As the population becomes even more aware of the importance of health and fitness, increased attention is put on what goes into our bodies. Usually, this is stressed for the food we eat. But, it's also important to understand the effects of chemicals and substances that are used by doctors and dentists in order to maintain a healthy body.

Beverly Hills dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, advocates patient testing for chemical sensitivity before choosing the dental materials that are to be used for fillings and other dental work.

Some people have found that they have a sensitivity to these materials used and that some are actually toxic. With symptoms than can range from headaches, breathing difficulties, or dizziness to sometimes debilitating illnesses, it is important that a patient is tested, especially if they are known to be sensitive to certain compounds.

One well-known example is mercury amalgam fillings, an irritant for many dental patients. Dr. Tom McGuire, DDS, is a dental researcher and is an innovator and leader in holistic dental wellness. He explains, ?Mercury amalgam fillings continuously release mercury vapor, the most poisonous, naturally occurring, non-radioactive substance on earth, into your body. The mercury amalgams emit contributes to over 100 health issues. ?

Dr. McGuire continues, ?For some, the effects of dental materials on their health can be significant. Today we are exposed to thousands of potentially toxic substances that didn't exist 50, or even 20, years ago and every year more are added to the list. The effects on health of man-made substances vary from person to person. Some may not be affected, while, for others, the same substance may be toxic and elicit a harmful reaction. The source of these substances range from what is put into the food we eat, to household chemicals, pesticides, toxic substances resulting from the manufacturing process, auto emissions, and products and materials used in medical and dental treatment.?

Serum biocompatibility testing is a laboratory screening process used to help identify existing sensitivity problems to various chemical groups and families of compounds in an individual patient. ?I suggest to many patients that they take advantage of serum biocompatibility testing.?, explains Beverly Hills dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi. ?It is possible to use a serum blood specimen to determine what one's ?least toxic? replacement dental materials might be. We use the term ?least toxic? because any foreign substance introduced into the body will, to some degree, aggravate the immune system. This is the purpose of the immune system, to ward off substances not naturally found in the body.?

This testing will specifically discover existing systemic sensitivity that could be associated with various bio-materials and the restorative products that are used to repair and reconstruct teeth, bone structures, joints and other body tissue. Classical immunological methods are used resulting in test results reporting on as many as 7000 trade-named products and almost 100 chemical groups and families.

Once tested, a patient is much more likely to be out of harm's way and Beverly Hills dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, can confidently choose the dental materials that are to be used for fillings and other dental work.