To further research dentistry’s impact on conservation, Dr. O’Rielly met with Al Dube’, Vice President of SolmeteX Corporation at the California Dental Association’s convention in June 2009. SolmeteX Corporation is a company providing amalgam filtration for the dental industry. According to Mr. Dube’, twenty tons of heavy metals released into the environment every year come from dental offices in the US.
Currently ten states mandate amalgam separators, the type of filtration offered by SolmeteX, which removes mercury found in amalgam waste before it can enter the water system. The six New England states, New York, New Jersey, Oregon and most recently Michigan have made amalgam filtration mandatory. Elsewhere, amalgam filtration is voluntary.
As of September 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency continues to support voluntary amalgam filtration, and the California Dental Board follows this guideline. Environmentalists like Dr. O’Rielly hope that there will be a trend toward ‘green’ legislation to include more active protection of California’s natural resources from waste metals, including metals from dentistry.
Another focus of Dr. O’Rielly’s conservation video is the role of plastic pollution in the oceans. About 90% of all the trash in the ocean is thought to be plastic. In 2006, the UN Environmental Programme estimated that 46,000 pieces of plastic are found in every square mile of ocean. The Pacific Garbage Patch, an area between California and Japan where the currents collect debris, is estimated to be twice the size of Texas.
Conservation awareness in the form of global art and education has been promoted by world-renowned artist and activist Wyland since the 1970’s. Dr. O’Rielly would like to again acknowledge the Wyland Foundation for its generous participation in his video project. Wyland’s projects are meant to inspire and motivate us to preserve the beauty of our oceans. For more on the Foundation’s activities visit the Media Page at: www.wylandfoundation.org.
Carey O’Rielly DDS has been a practicing dentist for 35 years. He went to USC Dental School and Duke University for his undergraduate degree. He grew up in Laguna Beach and now lives in La Costa with his wife Victoria, who runs his office.
He began his career by owning and operating a network of six offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. Presently he owns a private holistic practice in North County San Diego’s Encinitas.
Dr. O started looking for solutions to his health challenges that resulted from the stress and environmental toxicity that built up over a ten year period running his dental network. He has dedicated himself to learning about oral systemic problems and how dentistry can affect your health. He has applied what he has learned over the last twenty years to ensure he, his staff and his patients are protected from the chemicals and toxic materials found in most dental offices. He has produced an environmentally friendly office that is also peaceful and calm.
He is an expert on dental materials having looked at hundreds of biocompatibility lab tests over the years. He has identified the most bio-friendly materials to use in his practice and which dental materials can be used to replace metal fillings and crowns, including BPA free and fluoride free ‘white’ fillings. He also uses metal-free Zirconia or ceramic implants and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) grafting materials which come from the patient’s own blood.
Dr. O’Rielly teaches C.E. courses on the systemic effects of gum disease. He is an expert in using phase contrast microscopy for analyzing dental infections, where he shows patients what kind of microbes, i.e. bacteria, amoeba, and yeasts like candida are populating the mouth and affecting the body as a whole.
He has an educational blog and is writing a book on dental health called ‘Hidden Dental Infections: Healing Root Canals and Infected Teeth with the Erbium Laser’ where he discusses dental nutrition, toxic dental materials and the effects of old root canals on inflammation and overall health.