An interesting fact just happened with our dog Celeste. She has been with us since the age of 9 weeks, so we know her dog’s health and personal habits quite well. She has always eaten very healthy homemade food in stainless steel or ceramic bowls. But about 6 months ago, we started serving her food from the plastic container she was stored in the refrigerator.
Shortly after, he developed a small growth on his lip. The vet said that Celeste was probably bitten and that her small fibroid could be surgically removed or left there. The idea of putting Celeste under anesthesia to remove a small benign growth was quickly dismissed. She might just disappear on her own (Ha! That almost never happens).
Then, about 3 weeks ago, part of her nose began to change color from black to pinkish white. It was on the same side of her face as the fibroid. There was nothing in my mind that put these same two facial anomalies in the same category. But as most of us know, there are no coincidences. More detective work began.
This time I went online to see if I could find the answers myself. (Those who know me know that I don’t give up easily when it comes to health issues.) The Internet has a plethora of solutions for every problem. We just have to use discernment and some common sense when filtering through these websites.
Not wanting to believe the melancholy that my dog is old (she’s only 3 years old) or has a weird skin condition or blame the weather (hard to believe, but seasonal change will cause this nose color change), I looked further into it. I think it was somewhere around page 5 of Google search, that other causal factors surfaced.
There was something I found about the chemicals in the plastic plates possibly causing the color change. I thought this would be a simple thing to fix. We immediately changed all of your serving bowls back to stainless steel or ceramic. Guess what? Within three days, not only was her nose returning to its normal color, but the growth on her lip was also disappearing. A week later, there was no trace of any disease on her nose or lip. My beautiful, healthy pup had her baby face thrown back.
Thank you Celeste for that live personal lesson on the dangers of plastics in our environment!!!
The thing to realize is that Celeste is a 12-pound dog. The effects on her were seen visually. If you’re a 100 or 200 pound person, the effects won’t be as noticeable. And Celeste is EXTREMELY healthy, so her immune system was able to keep these toxins on the surface of her skin without being absorbed deeply into her internal organs. That’s probably the real reason everything was resolved so quickly.
Which brings me to the dangers of BPA.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) has become an epidemic in our plastics bonding society. Not only does it affect our current population, but there is also evidence that it is also transmitted to newborns in the womb. It is an endocrine disruptor; a synthetic estrogen mimic (xenoestrogen). Hormonal disruption or imbalance leads to infertility, puberty, sexual and gender identity issues, diabetes, obesity, and possibly even estrogen-related cancers.
It is used in most plastic bottles, the inner linings of food and beverage cans, inks for store receipts, printers and paper money, and some cosmetics and clothing. Even the CDC reported in 2004 that BPA showed up in the urine of more than 90% of people tested.
So why is this important in dentistry?
Because many of the composites and most of the sealants used in dentistry contain bisphenol-A. Yes, you read it right. You removed the toxic silver mercury fillings and may have replaced them with toxic white fillings. It is not what I would call progress.
So you, as an educated consumer, need to stop trusting your healthcare professional so much (see my personal experience in Choosing a Holistic Dentist), learn a little more, and make better decisions. It sure worked for Celeste.
And by the way, the white sealants and fillers we use in our office are BPA-free.
Don’t worry here.