Georgia Straight Holistic Dentist

Holistic Dentist Claim no need for Clenched Teeth
By Gail Johnson, Georgia Straight

Everyone's had a wretched dental experience. How many of us were mentally scarred for life following a childhood trip to get a cavity filled?

We enter a sterile office to meet a Humor-less gray-haired dude with soapy-smelling hands who injected a lethally sharp object into our tender gums, then took a drill to attack our little champers, filling the hole with silver and leaving noxious fumes swirling in the air above our eyes and noses. Getting a piece of cheap costume jewelers afterward didn't cut it, buddy.

Holistic dentists claim they change all that. Some, like Vancouver's Riko Ricketts, go so far as to allege they can provide a ''blissful'' encounter. Stepping into Ricketts's West Side space is more like entering a spa than a dental office. The walls are painted rich colors of sage and wine, and the receptionist's desk would suit a concierge more than a clerk. A waiting room, which has a spectacular view of the North Shore mountains, is comfortable with a 'IV and coffee-table books. Ricketts has been a dentist for more than 25 years, and for the past 12 or so, he's embraced what's now known as holistic dentistry. (In the "70s" and "80s", the praline was known as ''biological'' or ''alternative'' dentistry.)

''This dental office is like visiting some- one's home, and that's to help reduce the stress" Rickett's told the Georgia Straight. ''People get a different feeling than their traditional experience. I've had so many people say, 'Nothing personal, doc, but I hate you guys.' One of my missions is to change that perspective.

''When people come to see the dentist, it's not just the t00th, the whole t00th, and nothing but the toothy'' he added. ''We have to d e a l with communication, p e r s o n a l boundaries, financial concerns, and trust issues. Someone who has a good chair-side manner has big ears and a small mouth. l

"What my patients to tell me what their concerns are, what's going on in their lives. I see myself as a member of a person's entire health-care team.''
Ricketts explained that every tooth is connected to a ''meridian'' so that pain in one might represent a problem elsewhere in the body. He'll sometimes use reiki, aromatherapy, or herbs to help patients relax. He asks people about their diets and advises taking nutritional supplements.

Besides what some might consider special effects, there are practices that separate traditional and alternative dentistry, the most controversial being the use of silver fillings. Also known as amalgams, these consist of Mercury, silver, tin, copper, and a trace amount of zinc. Opponents believe that they leak mercury, in the form of vapour, into the body over time. Mercury poisoning, they claim, can have devastating effects, like depression, kidney disease, headaches, asthma, and digestive problems. Some allege that it can lead to multiple sclerosis and Lou Gehrig's disease.

Ricketts said he finds it ironic, that some traditionalists consider holistic dentists to be quacks given that in 1845, the American Society of Dental Surgeons resolved that its members sign a pledge not to use amalgam because of health concerns . That lasted until 1859, when the American Dental Association was formed. It advocated the use of mercury, saying it was safe, effective, and economically feasible. Ricketts said he favors reinforced plastic, glass, porcelain, or gold fillings, or crowns.

Fluoride is another contentious issue. Anti-fluoride activists claim that the fluoridation of water systems is unsafe and ineffective in preventing tooth decay.

''Fluoride, typically in the water, has been shown to have deleterious effects on people's health'' Ricketts said.

Ricketts admitted he's been criticized for targeting a nichemarket of healthconscious folks who fall for anything ''natural''. But criticism is the least of his worries. ''Most dentists have a desire to serve, '' Ricketts said ''If l can make some positive contribution to a person's life, for me that's the payoff. That's worth more than money.'' Many dentists who don't use the term holistic argue that they, too, practice preventive, comprehensive strategies, according to Deborah Battrum, a Kelowna-based endodontist (which means she specializes in root canals) and president of the Association of Dental Surgeons of B.C.
''We like to consider all of us to be holistic; we consider the mouth just one part of the whole body'' Battrum said in a phone interview. ''What we consider important is that treatment and diagnoses be based on science. The basis of some holistic treatment is that of testimonials.''

She backed the use of mercury amalgam, saying that there's no scientific evidence to support the aforementioned detrimental consequences, She described as ''tragic'' what happens when someone asks to have all of their silver fillings removed, particu- larly if the fillings are still in good shape. That's especially damaging if patients thought they'd get rid of disease.
"This has happened to (me many times, when individuals with MS. . .have been told by an alternative health-care provider to get all of their Silver fillings out. They think their MS is going to go away. I've had people come into my office and cry their eyes out because they've had their silver fillings taken out and they're still sick. They've spent a lot of money, and they've put a lot of hope,'' Battrum said there's nothing wrong with other types of fillings but the white ones don't last as long as silver ones, and once they start to leak, bacteria underneath the filling goes into the nerve. From there, a patient can get an abscess, and that's followed by a root canal. Having multiple fillings taken out at once is painful as well as stressful. Fluoride, Battrum added, is "highly underrated"'. She said a pediatric dentist has told her that that since fluoride was removed from the water system in the area several years ago, kids' mouths are starting to resemble those of youngsters in third-world countries.
Battrum advised people to seek a dentist whose treatment is based on factual evidence. '' It's important to keep an open mind regarding what's coming down the pike in terms of research '' she said. '' let's base those treatment decisions on science.''



	Holistic Dentist Claim no need for Clenched Teeth By Gail Johnson, Georgia Straight Everyone's had a wretched dental experience. How many of us were mentally scarred for life following a childhood trip to get a cavity filled? We enter a sterile office to meet a Humor-less gray-haired dude with soapy-smelling hands who injected a lethally sharp object into our tender gums, then took a drill to attack our little champers, filling the hole with silver and leaving noxious fumes swirling in the air above our eyes and noses. Getting a piece of cheap costume jewelers afterward didn't cut it, buddy. Holistic dentists claim they change all that. Some, like Vancouver's Riko Ricketts, go so far as to allege they can provide a ''blissful'' encounter. Stepping into Ricketts's West Side space is more like entering a spa than a dental office. The walls are painted rich colors of sage and wine, and the receptionist's desk would suit a concierge more than a clerk. A waiting room, which has a spectacular view of the North Shore mountains, is comfortable with a 'IV and coffee-table books. Ricketts has been a dentist for more than 25 years, and for the past 12 or so, he's embraced what's now known as holistic dentistry. (In the "70s" and "80s", the praline was known as ''biological'' or ''alternative'' dentistry.) ''This dental office is like visiting some- one's home, and that's to help reduce the stress" Rickett's told the Georgia Straight. ''People get a different feeling than their traditional experience. I've had so many people say, 'Nothing personal, doc, but I hate you guys.' One of my missions is to change that perspective. ''When people come to see the dentist, it's not just the t00th, the whole t00th, and nothing but the toothy'' he added. ''We have to d e a l with communication, p e r s o n a l boundaries, financial concerns, and trust issues. Someone who has a good chair-side manner has big ears and a small mouth. l "What my patients to tell me what their concerns are, what's going on in their lives. I see myself as a member of a person's entire health-care team.'' Ricketts explained that every tooth is connected to a ''meridian'' so that pain in one might represent a problem elsewhere in the body. He'll sometimes use reiki, aromatherapy, or herbs to help patients relax. He asks people about their diets and advises taking nutritional supplements. Besides what some might consider special effects, there are practices that separate traditional and alternative dentistry, the most controversial being the use of silver fillings. Also known as amalgams, these consist of Mercury, silver, tin, copper, and a trace amount of zinc. Opponents believe that they leak mercury, in the form of vapour, into the body over time. Mercury poisoning, they claim, can have devastating effects, like depression, kidney disease, headaches, asthma, and digestive problems. Some allege that it can lead to multiple sclerosis and Lou Gehrig's disease. Ricketts said he finds it ironic, that some traditionalists consider holistic dentists to be quacks given that in 1845, the American Society of Dental Surgeons resolved that its members sign a pledge not to use amalgam because of health concerns . That lasted until 1859, when the American Dental Association was formed. It advocated the use of mercury, saying it was safe, effective, and economically feasible. Ricketts said he favors reinforced plastic, glass, porcelain, or gold fillings, or crowns. Fluoride is another contentious issue. Anti-fluoride activists claim that the fluoridation of water systems is unsafe and ineffective in preventing tooth decay. ''Fluoride, typically in the water, has been shown to have deleterious effects on people's health'' Ricketts said. Ricketts admitted he's been criticized for targeting a nichemarket of healthconscious folks who fall for anything ''natural''. But criticism is the least of his worries. ''Most dentists have a desire to serve, '' Ricketts said ''If l can make some positive contribution to a person's life, for me that's the payoff. That's worth more than money.'' Many dentists who don't use the term holistic argue that they, too, practice preventive, comprehensive strategies, according to Deborah Battrum, a Kelowna-based endodontist (which means she specializes in root canals) and president of the Association of Dental Surgeons of B.C. ''We like to consider all of us to be holistic; we consider the mouth just one part of the whole body'' Battrum said in a phone interview. ''What we consider important is that treatment and diagnoses be based on science. The basis of some holistic treatment is that of testimonials.'' She backed the use of mercury amalgam, saying that there's no scientific evidence to support the aforementioned detrimental consequences, She described as ''tragic'' what happens when someone asks to have all of their silver fillings removed, particu- larly if the fillings are still in good shape. That's especially damaging if patients thought they'd get rid of disease. "This has happened to (me many times, when individuals with MS. . .have been told by an alternative health-care provider to get all of their Silver fillings out. They think their MS is going to go away. I've had people come into my office and cry their eyes out because they've had their silver fillings taken out and they're still sick. They've spent a lot of money, and they've put a lot of hope,'' Battrum said there's nothing wrong with other types of fillings but the white ones don't last as long as silver ones, and once they start to leak, bacteria underneath the filling goes into the nerve. From there, a patient can get an abscess, and that's followed by a root canal. Having multiple fillings taken out at once is painful as well as stressful. Fluoride, Battrum added, is "highly underrated"'. She said a pediatric dentist has told her that that since fluoride was removed from the water system in the area several years ago, kids' mouths are starting to resemble those of youngsters in third-world countries. Battrum advised people to seek a dentist whose treatment is based on factual evidence. '' It's important to keep an open mind regarding what's coming down the pike in terms of research '' she said. '' let's base those treatment decisions on science.'' GJ < BACK>

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