From Dr Price’s Summaries;

American Dental Association;

Dental diagnosis is so simple that any dentist or physician, osteopath, chiropractor, electrical engineer or laboratory assistant, is competent to perform this simple service. 

Dr W Price;

Dental diagnosis is so intricate and involved that it requires a greater knowledge of the human body, its structure and diseases, and of the various means for understanding the normality and abnormality of the same, than any specialty of the healing arts; and probably no specialty finds such great opportunity for doing injury to humanity, or for extending human life, as does the highest application of intelligence in this field.  A competent diagnostician of the local and systemic expressions of dental infections must be familiar with the clinical and structural pathology required for a general medical diagnosis, and, in addition, be completely familiar with each dental anatomy, dental pathology, and dental operative procedure. 

Head and Neck pain is so common in our society that it has become a multimillion dollar industry in analgesics.  The most frequent diagnosis is “Stress” or “Tension”.   Paradoxically the most frequently overlooked & possibly the most significant stressor, is Dentistry.

Mercury

The symptoms that resolved the fastest when amalgam fillings were removed were Headaches and Migraines.   This was followed by mood swings which disappeared almost as quickly.

Although dental amalgam is regarded by the dental authorities as a safe filling material, the reality is that these fillings are the greatest single source of mercury to the general population.  W.H.O. (1991) estimate this to be up to ten times higher than from all other sources combined, including sea food.  

  • Mercury from amalgam acts as a long term, low level poisoning, called Micromercurialism. 
  • The mercury accumulates mainly in the kidney, liver and brain.
  • Mercury escapes from the amalgams principally as vapour.   Up to 80% of the mercury vapour is absorbed through the lungs to enter the blood stream and spread throughout the body.  A percentage of the vapour will pass directly through the lining of the mouth and the bone and directly enter the brain.
  • Recent research indicates that if you have 8-10 amalgams in your mouth you will be absorbing up to 10mcg of mercury per day.  This is stored principally in the Brain, Liver and Kidney tissue. 
  • There are NO tests available (at time of writing) which will accurately determine the body’s burden of mercury.  We do know with certainty though, that if you have amalgam fillings in your mouth, you will be absorbing mercury into your body.
  • When amalgam and gold exist in the same mouth, there will be an increase in electrical currents in all of the amalgam fillings.  As this happens there will be a dramatic increase in the amount of mercury released from all the amalgam fillings.  Placing a Gold crown over an amalgam will drive mercury rapidly and directly through the root of the tooth into the bone and blood circulation.

The most common symptoms of micro-mercurialism

are headache and migraine.

Electrical Currents

The brain and central nervous system operate in the range of Nano-Amps.  This is a minute but measurable current.  As soon as metals are inserted in the mouth an electric current will be generated.  When dissimilar metals are in the mouth you will create a battery accompanied by an increase in the currents. As with any dissimilar metal in an electrolyte not only dose an electric current flow but so too will the ions of one of the metals depending on their relationships in the elemental chart.  When gold and amalgam are in the same mouth there will be an increased release of mercury from all the fillings.

All metals in the mouth will produce currents which are measurable in the range of Micro-Amps.  This is 1,000 times greater than the Central Nervous System operates at.  These currents in themselves can influence your health.  They are easily capable of inducing muscle spasm in the head and neck and related headaches.

Most people have heard of the patients who become suddenly healthier after amalgam removal. (The ones whose health improves overnight).  It is not possible to dump your mercury load so quickly.  The only thing that changes so fast is that the electrical interference is removed, and the body has a chance to normalize.

Metals commonly found in the mouth are in the form of fillings, inlays, crowns, partial dentures, orthodontic bands, implants, pins and posts in teeth.  It is common to find mouths with over 30 different metals in them.

Root Canal Teeth

Non-vital teeth may be responsible for a wide range of systemic diseases and a cause of local and referred pain.  Because they present as medical conditions, the causes are easily misdiagnosed.    

Dead teeth can refer pain in a wide variety of patterns throughout the head and neck depending on which teeth are affected.  E.g. Dead upper premolars will often send pain into the temple area, whereas lower molars will often refer the pain to the inner ear. 

Often a root therapied tooth will be covered with a gold crown for strength.  Local anaesthetic can sometimes be used to give a diagnosis.

Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the third molars which generally erupt into the mouth from teen years through to mid-twenties.  They are often impacted (jammed) and do not erupt properly.

Although wisdom teeth generally produce localised pain they are quite capable of producing headaches.  This is especially true if they are associated with an area of infection.  Lower wisdom teeth usually refer pain to the jaw joint or the inner ear causing an ear ache.

Cavitations / NICO /Osteitis

An area of bone loss, usually where teeth have been extracted.  Research indicates that most of them are infected by anaerobic organisms.  NICO stands for Neuralgia Inducing Cavitational Osteitis and is the more current term.  This name carries the implication of pain which again is one of the symptoms associated with this type of lesion.

The NICO patterns of pain referral are similar to those for  root therapied teeth. 

Dead teeth and Cavitations can produce pains which range from occasional headaches to full migraines to Trigeminal Neuralgia.

TMJ Dysfunction

TMJ stands for the Temporo-Mandibular-Joint which is the Jaw Joint.  It is one of the most complex joints in the body and will affect many systems of the body,   as well as the Bio-Mechanics of the body.  Its position and movement will intimately relate to movement of the first three vertebrae in the neck and thus the rest of the spine.

When there is a problem in the TMJ some people will experience localised pain or discomfort in the area of the joint. 

Because of the vast relationships, we see TMJ problems as one of the main causes of head, neck, and shoulder pain. 

The pains can range from a dull occasional ache through to migraines.  They can range from headache through to pains which radiate into the arms and chest. 

Very few medical practitioners are trained to diagnose TMJ disturbances and will often miss a cause which may be simple to cure.

Whiplash /Spinal Misalignments

Whiplash injuries will almost always cause tears at the point where the muscles of the head and neck attach to the bone.  They are called Soft Tissue Lesions. 

Because of the type of movements involved, we often see TMJ problems associated with these injuries.

The soft tissue lesions can refer pain throughout the head, neck and face.

Spinal misalignments can also cause pain. 

These conditions are often related to either TMJ disorders and/or leg length discrepancies.