Remember that just because a filling is BPA-free does not mean it’s the right choice for your body. Yes, it is believed that BPA is toxic, but those BPA-free fillings may also contain ingredients that are not bio-compatible with YOUR body and actually cause adverse health problems. That’s why we always offer bio-compatibility testing — we want to ensure we use the right filling for your body (we offer a variety of filling materials because we understand that it isn’t “one size fits all” when it comes to your health).

As far as providing a reference in other areas of the country: we would definitely prefer that you come see us (we actually have several patients from the SF Bay Area as well as patients from Canada, New York, South Carolina, Mexico, South America, Australia, and more) and I haven’t yet found another dentist that provides as comprehensive a service as we offer. If you are set on finding a local dentist, I would encourage you to check out http://www.IAOMT.org and take a look at their “find a dentist” tool. Start there and call the dentists to ensure they offer everything you’re looking for.

Also, the ADA has released research that indicates alcohol-based mouthrinses may be a cause of certain oral cancers (http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/topics_cancer_brief_mouthrinses.pdf). They still put their seal on some of them because of limited research that has been done and because, despite the oral cancer risk, the rinses contain ingredients known to help reduce plaque, and that’s the goal of the product, despite the potential side effects.

Does Listerine have a long history? Yes. Does that mean it’s the best choice of products — or the only option you have? Absolutely not.