There are many new and commonly known ways of recycling coffee grounds. Recycled coffee grounds is an effective way to become more eco-friendly by reducing landfill waste and lavish garden plants and vegetables with natural, nutrient-filled compost for gardens. It doesn’t matter what coffee brands you use, and I’ve even heard that using decaffeinated coffee grounds is okay for composting too.

Coffee drinkers who brew their own grounds know that a week’s worth of used grounds add up fast, and there is no better way to dispose of old coffee grounds than to recycle the grounds instead of simply throwing brewed grounds in the trash. We usually brew two pots of coffee each day, which adds up to a lot of used grounds in a weeks time, creating lots of waste.

Coffee grounds are rich with vitamins and minerals, containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and a slightly acidic pH level between 3.0 and 5.0. If you’ve ever wondered what to do with used coffee grounds from your filter coffee maker, here are some environmentally friendly ideas to consider.

It is not recommended to use coffee grounds in your kitchen or bathroom drains to unclog sinks, tubs or showers. Using coffee grounds to unclog kitchen sinks will only cause the grounds to adhere to grease in the drain and make the clogged sink worse.

How to Recycle Coffee Grounds

• Keep a small container of used coffee grounds by your kitchen sink. Use wet or dry grounds with soap to scrub greasy hands, pots and pans, grill grates and greasy surfaces alike. The coffee grounds act as a natural scrub and rinses off easily, with no leftover residue.

• Compost coffee grounds to enrich nutrient content, including coffee filters and tea bags, which break down quickly during composting. Dump used grounds into your existing compost pile or bin, or start a new one.

• Used grounds are an effective, natural way to fertilize roses. Simply sprinkle coffee grounds on the soil around the stem of the rose bush, but don’t allow the grounds to touch the plant itself.

• Old coffee grounds are great for a worm farm. If you raise earthworms for gardens or fish bait, feed the worms cool, used coffee grounds.

• Coffee grounds make an excellent wood stain for craft projects. Re-brew a sizable amount of used coffee grounds, allowing the water to steep with grounds for several hours, until cool. Pour the grounds through a coffee filter to remove grounds for a homemade wood stain for crafts. The amount of water used determines how dark the stain will be.

• Rub a handful of coffee grounds over hands after handling or cooking fish, chopping onions or garlic, to remove strong food odors.

• Coffee grounds also exfoliates skin during hand washing, leaving your hands soft and supple with a slight coffee fragrance.

• Deodorize your refrigerator and freezer with used coffee grounds in place of baking soda. Place wet coffee grounds in a small open container in the back of the refrigerator until dried.

• Reuse grounds to make fresh pots of brewed coffee. Dry coffee grounds (don’t roast them) on a cookie sheet in the oven at 150 degrees for an hour. Mix old grounds with an equal amount of fresh grounds for your next few pots of coffee.

• Coffee grounds can be used for stuffing inside pin cushions, keeping the pins and needles rust-free.

• Reduce or eliminate odors by filling cheesecloth or nylon knee-high pantyhose with used, dried coffee grounds and use in closets, cars, kitchen cupboards, bathrooms etc.

• Use coffee grounds as an inexpensive sink, tub or shower scrub that won’t scratch. Use steeped grounds and a cotton swab to touch up furniture scratches.

• Used grounds make a very cheap skin facial pack – similar to a mud pack. Mix ¼ grinds with one egg white and gently massage onto your face. Grounds are also good for skin dermabrasion.

• Coffee and henna mixed together are sometimes used to create homemade, temporary tattoos. Tattoo fans sometimes use this method to make dye for permanent tattoos as well, but the safety of this idea is questionable.

• Coffee grounds work well as a natural pest control for trees, cutworms and ants. Ants will not cross rings of coffee grounds. Create a ring of coffee grounds near entryways, doorframes, windows and window sills (anywhere you may have an ant problem) to keeps the pests out.

• Coffee grounds sprinkled around your yard appears to work well to deter cats from doing their business in your yard or ruin your garden. Cats hate the smell of coffee and citrus smells. Mix coffee grounds well with used orange peels and spread the mixture around your yard and the surrounding area of your garden as a natural cat repellant.

• Reuse coffee grounds as a natural, organic plant fertilizer. Sprinkle coffee grounds around the base of indoor potted houseplants, outdoor plants, flowers and gardens, then dig them in a little.

• Grounds can also be sprinkled directly on your lawn. Sprinkle on “bald spots” in your yard. After a few days, you will notice the grass is growing and spreading into a lush green lawn.

• Apply coffee grounds directly to acid-loving plants and bushes (such as azaleas, rhododendrons, ferns, roses, palm trees, laurels, gardenias, blueberries, cranberries, oaks, and spruces) as an organic coffee-ground mulch.

• As a pest control agent, it has been found that slugs and snails (common garden pests in cooler climates) don’t like caffeine. Studies have shown that using a spray solution with high levels of caffeine, such as 1 or 2 percent, kills off 60 to 95 percent of slugs. A 1% solution kills 60% of slugs while a 2% solution kills 95% of all slugs. The 2% solution has been found to be more effective than the chemical normally used in slug control, known as metaldehyde.

• Reuse grounds to dye clothing brown, tie dye t-shirts, paper and even Easter eggs. Coffee grounds can also be used to make homemade crafting dough for kids projects instead of plain flour and water.

• Make natural, chemical-free, liquid fertilizer from old coffee grounds by mixing one half pound can of coffee grounds into a 5-gallon container of water. Allow the grounds/water mixture to sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature. Diluting coffee grounds with water creates an excellent, cheap liquid fertilizer for indoor and outdoor plants, trees, shrubs and bushes.

• Make your fireplace go green. Fireplace logs made from used coffee grounds emits less carbon dioxide than manufactured logs, while also helping to reduce landfill waste. Java-Log is an eco-friendly fire log made from coffee grounds and recycled materials (instead of timber) and these fire logs burn cleaner than traditional wood logs or store-bought fireplace logs.

• Throw old grounds on the ashes in your fireplace before cleaning it out, which helps reduce fireplace dust from spreading.

• Use spent grounds as an organic flea dip for dogs by rubbing coffee grounds mixed with water on your pet.

Even if you don’t brew coffee at home, you can still reap the benefits by visiting your local coffee shop and ask for their spent coffee grounds. Starbucks coffee shops are active in contributing used coffee grounds to customers for personal gardening use through its free “Grounds For Your Garden” program.

Many Starbucks locations have bags filled with coffee grounds at or near the front door in a basket for people to take at no cost. The Starbucks website says used coffee grounds are also available for city parks and playgrounds.

You can find many more alternative tricks and unique tips on recycling coffee grounds and other household items from magazines, DVD movies, books on recycling and living green HERE, at your local book store or the library.

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Back in the 70’s and early 80’s, the best smelling shampoo and conditioner was believed by some to be Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific by the Andrew Jergens Company. Jergens may have discontinued the very popular smelling shampoo and conditioner, but Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific (GYHST) is still available in the U.S. to buy if you know where to look.

I can still vividly remember the commercial for Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific, and the fragrant floral and spicy smell would last all day and night after washing and drying my hair. Teenage girls and young women loved the shampoo and conditioner but all of a sudden and without warning or explanation, neither the shampoo or the conditioner could be found in grocery stores or on pharmacy drug store shelves. Whatever happened to the Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific shampoo and conditioner that we all loved so much, is a question many have wondered ever since the products disappeared from sight.

About a year or two ago Grandpa (aka my husband) and I were discussing a variety of men’s colognes, women’s perfumes, shampoo and conditioner hair products that are no longer available but we wish they were. Grandpa mentioned how much he missed Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific by Jergens, and I was quite surprised because it hadn’t occurred to me that some guys would like the smell of the shampoo and conditioner as much as ladies did, or especially that teenage boys or grown men might want to wash their own hair with GYHST.

The fact that Grandpa remembered Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific from so many years ago, and his reminiscing and wishing we could buy some got me thinking about other retro hair products like Clairol Herbal Essence, the original Agree shampoo and conditioner, Prell shampoo, Body on Tap, LemonUp, Short and Sassy, and Protein 21. I haven’t seen Prell in stores for awhile now, but I do remember a hairstylist once telling me that Prell is so strong it will remove dark hair dye and red streaks from hair, and is harsh enough to strip off floor wax so it should never be used to wash hair.

I could tell from our conversation that Grandpa really wanted to buy Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific at least one more time for old times sake, so I searched online for places where I could purchase some for him and surprise him with a bottle or two just because. I loved the smell of Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific too and thought it would be fun to find out if our old favorite shampoo still smelled the same, and if the Original Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioner by Clairol was available anywhere, so the hunt for GYHST began.

It didn’t take me long to find new bottles of Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific online at a couple of different websites, and when I saw the whopping price of $14.95 plus shipping for just one 12 ounce bottle of shampoo or conditioner, I nearly fell off my chair. Fortunately, I was able to find the same size bottles of the shampoo and conditioner at a discounted rate on an eBay “buy it now” listing at a much lower cost than other places, so I bought him two of the larger bottles of the Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific shampoo and two big bottles of the conditioner.

Even after paying for shipping, I still paid less on that sale than if I had bought them directly from the online website who now sells the products almost exclusively. I say almost exclusively because sometimes hair care products like “Gee, Your Hair Smells…” can be found at Amazon or on eBay, but it’s been quite awhile since I tried to research where to find Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific for sale online.

As soon as Grandpa opened his “just because” gift of the shampoo and conditioner, the big smile on his face and shocked expression that Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific is still available after all these years said it all. Even though Grandpa wouldn’t mind at all if I decided to use a little of his shampoo and/or conditioner from time to time, the fact that the shampoo has alcohol in it and seems to make hair very dry and possibly cause hair breakage, I think I’ll pass. I’ve finally managed to get my hair looking and feeling very healthy with a brand new hairstyle, and I don’t want to mess that up.

Grandpa and I laughed out loud a few days ago when we found a new catalog from The Vermont Country Store in our mailbox and started flipping through the catalog right away to see what new and obscure items they may have added. The Vermont Country Store carries many previously discontinued items including the Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific shampoo and conditioner hair products and some of the weirdest, hard to find items you could imagine.

The Vermont Country Store is currently running a special on Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific for 3 or more 12 oz bottles at $9.95 each, so that totals up to a whopping thirty bucks for either the shampoo or the conditioner, but you’re going to want both. As a special one time thing or as a very unique Christmas stocking idea, Jergens popular shampoo sure made Grandpa a very happy man. Grandpa still has an almost completely full bottle of GYHST conditioner and shampoo, so I won’t be buying him any new bottles anytime soon, but the blast from the past brought up a lot of fun memories for both of us.

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The Food Face Dinner Plate makes getting kids to eat healthy foods a fun game to play during dinner, lunch or any meal. Isn’t this a cute plate for kids? From what I’ve heard, Parents Magazine even did a write up on the food face plate as a fun activity, but I haven’t seen that article.

If you have problems getting your kid to try new foods, especially healthy stuff like vegetables, they will have fun eating their dinner on this food face plate. The food face ceramic dinner plate measures 8.5 inches in diameter, a perfect size and fun style if there ever was one, to get your picky eater to at least try different types of foods.

Who knows, maybe making eating a game for toddlers will help instill in young kids the importance of eating a healthy diet and getting them to try fruits or veggies they would normally refuse.

I may have to buy this dinner plate for my grandchildren, who aren’t quite toddlers yet since they’re less than two years old, but being able to make faces with their food might make things easier for the parents to get the tykes to eat their peas and carrots when the time comes. The Food Face Dinner Plate is sold by Perpetual Kid at a very low cost of $9.99 if you’re interested in buying the plate for your kids.

There are so many cookbooks for kids available now to help get picky eaters to enjoy healthy foods, especially since children can have a fun time helping prepare dinner with recipes found in their very own cookbook. I think I’ll order a couple sets of the food face dinner plate and a couple kid cookbooks too, and when they come over to Grandma’s house we’ll make a game out of it and do a taste test of different foods on their new plates.

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Tolstoy famously wrote “Happy families are all alike, every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Modern psychological science supports this wisdom in findings that extend back for decades and traverse the globe. My work has focused on trying to distill this research into 10 effective and time-efficient strategies that hectic parents can use to promote wellness, happiness and resilience in their children and themselves.

So, my wish for parents in 2012 is to practice these 10 strategies (each of which constitutes a chapter in my parenting book Working Parents, Thriving Families: 10 Strategies That Make a Difference). Here they are:

#1. Spend one hour a week with each child doing nothing but paying attention and saying what you like about your child, what he or she is doing or what he or she is saying. This special time is different from quality time (i.e., in quality time something else is usually holding my attention in addition to my child). What an apple a day is to a pediatrician, this hour a week of special time is to a child psychologist.

#2. Discover what your child excels at, help her or him to develop it and give her or him regular experiences with such, especially in public. All of us have talents that reside at the top of the bell curve, though they often go undiscovered or undeveloped. To discover and develop your child’s talents is a major gift. (By the way, these first two strategies go to the core of self-esteem formation.)

#3. Develop and support daily, weekly, seasonal and special occasion rituals. Such activities can serve as islands of stability in the torrential currents of our culture. Think of it from the perspective of your child: Kids may be shooting kids in school, planes may be crashing into buildings but we still have pizza night, or go to church on Sunday, or have a family meal or, (fill in the blank). These “we alwayses” are music to a parent’s ears.

#4. Further develop your child’s psychological muscle to do things when he or she doesn’t feel like it by developing an effective discipline plan. Try to avoid what doesn’t work (e.g, corporal punishment, harshness)–knowing that we are all capable of lapses and not being too hard on yourself for them–and to use what does work (e.g., setting specific age-appropriate expectations and linking them to outcomes desired by your child, using time-out). By the time he or she is an adult this “muscle” will likely predict his or her success across multiple vocational and interpersonal realms.

#5. Monitor well. Of course, this means establishing appropriate parent controls on the range of media devices to which your child has access. But, it also means limiting sedentary electronic pleasuring to two hours a day and, when she or he is out of your site, knowing where he or she is, who she or he is with, what they are doing and what responsible adult is in charge of monitoring.

#6. Remember that your child’s wellness depends upon your wellness and the wellness of your relationship with your significant other. Secure your oxygen mask first before securing your child’s (e.g., each chapter in the aforementioned book includes a strategy from the positive psychology literature for parents to promote their own wellness.)

#7. Promote harmony, collaboration and effective relationships with the other important adults in your child’s life. The more you do this the better your child will fair. This is the case with teachers, coaches, and, especially, exes (e.g., two things best predict adjustment to divorce: the number of changes the child experiences, with the fewer the better, and how well the parents get along).

#8. Make sure that your child’s health tripod (i.e., sleep, physical activity and diet) is strong. Make sure he or she gets recommended doses of sleep (1-3 years old: 12-14 hours, 3-5 years old: 11-13 hours, 5-12 years old: 10-11 hours, Teens: 8.5-9.25 hours), sweats and breathes hard an hour a day (or at least most days) and eats a balanced diet (e.g., low in refined/processed carbohydrates and junk food, lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and quality fish). So many kinds of problems can go away, or be avoided to begin with, when this tripod is strong.

#9. Empower your child to make decisions that are developmentally appropriate and teach her or him how to respond adaptively to failure (e.g., crisis = pain + opportunity). We parents hurt worse when our kid hurts. This can sometimes cause us to make too many decisions for our kids and/or to try to protect our kids from the consequences of their choices.

#10. If your child is suffering from anything more than transient mental pain, treat it as you would more than transient dental pain, and seek out the services of a qualified mental health professional (most kids have such pain by adulthood but only a small minority get effective care). And, if you do, educate yourself regarding what differentiates pedestrian from quality care (lots of guidance is provided in my book).

We parents number among the most selfless beings in the universe. I hope you give yourself credit for that as you raise your progeny this year. And, if there is anything I can do to help you in your parenting mission, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Dr. David Palmiter is a psychology professor, practicing psychologist, President-Elect of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association and Public Education Coordinator for the American Psychological Association. He also has been married for 20+ years and has three children ranging in age from 11 to 16. His blog is at www.hecticparents.com, his Twitter moniker is @HelpingParents and his primary website is at www.helpingfamilies.com.

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, fluoride IS a toxic poison. Fluoride added to water supplies is NOT pharmaceutical grade fluoride. Not even close. The negative health affects of consuming fluoride via water fluoridation, fluoride toothpastes, mouthwashes, rinses, fluoride supplements, vitamins etc etc, are well known and proven to be a fact.

Just a few days ago I happened to notice the cover story of a dental magazine by the ADA called “ADA News”, mentioning how a town in Florida had recently voted 3-2 to keep their municipal water supply fluoridated. See it here. What do the two people who voted against continuing adding fluoride to the town’s water supply know about fluoride that the other three do not know or choose to ignore? What about all the people that live in that town? Do the citizens not have a right to choose if they want toxic chemicals forcibly added to their water supply against their consent, and perhaps even without their informed knowledge?

And guess what? The various health “authorities” (The American Dental Association and others) heavily promoting fluoride use on dental patients and the general public know full well that more and more scientists, doctors, dentists, dental hygienists and the general public (YOU) are wising up and realizing they have been lying to you for many years about fluoride and water fluoridation, and are increasing the pressure on dentists and dental staff to increase the promotion of fluoride use and fluoridated water. See the proof here. The Almighty Dollar is at stake.

The TRUST that uninformed and misinformed doctors, dental professionals and consumers have placed in these “authorities” to truly be looking out for the good and well-being of the public is unraveling rapidly, and the once blindly trusted authorities don’t like it one bit. More and more people are becoming aware of the fact that health authorities and government officials have known for a very long time just how toxic and health damaging fluoride truly is. Watch this brief 5 minute film showing how the facts about fluoride’s harmful effects on health have been known and proven for a very long time.

Fluoride and water fluoridation promoters are fighting hard against their opponents, those who are against water fluoridation and fluoride in dental products, etc. However, those in opposition to fluoride are fighting just as hard, if not harder, to inform the public (YOU) to read and research for yourselves WHY fluoride is toxic and why fluoride is harmful and where fluoride REALLY comes from.

Below is another article about the harmful effects of fluoride, written and submitted by Dr. Tom McGuire, who has kindly submitted previous guest articles on the damaging effects of “silver” mercury amalgam fillings.

Introducing Dr. Tom McGuire….

Fluoride is a Poison – How Does Fluoride Affect Health?

Fluoride is a poison and there are those who make a good argument that it is not needed by the body, in any quantity for any reason. The fact that it is found in the body doesn’t mean the body needs it. Mercury is found in the body and everyone knows the body doesn’t need it. Even the fact that it has shown to reduce tooth decay doesn’t mean it isn’t a hazardous substance.

The amount of fluoride that is said to reduce tooth decay is only slightly less, in parts per million, than the amount that causes dental fluorosis, which I speak of later in this article. There is no doubt that it exhibits unwanted side effects in extremely small amounts and sodium fluoride is actually still used as a rat poison.

Since 1997 the FDA requires that all fluoridated toothpaste carry a warning that reads:

Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek PROFESSIONAL HELP or contact a POISON CONTROL center immediately.

In fact, if a small child swallowed the contents of a regular sized tube of fluoridated toothpaste it would most likely be fatal. Parents are also encouraged to use only a pea sized drop of toothpaste for children under six and to make sure it is not swallowed after brushing and rinsing. Of course this isn’t an easy task as toothpaste manufacturers make toothpaste very appealing to children, especially in how it tastes, and children have a built in tendency to swallow everything that tastes good.

Fluoride’s Link to other Diseases

In addition, fluoride has been linked to bone cancer and a debilitating bone disease called skeletal fluorosis, with symptoms ranging from chronic joint pain to hip fractures and bone cancer. Excessive amounts of fluoride can accelerate joint and ligament aging and negatively affect bone growth. What is interesting about this is that early symptoms of fluoride poisoning mimics arthritis, which along with the incidence of hip fractures and bone cancer, has dramatically increased in today’s population. When you realize that exposure to fluoride has dramatically increased from when it was first introduced in the mid-1940’s, those increases are logical. Fluoride has also been shown to negatively affect the health of the:

• Thyroid gland;
• Kidneys;
• Brain and nervous system; and
• Immune system.

Why Add Fluoride to Drinking Water?

The previous section was only a brief description of the side effects of fluoride and as you can see, it isn’t very user friendly. This begs the question that if even small amounts of fluoride are so hazardous to one’s health, why would anyone want to put such a poisonous substance into a public water system?

I believe there are two answers to that question. The first was a well-intended effort to use fluoride as a type of vaccine that prevents tooth decay. I’m sure it sounded like a very noble idea to dentists and local governments at the time it was introduced, but its value and safety has not withstood the test of time—or science.

The second reason is more sinister because it involves finding a use for the large amounts of fluoride that is produced as a by-product of phosphate fertilizer production and aluminum production. I can just hear the marketing department of aluminum manufacturers trying to figure out a way to get rid of this highly poisonous substance and make some money in the process. Promoting it as an anti-decay product by putting it into municipal water systems was just the kind of profitable solution they were looking for. This group has always been a proponent of water fluoridation.

Fluoride and Tooth Decay

I wouldn’t be so critical of water fluoridation if fluoride wasn’t a poison and if it actually prevented tooth decay. But it is a poison and it doesn’t prevent tooth decay. It may reduce it in some people but it doesn’t prevent it. In addition, once the enamel crowns of the teeth has formed, usually by the age of 15, fluoridated water ceases to have a value in preventing tooth decay. Thus, any amount of fluoride you ingest is unnecessary and depending on how much water you take in, potentially a health hazard.

I also wouldn’t be so critical of fluoride use if everyone had a choice and it wasn’t forced upon people via their water supply. This takes on even more significance when you realize it serves no purpose after the age of 15, yet you are still forced to drink it—unless you choose to install a filter or buy purified water.

The only area where I feel fluoride has a value in preventing decay while eliminating its exposure to the body is dentally applied topical fluoride treatments. But with the advent of dental sealants to help reduce decay you now have another choice.

Fluoride: What it’s Supposed to Do and What it Actually Does

The difference in the amount of fluoride in the water that could reduce decay and the amount that could cause fluorosis (a disease of the teeth where excessive fluoride causes staining, brittle enamel, and enamel pitting called mottling) is extraordinarily small. For example, if:

• The amount of fluoride in the water exceeds 0.7 to 1.2 parts per million (The lower amount is used in hotter climates where people tend to drink more water and the higher in cooler climates where less water is consumed.);

• You drink lots of water (which many people do, especially active people);

• You drink higher quantities of water during the short period of time that the enamel of your permanent teeth is forming; from about the age of 2 to 15; and

• You receive fluoride from any other source, such as vegetables and sea food; then

You could develop fluorosis.

What Fluoride Doesn’t Do for You

You will have a decent chance of reducing tooth decay if you had ideal amounts of fluoride during the time the tooth’s enamel was forming. That’s the good news. (Keep in mind that the most vulnerable area of the tooth to decay is the grooves of the back teeth; et this is the area that fluoride provides the least protection to.)

But if:

• Fluoride in the water exceeds 1.2 parts per million;

• You drink more water than is considered average, such as what you’d drink on a hot day, or what an athlete would drink;

• Consume fruits and vegetables grown in areas where the natural water content of fluoride is high or the water is fluoridate; and

• You received extra fluoride from mouth washes, toothpaste, vitamins, or other sources; then

You will most likely experience fluorosis and other side affects of fluoride poisoning.

Fluorides Will Not Prevent Gum Disease

The truth is that fluoride doesn’t do anything to prevent gum disease and gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss; not decay as most people believe. Even if you received exactly the right amount of fluoride, over the right period of time, and you experienced reduced tooth decay; you would still have to properly brush your gums to prevent gum disease.

So it doesn’t matter whether or not the water is fluoridated, you have to brush and floss your teeth in the same way, and just as often, to prevent gum disease as to prevent decay. Of course while you are taking care of your gums you would also be prevent tooth decaying, even if your water wasn’t fluoridated. The difference being that you can still effectively prevent all forms of dental disease if you have a sound oral hygienie program, but without risking the side effects of fluoride poisoning.

Even a Little Fluoride is Too Much Fluoride

It should be noted that people today are exposed to greater quantities of fluoride than they were 25 years ago. Twenty-five years ago, the major source of fluoride exposure was fluoridated water. Today, it is also found in mouthwash, toothpaste, rinses, tablets, and even vitamins. There is evidence that shows fluorosis has shown up in areas where the water isn’t fluoridated. I’ve no doubt that this is because they are receiving excessive amounts of fluoride from other sources mentioned above.

Thus the potential for fluoride poisoning has dramatically increased. The real problem we are facing is that no one knows how much fluoride each individual is getting. One person may drink 8 glasses of fluoridated water a day, brush with fluoridated toothpaste, and use fluoridated mouthwash. Another could drink 2 glasses of water and not use any other fluoridated dental products. As you can see, the variations are wide-ranging. Also keep in mind that if your water is fluoridated you will receive fluoride from the water used to make soups, tea, coffee, ice, and any other use of water in food preparation.

Another indirect source of fluoride is fruits and vegetables grown with fluoridated water. There is no way of knowing how much fluoride you may be getting from this source. In addition, hundreds of thousands of pounds of fluoride enter the ecology from water runoff containing fluoride. Each year it adds more and more fluoride to the ecosystem, poisoning live stock, lakes and waterways.

Is Fluoride a Health Hazard?

The answer to that question is is a big YES! Fluoride toxicity is definitely something to be aware of, especially in communities where the water is fluoridated or high levels of it are found naturally in the water. My suggestion is that if you’ve eliminated gum disease and mercury as contributor to any existing health problem, and your physician cannot seem to find the find the cause, you should check to see if your water contains fluoride and suggest he or she consider it as a potential cause.

There is no doubt that fluoride is a poison in very small amounts and for some it can be a serious health hazard and although it does relate to teeth, it’s not really an oral health issue. I see it as a public health issue, as the majority of fluoride you will be exposed to is delivered to the individual via the municipal water systems. Regardless of how it is delivered, fluoride is a poison, and increasing evidence suggests it can create, or contribute, to health problems.

What you have read here will serve to introduce you to the subject of fluoride and if you feel you would like to learn more about this subject, Tooth Fitness: Your Guide to Healthy Teeth covers fluoride in greater detail. It details the pros and cons of fluoride use and addresses all of the controversial aspects of this still controversial subject.

[Dr. Tom resides in Sebastopol, CA and is the author of the best-selling books, Healthy Teeth—Healthy Body: How to Improve Your Oral and Overall Health, The Poison in Your Teeth: Mercury Amalgam Fillings . . . Hazardous to Your Health, and Mercury Detoxification: The Natural Way to Remove Mercury from Your Body. He is a leading authority on mercury amalgam silver fillings, chronic mercury poisoning, mercury detoxification, and holistic dental wellness. Dr. Tom specializes in patient education and is available for phone consultations about topics within his area of expertise. He has the largest and most visited website of its kind, with over 350 pages of information. His website, www.dentalwellness4u.com has the largest database of mercury-free and mercury-safe dentists available on the Internet. You can contact his office at 1-800-335-7755.]

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As an experienced dental professional who began having serious misgivings and doubt about the safety and effectiveness of dental treatments such as fluoride and mercury fillings, learning about the toxic and harmful effects of both fluoride and (silver) mercury amalgam fillings caused me to seek out professional dentists and specialists who have written books and published numerous articles regarding these practices for their expert advice for my readers.

Why? Despite the fact that I’ve been in dentistry for many years, it was only about a year ago that I began to question and doubt various dental procedures and began to do my own independent research on certain dental procedures and treatments. Being “just” a professional, licensed Registered Dental Assistant and Office Manager for many years, versus a professional dentist or dental specialist, it was and is important to me to provide my readers with information provided by dental experts who have gone to great lengths to inform the public and professional colleagues about the dangers and harmful effects of fluoride, mercury fillings, etc.

While I have spent many months reading numerous books and articles on these topics and others related to the field of dentistry, and have been doing my best to provide information and resource links and encouragement for readers to also research for themselves and read books about the dangers of fluoride and mercury fillings etc, inviting knowledgeable dentists to submit guest articles on these topics and others will hopefully provide readers a greater incentive to take the subjects seriously for the benefit of their own health and wellbeing, but also that of their children and families.

Dr. Tom McGuire has kindly provided the information below on how to safely remove mercury amalgam fillings and have your fillings replaced with safe alternatives.

Ignorance Is NOT Bliss!

How to Safely Remove Mercury “Amalgam” Fillings – Mercury Free and Safe Dentistry, by Dr. Tom McGuire

I felt it appropriate to start this section on safe amalgam filling removal by providing you access to my YouTube Video, Mercury: The Poison in Your Teeth. This amazing video clearly demonstrates that not only is mercury vapor released from amalgams but also quantitatively demonstrates the actual amount of mercury released from an amalgam by a common means of stimulation, tooth brushing.

As you’ll see in the Video, brushing a medium sized amalgam filling will release more mercury vapor than allowed by governmental regulatory agencies at the workplace! The Video also compares the amount of mercury vapor released to other forms of stimulation, by the patient and at the dental office – and what you can do about it!

There are many scientific studies that prove this, but it’s one thing to read about it and yet another to actually see how much mercury vapor being released from an amalgam filling by an EPA approved mercury vapor analyzer. The short video also offers evidence of the toxicity of mercury and is well worth the few minutes of your time it takes to view my YouTube Video: Mercury: The Poison in Your Teeth. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family about this video – or a dentist you’d like to help educate about this subject. You can also access the video by searching YouTube for either Tom McGuire, DDS or The Poison in Your Teeth.

While mercury vapor is released from amalgam fillings during many forms of common stimulation, such as brushing, chewing and grinding, significantly greater amounts are released when an amalgam filling is removed unsafely. The following two sections introduces the many reasons why it is important to have amalgam fillings removed in a safe way. I believe it will provide the background information you will need to know why mercury free and mercury safe dentists offer these safe removal protocols to minimize exposure to toxic mercury vapor. If you wish to link directly to the specific guidelines I recommend for safely removing amalgam fillings, Click Here.

Safe Amalgam Filling Removal

The majority of people I consult with are unaware mercury amalgam (silver) dental fillings release one of the most poisonous substances we will ever be exposed to. This lack of awareness can be devastating to their health because the mercury released from them can cause, contribute, or worsen every disease and health problem we will face. Because there is a vast difference in how amalgam silver fillings are removed in a mercury free dental office compared to a pro-amalgam office, I feel it important to describe the protocol for safely removing amalgam fillings.

While there is no universal consensus regarding the safest way to remove mercury amalgam fillings but one outstanding organization has established what I believe to be the safest protocol for minimizing a patient’s exposure to mercury. Established by New Directions Dentistry (NDD), it is the most thorough protocol yet developed and its protocol is used as a guideline by many mercury free and mercury safe dentists as the basis of their own safe removal program. For more information about NDD Click Here.

Symptoms and Diseases Related to Chronic Mercury Poisoning

There are many reasons why you would want to minimize your exposure to the mercury vapor that is released when amalgam fillings are removed. There is no doubt that mercury is an extraordinarily poisonous substance and no doubt that it is released from amalgam fillings by normal actions such as tooth brushing and chewing gum. But it is also important to understand just how many symptoms and diseases are related, directly or indirectly, to chronic mercury poisoning. For more information on that subject Click Here.

Health Improvements from Amalgam Filling Removal and Mercury Detoxification

For many tens of millions of people who are suffering from the adverse side-effects of chronic mercury poisoning it may not be enough just to minimize exposure to mercury vapor during amalgam filling removal. Most of those who are now suffering from mercury related health issues should also consider initiating a mercury detoxification program. Mercury Detoxification: The Natural Way to Remove Mercury from Your Body will be an invaluable guide to you if this is a path you chose to take.

A majority of people will see improvements in symptoms and diseases (over time) related to chronic mercury poisoning just by having these toxic fillings removed, but for others it will take a mercury detoxification program to get the results they seek. To review a number of studies that clearly show the health improvements in a large number of mercury related symptoms after amalgam fillings have been removed and a detoxification program is undertaken: Chronic Mercury Poisoning: Symptoms and Diseases.

Mothers and Chronic Mercury Poisoning

If you are a mother, or mother to be, it is extremely important for you to fully understand the effects of mercury on the fetus, nursing baby, and child you’ll want to know how mercury from amalgam fillings can cause or contribute to learning, mental, and developmental disorders: Mercury from Amalgam Fillings and Autism. For additional information and to learn how you can sign a petition to have these poisonous fillings banned. Ban Mercury Amalgam, Silver, Fillings.

Amalgam Fillings: Hazardous to Your Health

I’m aware that some dentists don’t believe the mercury released from amalgam fillings jeopardizes the health of the patient and dental office staff. It’s also true that many dentists who do believe that amalgam fillings are a health hazard aren’t necessarily aware of the safest removal protocol or benefits to the patient and dental office staff of doing so.

It’s also possible that a pro-amalgam dentist may abide by your decision to remove your amalgam fillings but lacks the necessary equipment and experience to remove them in the safest way possible. Or he, or she, may not fully understand the importance of following the correct removal procedure . . . or who just doesn’t care. If your dentist falls into any of these categories, you should take the time to find a mercury free and mercury safe dentist who is well versed in this protocol. If you must work with a dentist who isn’t, I suggest you provide him with a copy of the guidelines I will recommend in the next section and ask him to follow them. If he won’t, or argues with you, I suggest finding one who will. After all, you are the patient and you hire him; it is your body, not his; and it is YOUR choice.

Even if your dentist informs you that she is mercury safe and follows a safe removal protocol, it wouldn’t hurt to have her explain what it is. You could ask her if her safe removal protocol is the same or similar to the one I suggest. Although her procedures don’t have to be exactly the same, if she deviates significantly from this protocol, make sure she gives you a satisfactory explanation as to why.

Should I Have My Amalgam Fillings Removed Safely

The guidelines I recommend for safe amalgam filling removal are based on the removal protocols established by the New Directions Dentistry (NDD). Click Here for information about NDD. The value of its protocol is that it can reduce your exposure to mercury vapor and amalgam particles during filling removal by nearly 100%. While this preventive approach to minimizing your exposure to toxic mercury vapor is important for everyone, it’s an absolute must for those who:

• are pregnant or nursing and still choose to have mercury amalgam fillings removed;

• are allergic to mercury or any of the other materials used in an amalgam filling, particularly tin or silver;

• anyone who has ever had any adverse side effects after having mercury amalgam fillings placed or removed; and

• anyone who has immune system disorders, allergies, or other serious health problems.

Some dentists don’t follow every one of the guidelines listed in the next section, while others go even further to protect the patient and the office staff. I believe the basic New Directions Dentistry protocol is more than adequate and should be acceptable to most, if not all, dentists who subscribe to the basic concepts of mercury free and mercury safe, holistic, or biological dentistry.

Safe Removal Guidelines for Amalgam Fillings

1. Keep the fillings cool during removal

Drilling out an amalgam filling generates a tremendous amount of heat, which causes a significant increase in the release of mercury, both as a vapor and in amalgam particles, during the entire removal process. Cooling the filling with water and air while drilling substantially reduces the amount of mercury vapor the filling releases.

2. Cutting the Amalgam into Chunks

Most mercury-safe dentists use a removal process that’s commonly referred to as chunking. This involves less drilling, because the dentist only drills enough to cut the filling into chunks, which can then be easily removed by a hand instrument or suction. Both chunking and keeping the filling cool during removal are very important and I believe all mercury safe dentists should follow this procedure.

3. Use a high-volume evacuator

Most mercury safe dentists use a more powerful suction system than the type used by most pro-amalgam dentists. I feel this is one of the most important tools in minimizing the patient’s exposure to mercury vapor and amalgam particles. The evacuator tip should be kept to within 1⁄2 inch of the filling during the entire time the filling is being removed. This helps capture more of the mercury vapor and particles. All mercury safe dentists should follow this procedure.

4. Provide the patient with an alternative source of air

Not every mercury safe dentist agrees with the need for this as long as a high-volume evacuator is being used. But if it isn’t being used, I believe the patient should be provided with an alternative air source while their amalgam fillings are being removed, even if steps 1 & 2 are done. If your mercury safe dentist doesn’t provide an alternative source of air you should ask him or her if they are using a high-volume evacuation system.

An alternative source of air isn’t necessary after the removal process when the tooth is being prepared for the new filling and while the new filling is placed. But during the actual removal, the patient should be provided with a nasal hood through which he or she can breathe either compressed air from a tank, air from a source outside the office, or oxygen from a tank. The patient should be instructed to breathe through the nose and avoid breathing through the mouth while mercury amalgam silver fillings are being removed.

The consensus is not to remove mercury amalgam fillings during a pregnancy or during nursing. But if for whatever reason that procedure is done, I personally believe that an alternative source of air should be provided when removing amalgam fillings from the teeth of pregnant and nursing mothers, patients who have multiple allergies and sensitivities, immune system problems, or any other health issues related to chronic mercury poisoning. This I would recommend even if a high volume evacuator is being used as these people will want to maximize their protection.

5. Use a rubber dam

A rubber dam isolates the tooth or teeth being worked on. It was believed that the rubber dam would protect the patient from breathing mercury vapor in through the mouth. We now know that mercury vapor can readily pass through a rubber dam made out of latex, the most commonly used rubber dam material. Many patients have heard that the rubber dam offers a great deal of protection and should absolutely be included as part of the safe removal protocol. Some people will even insist on its use to protect them from mercury vapor.

My personal opinion is that, because the rubber dam does not protect you from inhaling mercury vapor during the removal process, it does not absolutely have to be used when removing amalgam fillings. Incorporating the first 4 steps listed above will provide the greatest source of protection from mercury vapor for the patient. But while the rubber dam offers little protection against mercury vapor I believe that it does make it easier to evacuate the filling material and prevent amalgam particles from being swallowed. (Even though swallowed amalgam particles contain mercury it is not believed to be released during its process through the intestine, it is sound procedure to prevent as much of it as possible from being swallowed. So the particles are not a threat to your health.)

If a composite filling is used to replace a mercury amalgam filling, the rubber dam offers an isolated and dry field for placing the composite filling. The dentist will decide when it is or isn’t necessary. It does take some time to place and remove the rubber dam, it can be a little uncomfortable, and some patients simply cannot tolerate its use. There are other exceptions to its use because the position or location of some teeth, particularly 3rd molars, or so-called wisdom teeth, may make it impossible to place a rubber dam.

A Note to the Patient

Whether your dentist uses a rubber dam or not you should always focus on breathing through your nose during the entire time the amalgam fillings are being removed. This is especially important if an alternative source of air is not available.

6. Remove gloves and clean the patient’s mouth

Once the filling(s) have been removed and replaced, the dentist and the assistant should remove and dispose of their gloves and the rubber dam, and thoroughly rinse and vacuum the patient’s entire mouth for at least 15 seconds. This will help remove amalgam particles and residual mercury vapor from the mouth. The patient should make every effort not to swallow during the rinsing procedure. I also suggest that after the rinsing procedure, the patient use a small amount of water and gargle as far back into his throat as possible. The patient should not swallow this watery residue! Instead, he or she should spit it into a sink or cup. All mercury free dentists should follow this procedure but it won’t hurt to remind him or her.

7. Immediately clean up

After the fillings have been removed and replaced, the dentist or dental assistant should immediately remove and dispose of the patient’s protective covering and thoroughly clean his face and neck. All mercury safe dentists should routinely do this but remind the assistant if she forgets, after all you don’t want to take any mercury home with you.

8. Use additional air purification

Some mercury safe dentists use an additional air filtering system that’s placed as close to the patient’s mouth as is practical. The more popular ones resemble an elephant’s trunk and have openings about 4 inches in diameter. This can be helpful, but I agree with those mercury safe dentists who believe that the patient can be adequately protected without such a system. More and more mercury safe dentists are using this type of purification system and while it’s a nice addition to the removal protocol, it is more important for the dentist and assistant than the patient.

9. Filtering air in the operatory

There are a number of effective ways to purify the air in the dental office. I’m not making specific recommendations. But many mercury safe dental offices filter the office air, as they work in it all day and it’s to their benefit to do so. This is more important for the dentist and staff than for the patient. Although mercury safe offices don’t place amalgam fillings, they certainly are required to remove them. Keep in mind that you will only be at the office for a short period of time but the dentist and his or her staff will be removing these fillings many times throughout the day. I believe all mercury safe dentists would want to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their entire staff from excessive exposure to mercury.

10. Use activated charcoal

There’s some evidence that activated charcoal taken 10-15 minutes before amalgam removal can bind smaller particles of swallowed mercury, allowing them to be harmlessly passed out of the intestine via the feces. I consider this to be optional, as very little elemental or inorganic mercury is absorbed through the intestine, but it can’t hurt to add it, especially if you are in the high risk category.

Comments from Dr. Tom

As you can see, the amalgam removal procedure done in a mercury safe office is vastly different from what you have experienced at a pro-amalgam dental office. The above are only presented as guidelines for the safe removal of mercury amalgam fillings and there are similar protocols that are equally effective.

It should be noted that all of the above procedures are not weighted equally in regard to how much protection from mercury vapor and particles they will provide. Some are more important than others but I believe it is absolutely necessary for Steps 1, 2 and 3 to be taken. For example, it is much more important to the patient to breathe an alternative source of air than to take activated charcoal so you wouldn’t want to trade taking charcoal for an alternative source of air.

It is also more beneficial to the patient if the dentist keeps the fillings cool, uses a high speed evacuator and a rubber dam, than filtering the dental office air. Again, not all the above procedures are absolutely necessary to safely remove amalgam fillings but the more of them your mercury dentist uses the better. Always ask the dentist if you are unsure about any procedure he or she is using.

If you plan on having your mercury amalgam (silver) fillings removed and are looking for a mercury safe dentist, I recommend searching the world’s largest and comprehensive database of Mercury Free & Mercury Safe Dentists. If you are a mercury safe dentist you can become a member of my Mercury Safe Dentist Internet Listing Service. The Mercury Free and Safe Dentist Listing offers many benefits of membership.

Similar Posts:

• Holistic Dentistry – Biological Dentistry – Mercury Free and Fluoride Free Natural Dentists
• Mercury Fillings – Mercury Toxicity – Removal of Mercury Amalgam Fillings
• Mercury Fillings Detox – Mercury Detoxification For Safe Removal of Mercury Dental Fillings
• Mercury Detoxification, Chronic Mercury Poisoning, and Mercury Amalgam Fillings by Dr Tom McGuire
• Nutrition, Teeth, and Good Health – by Dr. Tom McGuire