Procedures - Materials Testing

Materials Testing

Dental material compatibility testing is recommended for all patients prior to dental treatment, especially patients who have experienced multiple allergies, multiple chemical sensitivities, or patients wanting to replace many restorations and/or undergo total dental revision.

The compatibility testing can be used to test all materials that will be used during a patients treatment, including anesthetics, filling materials, crown and bridge materials, denture materials, implant materials, etc. There are various methods that can be used to test dental material compatibility such as:

Elecrodermal Screening

Serum Blood Testing: via Clifford Consulting and Research Lab

"Reactivity with biomaterials in patients has been a hot topic for debate in the dental community. Clifford Consulting and Research, Inc., a federally licensed laboratory and authority on bioreactivity testing, located in Colorado Springs, offers a unique screening procedure for determining reactivity between dental materials components and an individual patient's biochemistry. Clifford Materials Reactivity Testing (CMRT) has enjoyed an accuracy factor of 95+% since its introduction in 1988. It was developed to provide dentists with the necessary information to confidently select and use appropriate restoratives that also represent the lowest degree of reactivity risk to the patient.

Clifford Materials Reactivity Testing (CMRT) helps eliminate the guesswork in choosing safe restorative materials by individually identifying chemical groups and families of compounds that may pose a threat to the patient. By analyzing the patient's unique immune record of antibodies, individual systemic sensitivities are identified and cross-referenced with the contents of the largest, continually expanding database of dental materials of its kind (currently more than 2900 trade-name products). Each trade-name product is assigned a simple 'suited'/'not-well suited' indicator based upon the lab findings, which apply solely to the patient being evaluated. The correlated findings are then reported in a comprehensive trade-name listing of the 2900+ products, arranged in both categorical application groupings and in a general alphabetical master listing. The dentist can quickly check reactivity findings and then focus on other issues in the materials selection process, substantially decreasing the probability of adverse clinical biomaterials effects and reducing liability risks at the same time.

CMRT has proven useful when dealing with (1) environmentally sensitive patients, (2) with those who have compromised physiological activity, (3) for those who already carry a high body-burden of toxic substances due to workplace or living conditions, (4) for those who suffer from various chronic diseases, (5) for those who are preparing for extensive and expensive restorations, as well as (6) the patient population who have personal and emotional concerns about their care and are exceptionally proactive in working with their doctor. Clifford Consulting and Research, Inc., has found that, in many cases, patients who have exhibited environmental sensitivities or allergies, are prone to illness and disease, or who have a history of physiologic dysfunction, pose a higher risk of complications when non-suitable materials are used. Such conditions not only put the patient at risk, but they also expose the doctor to issues of liability and adverse relationships with patients. CMRT gives the doctor the ability to be more thorough in performing due-diligence in the selection of restorative material to be used. This offers great peace of mind to patient, both emotionally, physically, as well as professionally."

- Walter J. Clifford

The fee for completion of the Clifford test is currently $225. Test kits can be obtained from Dr. Evans, Dr. Nordin-Evans or Dr. Carney. The test kit must then be taken to a physician's office or medical testing laboratory where the patient's blood sample is drawn and prepared for shipment. The test kit must be mailed via next-day air and cannot be mailed on a Friday or Saturday as the lab is not open to receive the sample. For more information on the Clifford test please visit the lab's website at www.ccrlab.com.

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