We take further steps to determine which materials are suitable in order to decrease the likelihood of an allergic reaction to the dental materials. I.e., anesthetic, filling materials, porcelain restorations, implants, bonding agents, etc.
Materials Reactivity Testing
Peace of mind is knowing that the dental and orthopedic restorative products used in your body have been screened for your use.
Why Test?
In modern healthcare, manufactured materials are commonly used to restore, repair or maintain structure or function in the body. These substances, known as bio-materials, are found in virtually every application ranging from dental restoratives to surgical implants and prosthetics.
Like fingerprints, biochemistries are individual, and the effects of exposure to modern bio-materials (and their reactive by-products) vary from person to person. Exposure that proves benign to one individual may prove to be extremely harmful or toxic to another. Negative effects have been known to range from mild irritation to extreme reactions such as long-term illness, dysfunction, or damage. As new and complex materials and alloys are continually developed, the impact that these materials present upon an individual’s body chemistry must be considered.
Only clinical testing and analysis of a patient’s unique immunological record can reveal the chemical compounds against which antibodies have been formed. This, in turn, allows offending materials to be identified and reaction forecasts to be made. With this information, healthcare providers can make informed decisions about the bio-material they choose to meet the need of each patient. This can be especially important in cases when a patient exhibits atypical health complications or sensitivities. And patients who are tested for reactivity prior to any procedure involving bio-materials will feel confident and empowered knowing that the materials being used in their bodies are safer for them.
What is CMRT?
Clifford Materials Reactivity Testing (CMRT) is a comprehensive clinical blood test that screens for individual systemic sensitivity to bio-materials through antibody detection.
The process begins with the blood serum sample sent by a licensed healthcare professional in the prepaid, overnight shipping kit we provide. Blood samples are screened against 94 chemical groups, measuring the reaction to each. These individual reactions are then cross-referenced against the largest professionally maintained database of trade name bio-medical composites, alloys, and other materials of its kind in the world.
The results report provides the patient with an indication of the suitability of every material in the database to the patient, alphabetically by trade name. This important information allows the healthcare provider to choose materials that are clinically screened for the greatest measure of safety for use in the patient’s body.
Despite the unprecedented depth of screening information that CMRT offers healthcare providers about their patient’s sensitivities, it is not a diagnosis or prognosis of any condition. Any interpretation or inference of the data CMRT provides remains strictly the doctor’s responsibility to determine.
The CMRT was developed in 1988 by Walter Clifford. For more than 3 decades, the CMRT has provided healthcare practitioners with important information to help guide their selection of safer materials. ELISA/ACT Biotechnologies is committed to keeping the CMRT available and continually updated.
What can CMRT do for me and my doctor or dentist?
- CMRT provides objective laboratory evaluation specific to you.
- CMRT offers a measure of guidance for the doctor in choosing the treatment plan and materials before expensive and involved placements have been done.
- CMRT helps facilitate informed choice and consent with all parties involved.
- CMRT helps to minimize the risk of adverse outcomes and the necessity for expensive, exotic procedures and counter-measures after structure and foundation are lost.
- CMRT is a valuable due diligence process that contributes to the total quality of care.
- CMRT substantially enhances “peace of mind” for both patients and professionals.
Getting tested
All blood testing for clinical purposes in the United States is prescriptive and must be ordered by a physician, dentist, or other healthcare professionals. We are happy to work with your healthcare professional who can legally order laboratory blood testing in your state or province. Healthcare professionals can also obtain immediate information by contacting our lab.
Things you should know
Clifford Materials Reactivity Testing is a screening system to differentiate potentially unsafe materials (those containing components for which the patient has existing systemic sensitivity) from more desirable materials which show no evidence of any current sensitivity issues. It is not to be considered as means of specific diagnosis or prognosis of any disease or condition.
Caution should be used when considering this kind of testing for children because their bio-records are not fully mature. We have found that most people have come in contact with a sufficient variety of substances to develop their immunological record by the age of puberty.
We do not accept insurance assignments. Although many patients have received insurance and/or third-party reimbursement, our services are not approved for Medicare, Medicaid, MediCal, or CHAMPUS participation.
ELISA/ACT Biotechnologies is a HIPAA-compliant Laboratory. By federal law, we do not discuss confidential information or release test results to anyone other than those authorized by law to receive them. Questions regarding receipt of specimens, contents of test results, or other such information, should be directed to the ordering professional.
The CMRT was developed in 1988 by Walter Clifford. Since then, the CMRT has been helping healthcare practitioners select the best materials for their patients. ELISA/ACT Biotechnologies understands the awesome trust that patients place in their care providers and is committed to keeping the CMRT available, and continually expanding the reported materials, just as Walter did for over 3 decades.
Kinesiology/Muscle Testing
Applied kinesiology makes use of muscle strength as an indicator of an organism’s orderly disturbed state of health. The arm (deltoid/shoulder muscle) offers the easiest access for muscle testing. Our office uses Kinesiology to gauge which dental materials are better suited for you than others.
In the simplest terms, if a dental product is suited well for a patient, their arm will generally “stay strong” and remain raised. If a dental product is not suitable for the patient, their arm will generally fall when pressure is placed. See the picture for reference.
Of course, Kinesiology is a tool to help us determine product compatibility. It is not a guarantee that a patient will not have any allergic/negative reaction to the dental materials used. If you are extremely chemically sensitive, please notify us, and we will refer you to get blood drawn and mailed to a lab in order to provide a comprehensive booklet of over 2,000 dental materials that are tested and determined either “suitable” or “not suitable.” There is a cost for this service through the lab, Clifford Consulting and Research.
Mercury Vapor Testing of Your “Silver” Fillings
Our office uses a mercury vapor analyzer to test the vapor emitted from patients’ amalgam fillings. According to NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) the recommended airborne exposure limit (REL) IS 0.05 mg/m³ *(as mercury vapor) averaged over a 10-hour work shift and 0.1 mg/m³ (as Mercury), not to be exceeded at any time.
