index_files/DentalCareandAmalgams.htm

The International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM)

http://iabdm.org/about-iabdm

International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology

http://iaomt.org/about-us/iaomt-history-mission/

Here’s an account from someone who had good experiences with dentistry, along with some suggestions, but it’s clear that she had financial and other resources that many of us don’t.

The dental work that helped me recover from MCS

http://planetthrive.com/2013/02/the-dental-work-that-helped-me-recover-from-mcs/

A book that might help some people:

Where There Is No Dentist   http://hesperian.org/books-and-resources/

This basic dental manual uses clear language and step-by-step instructions to discuss preventive care of teeth and gums, diagnosis and treatment of common dental problems, and oral health and HIV.

Example of an accessible dental practice Policy:

In our dental practice, it is of utmost importance to maintain an environment that is free of common air pollutants. This includes:

1. Using non-polluting building supplies in all renovations, including paint and carpet.

2. All staff members are free of perfumes and other odorous body care products and advise all patients over the phone that this is a fragrance free office. Our website clearly states this on each page and a sign is also posted in the waiting room advising patients to also refrain from using such products when they are visiting or they may have to forfeit their appointment at their cost. *

3. Strong cleaners, fragrant products, and odorous disinfectants are not used.

4. The ventilation system within the office recycles fresh air into the office on a continual basis to keep the air as clean as possible.

5. Medical grade oxygen is always available during mercury and metal removal dental visits, but it is also available to patients during any visit if needed. High volume suction equipment is also available and routinely employed during restorative procedures to minimize the patient’s exposure to any chemical odors. Both of these methods have proven to be beneficial to patients with MCS.   * Please note that a fee to cover the cost of this service will be the patient’s responsibility.

Dental Materials Testing

Dental material compatibility testing is recommended for all patients, and especially encouraged for MCS patients. This can be done either by testing blood serum, or by testing energetic resonance with an EAV Assessment. If material samples are required for additional testing, the office has some of these materials available for the patient to borrow. For materials we do not have in stock, please note that it may take a few days to obtain these samples.   *Any cost incurred will be the patient’s responsibility.

*(2) The original policy did not state this over the phone when people make appointments. An effective policy needs to clearly advise all patients on the phone (and on website pages) that there is a policy in effect, otherwise someone can show up wearing highly toxic cologne or perfume while someone else with MCS/ES is there, with disastrous effects. It is also necessary for the policy to be enforced, so that if someone with MCS/ES goes to all the trouble of preparing for a dental visit, that it isn’t us who have to leave without receiving care, and ill for an extra week or month if someone else doesn’t know about or respect the policy.

(The above policy is modified slightly from the one found here: http://www.grotondentalwellness.com/dental/biological-dentistry-evaluation/dental-conditions/chemical-sensitivities )

Most people just pick up the phone, make an appointment, have a couple of hours of discomfort, and are good to go for another year. For many people with MCS/ES, a trip to the dentist can require days to weeks of preparation and research, and still result in a several month recovery period because of chemical (usually unnecessary fragrance chemicals and toxic cleaning products) and financial barriers to safe and appropriate access to basic dental care.

I think something needs to be done to make safe, appropriate dental care accessible to everyone.

How difficult is it really, to have even one private room in a dental practice that has good indoor air quality and staff who use fragrance and toxic chemical free personal care and laundry products?

How difficult really  is it to have a supply of safer dental products and materials on hand?

How difficult would it be to create even one mobile unit that could travel each province or state providing basic, dignified, dental care to those of us who cannot receive it otherwise?