Phase Three of the Huggins-Grube Protocol – The Road Back to Health

Phase Three of the Huggins-Grube Protocol – The Road Back to Health

Last week, we completed our review of the second, or principal, phase of our Patient Protection Protocol. I say “principal” because that’s where the dental rubber meets the proverbial road. That is, where the main work of revision occurs.

The Road Continues

Getting the toxic materials out of your mouth, however, is just the beginning of your journey toward recovered health and wellness. After all, if we’ve tried to get anything clear in these posts it’s that there’s an awful lot more to good health than a healthy smile, much less a pretty one.

So, yes, getting you back to a state of good health is a journey. And, the length of that journey depends on several factors, varying in degree from one person to another. Some of those critical factors are

·      how sick/healthy were you before revision

·      how much revision actually took place

·      how serious are you about getting better

The Will To Heal

I can hear some of you as you read those last words. “Whoa! Are you kidding, Dr. Blanche? Of course I want to get better!” Do you? I mean, I know some of you were hurting pretty badly when you first came to our center. However, others among you were in relatively little to no pain at all. Regardless, now is when you really show how serious you are about being healthy. How serious, and how willing to work for it.

After all, my patients each have one major thing in common. Namely, each and every one of you was toxic. Poisoned. Unwell. Sound harsh? Trust me, the sound of the words is nothing compared to the reality of the toxicity.

Thankfully, you are now on the other side of that hurdle. But, we’ve got to get you walking (maybe even crawling first) before you can start running again. That’s precisely what Phase Three of the Protocol is all about.

Tools For Healing

So, over the course of the next few weeks, I’ll be discussing some of the more important means we use to help you along the road to recovered health. Some may be a little surprising. Others may seem like such common sense that you wonder why we need to spell them out. Well, you know what they say about common sense, right?

Again, the success of many of these methods depends a lot upon the recovering patient. How badly he or she wants to get better. How much he or she is willing to do – and even sacrifice – in order to get there.

Rest assured, though: we’re here to help you every step of the way. Heck, some of us have even walked the road ourselves. Either way, if you’re serious about getting better, then we’ll gladly meet you more than half way. Sound good?

Let’s get moving then!

All the best,

Dr. Blanche

Phase Two of the Huggins-Grube Protocol – Negative Ion Generators (“Scrubbing the Air”)

Phase Two of the Huggins-Grube Protocol – Negative Ion Generators (“Scrubbing the Air”)

So, the rubber dam is an effective tool for protecting the inside of your mouth from spraying mercury during amalgam extraction. But, what about atmospheric mercury: those tiny particles released into the air during the revision process?

Air Scrubbing

Well, we’ve got you covered there, too! Negative ionization to the rescue!

Negative ionization is a powerful and very effective way of removing mercury vapor from the air in a dental office.  But, first of all, what’s negative ionization all about?

Electrically Charged Air Molecules

It is estimated that in every cubic centimeter of air, there are anywhere from 1,500 to 4,000 ions. Some of these are positively charged, and the rest are negatively charged. There’s no third option.

Since the Earth’s surface itself is negatively charged, it naturally repels negative air ions, which are very mobile. They’re also incredibly beneficial to human beings – to all living things, in fact.

If you want an image of how negative ions make us feel, picture yourself at the beach or seated next to a waterfall. Calming, right?

The amazing thing here is that “too much of a good thing” doesn’t apply to negative ionization. You just feel – and biologically are – better and better.

Feeling Groovy

One major benefit of an increase in negative ions is the increase of available serotonin in the body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, naturally produced by the body, that is responsible for mood balancing. Bottom line: the higher your serotonin levels are, the better you feel. Think of it like our natural “happy” chemical.

Increased healing of lung problems is another benefit of negative ionization. It also acts as a brain stimulant, so it’s ideal for maintaining attention, during study for example. Hence the popularity of small ionizers for desktop use. 

However, our point here is not what ionization does for the student, but what it does for the dental patient.

Back in the Chair

Remember that high-speed drill I spoke of in last week’s post?

Let’s say the average amalgam filling contains anywhere from 40 to 50 percent mercury. Well, when that high-speed drill comes into contact with such a filling, the resultant concentration of mercury vapor in the air in front of your nose can increase rapidly. In fact, the level can be higher than a normal mercury-measuring device can even register. As in off the scale!

That means that your lungs, those of your dentist, and those of any attending assistants are working at full power just to filter all of this toxic gas in the air. This is an overwhelming task, and it is hardly a healthy one.

Negative Ion Generators

Enter the negative ion generators. There are basically two types of these devices.

The first simply charges mercury in the air, causing it to fall to the floor. Of course, then the floor needs a thorough scrubbing! And, we’re not talking about ordinary pathogens, bad as they are.

The second kind of deionizer targets the whole dental activity area, capturing the airborne mercury in a filter on the opposite side of the room. This is more effective, since it virtually eliminates the vaporized mercury from the room.

Truth is Stranger than Fiction

All of this may seem a little sci-fi, but that’s only because the science behind the fiction is real! What’s not fictitious is how seriously we take both our patients’ and our own health, especially when it’s a question of heavy metal toxicity.

We’ll talk more about the benefits of negative ionization in future posts. For now, thanks for reading these posts. All of them are designed to give you a clearer idea of our Patient Protection Protocol.

Stay tuned for next week’s post, as we move into the Protocol’s third, and final, phase. Until then, take good care!

All the best,

Dr. Blanche

Phase Two of the Huggins-Grube Protocol – Part Two Rubber Dam (“The Tooth Raincoat”)

Hopefully, last week’s post on our use of intravenous Vitamin C here at Centers for Healing gave you a good idea of how much we do to protect the patients sitting in our dental chairs. Now, let’s have a look at yet another tool we use for the same purpose. 

Holding Back the Water

The rubber dam has been around for decades, long before the present “amalgam war” had begun. We called them “tooth raincoats,” a description children grasped intuitively. All dams have a single major function: to hold back water, right? Well, the dental rubber dam is no different.

Keeping the Workspace Clean and Dry

In all dentistry, biological and otherwise, the rubber dam is a valuable tool, since it keeps the part of the mouth where the dental team is working clean and dry. A thin piece of rubber with holes punched into it, the rubber dam is lubricated with vaseline. This permits it to slip over the teeth, creating an effective barrier against water.

Draining the Toxic Sludge

Water is not the only thing the rubber dam holds back, however. When amalgams are removed, a toxic mercury sludge is created. Now, if mercury is bad news for your teeth, imagine what a danger it presents to the much softer tissue in your mouth!

Mercury Spray

Think about it for a moment. That drill bit in the dentist’s hand is spinning at 150,000 revolutions per minute, spraying mercury – vapor and particulates – everywhere. High suction and rinsing aren’t enough to keep that mercury from covering both the insides of your cheeks – the most absorptive external body area – and the floor of the mouth, which is second only to the cheeks for absorption capacity. To protect these sensitive areas, we add to the dam a layer of sulphur cream, precisely to provide a second layer of protection while mercury is being blasted-out.

Why go to the trouble of extracting amalgam fillings – which have been leaching mercury all along – only to aggressively dump the remaining mercury and other toxins directly into your bloodstream?

Old Dog, New Trick

So, you can see how we use the rubber dam, which has been around a long time, in a new, very effective way. This is what we’re all about here at Centers for Healing: the safe and speedy restoration of health. And we’re always looking for ways to do this even more safely and quickly! Stop by and see us if your summer travels bring you through northeast Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, have a wonderful summer.

All the best,

Phase Two of the Huggins-Grube Protocol – Part Two Intravenous Vitamin C (“High-Powered C”)

Last week’s post began our discussion of the second phase of the Huggins-Grube Protocol. You’ll remember we talked about the practice of conscious sedation, humming along with Annie Lennox singing in the background. If you’re like me, you’re still humming!

Intravenous Vitamin C

Anyway, it’s time now to cover the topic of protection against mercury and other toxins. One of the most important features of our Protocol is the use of intravenous Vitamin C.

Cellular Metabolism

Everyone knows that Vitamin C is good for you, right? I mean, it increases the general efficiency of cellular metabolism – that is, the nitty-gritty work that each one of our billions of cells performs to keep us alive.

Remember high school biology? Well, just in case: each cell has a membrane that surrounds and protects it. By means of this cell membrane, nutrients are pulled into the cell, and toxins are pushed out. Vitamin C keeps this process running smoothly.

An Efficient Detoxifier

Even more to the point of our Protocol, Vitamin C is easily one of the most efficient aids in helping the body detoxify from the effects of dead and root canal teeth, as well as the waste accumulated around them.

Molecular Bouncers

Upon detecting the presence of a heavy metal – lead, cadmium, or mercury – within a cell, Vitamin C immediately issues a “red-alert” message to the cell, prompting it to begin production of glutathione. Glutathione is a special detoxifying chemical that binds itself to mercury and escorts it out of the body. If your cells are so many “clubs,” then glutathione molecules are their bouncers: “Out the door, buddy!”

Oral Vitamin C: A Big “No-No” During Revision

As great as intravenous Vitamin C therapy is during the dental revision process, a word of caution is needed here. Under no circumstances should a patient ingest oral Vitamin C in any form on the day of surgery. Why? Because in this form, it counteracts the effects of anesthetics, and big-time.

Practically, this means that all local anesthetic will wear-off within 5 to 10 minutes. After that, you might as well be in thumb screws.

Mysteriously, the 25 to 50 grams of intravenous Vitamin C delivered directly to your blood stream doesn’t interfere at all in this way. So rest easy. Just skip your Vitamin C supplements on surgery day!

More Protection

In the next couple of posts, we’ll look at the other important tools we use to protect our patients – and ourselves – during the work of dental revision. Yes, heavy metals are toxic to humans, and dental personnel are people too!

Until then, take good care, and make sure you’re getting your Vitamin C every day! Your cells will thank for it.

All the best,

Dr. Blanche

The Huggins-Grube Protocol – Phase Two – Conscious Sedation (Sweet Dreams)

Hopefully by now you’ve had a chance to order your own jar of My Magic Mud. As soon as you receive it and start using it, you’ll see why I wrote about it so enthusiastically in last week’s post. (Need a refresher? You can find it here.)

Meanwhile, it’s time to continue our look at the Huggins-Grube Protocol. We’ve seen pretty much everything involved in the first, or preparatory, phase. So, now it’s time to have a look at the second phase. This is where we get into the actual work of dental revision . . . the “goal” of Phase One.

Conscious Sedation

Remember Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics? They were really popular back in the early 80’s. That is, back when “the oldies” were the hit songs of the 50’s and 60’s. Crazy how time flies, huh?

Anyway, the Eurythmics had a hit song called “Sweet Dreams.” For whatever reason, it popped into my head as I was thinking about this post and its main topic: conscious sedation. If you know this catchy tune, you’ll probably hum along with me as I explain why.

Twilight

“Conscious sedation?” you ask. It’s easily one of the most important recent additions to the Protocol within the past decade. Most of you probably have had a local anesthetic – such as a Novacaine shot – once or twice in your lifetime. You remain conscious, but the treated area of your mouth goes completely numb, enabling more or less painless dental work. The other extreme would be a general anesthetic, such as nitrous oxide. It might be used in the case of more detailed surgery, such as wisdom teeth removal.

Well, between these two “extremes,” if you will, is conscious sedation. Think of it like a pleasant twilight sleep. You know what’s going on – more or less – but without a care in the world. Afterward, however, you may not remember anything, due to the amnesia that accompanies this kind of sedation.

Benefits

Aside from not remembering your time in the dental chair, there are much more serious benefits associated with conscious sedation.  It is possible to do the entire work of dental revision, involving all four quadrants of the mouth, in a single sitting. This is a huge deal for your immune system. Essentially, your body is able to endure the relative trauma associated with amalgam removal and then start healing, without the interruptions of sequential appointments. And, because of the “twilight sleep,” the six or more hours that might be involved in the process seem more like two.

Next week, I’ll talk about the other important safety features used during the revision process. For now, just know that we take every step of that process with the utmost seriousness. At Centers For Healing, there is no such thing as the contradiction between a successful treatment, on the one hand, and an unhealed patient, on the other. Our work is only a success when you’re back on the road to restored health and immunity. Period.

All the best,

Dr. Blanche Grube

Black and White

I don’t know about know about you, but I could use a break from our Protocol discussion, as important as it is. So, now seems as good a time as any to talk to you about My Magic Mud, an awesome new product that is taking the oral hygiene industry by storm.

Teeth Whitening

But, first some background. You may have heard me say in a video I recorded a while ago that people often come to me about whitening their teeth. And, no matter what the method, I’ve always been against it, for the simple reason that all teeth whiteners contain peroxide. And, you know what peroxide does, right?

Remember back when you were a kid, and you scraped your knee? Your mother or other caregiver immediately poured peroxide on it to clean it. If you were anything like I was, in spite of the stinging sensation you watched in amazement as the wound bubbled-up. What you were watching were your red blood cells reacting to the peroxide.

Exploding Blood Cells

Well, when you place peroxide on tooth enamel, it doesn’t just stay on the enamel. Like all bone, our teeth are porous. So, some of that peroxide seeps through the dentin and pulp to where the blood vessels are. Now, what do you suppose the red blood cells in those vessels – deep inside your teeth – do when the peroxide hits them? You guessed it: they start bubbling. And they only stop when they finally explode. Yep: explode. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

Hypersensitivity and Root Canals

Folks, this is why so many people today experience hypersensitivity when they get their teeth whitened. And, how does a conventional dentist respond? “No problem, have a root canal done.” That’s why the number of anterior root canals – meaning those placed in your front teeth – has sky-rocketed in recent years.

Again, this is the simple reason why I’ve always been against teeth whitening.

Paradoxes

Until now, that is. It’s funny, you know. Sometimes, you have to experience the opposite of what you really want in order to get precisely what you really want. If you think about it, everyday life is filled with these paradoxes, or apparent contradictions.

For instance, you’ve probably heard the saying “It’s darkest before the dawn.” That’s right: the dark night gets even darker just before the first rays of morning light break through. Then, of course, there’s the famous saying, “No pain, no gain.” What athlete hasn’t heard that more than once?

I don’t want to get too philosophical here, however. In fact, after so many years searching for a practical solution to the problem of tooth-whitening, I’ve finally found something that I want to share with you.

My Magic Mud

Lately I’ve been brushing my teeth with a great new product called “My Magic Mud.” It’s a one-hundred percent natural tooth powder made of activated coconut shell charcoal and calcium bentonite clay. It cleans and detoxifies your mouth, and, yes, whitens your teeth!

Synergy

So, what’s the “magic” in My Magic Mud Tooth Powder? Answer: its simplicity.  You’ve probably heard the word “synergy.” Bottom line, that’s when the different parts of something, when working together the right way, end-up creating something much greater than just the sum of those separate parts.
In this case, the activated coconut shell charcoal scrubs your teeth squeaky clean and detoxifies your mouth at the same time. Because it’s grit-free and ultra fine, it’s gentle on tooth enamel.
Meanwhile, the calcium bentonite clay improves dental hygiene in general by lifting the toxins right out of your teeth and gums, by a process known as “adsorption.” Even more, it actually helps remineralizeyour teeth.  That’s a huge benefit right there!

A Unique Blend

The charcoal and clay in My Magic Mud is very different from other charcoals and clays on the market. This blend has been lab tested, ensuring that the end result is the finest powder available, not like the charcoal, for example, found in most capsules. Bottom line: on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, the ingredients in My Magic Mud are not as hard as tooth enamel. This means a medium-low abrasivity level, which is spot on for cleaning your teeth. 
Finally, the certified orange peel extract – a natural whitener – and the certified organic mint extract – a natural anti-inflammatory – finish-off this amazing combination of products. Period. That’s right: there’s nothing else in My Magic Mud. No bleaching agents. No fillers. No GMO’s. No foaming agents. Zip. Nil. Nada.

Get Dirty to Get Clean!

Using My Magic Mud is actually super simple. You’ve seen what it’s done for me. But, don’t just take my word for it. Put it to the test in your own mouth and see whether it doesn’t do for your smile what you’ve just seen it do for mine.
Oh, and talk about a real bargain. A jar of My Magic Mud sells for $25. But, it lasts for 5 months. That’s $5 bucks a month for one of the best oral health products I’ve ever seen in my long career in dentistry. And you get free shipping to boot!
You can order your own jar right here from my website: My Magic Mud. Doing so helps support the work we all do here at Centers for Healing. Work we do for you!
All the best,

Dr. Blanche

Phase One of The Huggins-Grube Protocol – Treatment Plan and Cyclic Scheduling

Phase One of The Huggins-Grube Protocol – Treatment Plan and Cyclic Scheduling

Your test results are in! We know your personal nutritional profile and your biocompatibility parameters. We also know the electrical charges of your fillings.

Now, it’s time to work up your treatment plan. Think of it like this: your map application on your smartphone tells you the possible routes for getting from wherever you are to wherever you want to be. The route you end up taking, however, with its stops and starts, detours and visits, is the particular path you actually take to get there.

Making the Protocol a Custom Fit

It’s the same thing with the Protocol. Its various components and steps are one thing; how we adapt them to your specific needs is quite another. You know those clothes marked “one size fits all,” where “all” is really “none”? Well, this is definitely a case where one size – that is, one practical application of our Protocol – definitely does not fit all!

“What are some of these planning variables, Dr. Blanche?” Well, since you’re having amalgam removed from your teeth, we’ve got to replace it with something else, right? We can’t leave holes in your head (literally). So, do you want a composite filling, or maybe a gold one? If we also have to remove teeth in the revision process, do you prefer a fixed bridge or a removable one? Then, there’s the question of anesthesia. Do you prefer conscious sedation or just a local anesthetic? See? All of these variables need to be determined to get the best fit for you.

The 7-14-21 Day Cycles

There’s more. Now that we’ve determined what we’re going to do for you, it’s time to determine when. It’s impossible to exaggerate the importance of this. Over the years, we’ve observed the responses of many patients with respect to appointment length. More importantly, we’ve studied the scheduling intervals between successive appointments, in conjunction with a patient’s immune cycles.

The science behind this is fascinating, but it’s more than we can cover in this format. Suffice it to say that our bodies run on many overlapping cycles. For instance, there are:

·      the numbers of hours you sleep

·      when you go to bed

·      when you get up in the morning

·      when you eat your first meal of the day

·      your menstrual cycles (for women)

·      how long your red blood cells live

·      how long your white blood cells live

Whew! I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot of different cycles. Now, from the dental point of view, toxic exposure initiates cycles of immune activity, which likewise activate other immune or endocrine activity. Yes, the human body, in spite of how simply and smoothly it operates, is incredibly complex.

So, what does this mean for you, bottom-line? It means that any successive dental revision work done before your immune system has had a chance to “reboot” can cause major health problems. If you picture a runner who hurts his ankle and then starts running again before the ankle is healed, then you’ve got a pale image of what I’m talking about. That’s because when it’s a question of your immune system, there’s a lot more than a damaged joint at stake. Quite literally, it’s you who are at stake. Immunity is no joke, and a damaged immune system is a tragedy.

End of Phase One

With that, we’ve completed our review of the first phase of our Protocol for patient protection. We’ve covered a lot of ground together, and there’s been a lot to absorb. Don’t worry: we’re not going anywhere, and this is just the beginning of our discussion of everything we do to protect you and your health – which, by now, you certainly realize includes much more than a nice smile.

We’ll be taking a break next week from our discussion of the Protocol to tell you about an awesome new product we’ve discovered. So, be sure to check back next Monday to read all about it.

Until then, keep well!

Dr. Blanche