First: Do the patient no harm and do your best all the time.

As a member of the Holistic Dental Association, I strive to live up to their principles. I recognize that the treatment of the teeth, jaws and related soft tissues are integrated into the whole of each person and have an effect on the entire body. The jaw posture may influence many other joints in the body. The Trigeminal Nerve is the largest cranial nerve and it is the nerve governing the teeth and facial areas of dentistry. Noxious stimuli to this nerve may effect other sensitive brain functions. The teeth are all on meridians of energy that run through our bodies (acupuncture); blockage of these meridians may have distant effects on one’s body, so it is important to keep these areas and the teeth healthy.

My basic tenet is to treat everyone with respect and allow them to choose their own treatment once the choices have been made clear to them. I have certain limits in that I will not violate standards of care; but, patients have the right to choose from no treatment to elaborate options of care. It is my obligation to educate you to the level where you can make an “informed” decision. My advice is slanted to what I consider a holistic view of how a proposed treatment may effect you; but, you will know when it varies from conventional thinking because I will tell you. Today we live in a world of many pollutants that are taxing our systems daily. Many years ago, I decided that I would try to minimize my role in adding to another person’s toxic burden. Toxicity may be physical, chemical, electrical or emotional.

People react generally alike, and specifically differently. We all have certain general behaviors to things; but, we each have idiosyncratic reactions to treatments and medicines and other influences on our bodies. Materials used in dentistry may adversely effect us; some people will show it more than others and of those who react, the manifestation of the sensitivity may be entirely different from one person to another. We can test patients for materials sensitivities to try to eliminate reactions in those who are sensitive. Some materials are toxic to everyone, e.g., Mercury; but, here again, we see great variations in peoples’ tolerance to this toxic metal. Different metals may interact with each other in the salivary fluids and create currents known as galvanism; we know this from basic science and some people seem to notice no health effect from it; but, for others, it can cause varied reactions. I attempt to use ceramics whenever possible to minimize the effect of material interactions. Often, one must weigh the advantages of improved function and longevity over certain interactions, and metals will frequently have the advantages of strength and workability. If I foresee a difficulty, I will try to explain my viewpoint and possible side effects and let the patient decide how to proceed. The everyday materials that I use are chosen for function and bio-compatibility; and fortunately, there is usually a minimum trade-off if any for the great majority of dental work.

I wish you a healthy and pleasant dental experience.

Sincerely,
William B. Megill DDS