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dental
procedures can be avoided by watching internal health
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Case:
Tricia called me in a panic last week because of a painful toothache. I am not a
dentist and do not do any work with teeth, however she was hoping that I could
give her something for the pain until her appointment in three days. "I
can't believe they are making me wait three days!"she exclaimed, "I am
in PAIN!"
I
told Tricia that I could not solve her tooth problem but I could help her manage
the pain until her appointment and give her the tools for better tooth care or
emergency care in the future. When she first arrived at my office I have her a
dose of homeopathic Hypericum. Hypericum, which is commonly known as St. John's
Wort, is used herbally for depression and mood swings but is used
homeopathically for any nerve injury or pain. Hypericum is typically used on
injuries such as a paper cut, back pain, tooth pain or any other area of the
body where nerve centers are involved. After about five minutes Tricia gasped
and exclaimed, "The pain has disappeared! I have had this terrible pain for
the past ten hours and it just disappeared. I should have called you
earlier!" I suggested that she keep a bottle of Hypericum 200c in her home
remedy kit for future emergencies. It would come in handy if her soccer playing
boy ever chipped a tooth, or her curious two year old was burned or if anyone in
the family ever had any sort of nerve injury at all, including the small but
painful paper cut.
In
addition to the Hypericum I suggested that Tricia take an adult serving of
Echinacea three times a day in a little juice with 1/2 teaspoon of powdered
vitamin C (2000mg). This would act as a strong herbal antibiotic to kill any
infection in her tooth that might be the source of the pain.
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tooth
pain can be a result of bad brushing
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Tricia
was then curious if there were other herbal remedies she could take for the care
of her teeth. She mentioned that she had a number of other small problems she
suffered from including receding gums, bleeding gums, sensitive teeth, and bad
breath. To make the situation worse she was allergic to most toothpastes and
mouthwashes due to a fluoride sensitivity she had and had not been very
successful at finding alternatives to the fluoride and sugar filled toothpastes
on the market.
I
pointed out to Tricia that bad breath was often a result of bad digestion and
advised her either to take chlorophyll capsules (easy to keep in her purse) or
drink alfalfa or peppermint tea which are high in chlorophyll. She could also
take the homeopathic remedy for bad breath combined with gum disease, which is
mercuius solubillis or mercurius hydrargyrum. Chewing fennel or clove seeds is
also a useful tool in eliminating bad breath. I also suggested that she drink
some thyme or sage tea, which would not only eliminate bad breath, but also
would also disinfect her mouth and act as an anti-biotic, anti-viral and
anti-fungal treatment for her mouth.
Gum
disease could also be another reason for Tricia's problem with bad breath so I
suggested some therapies she could use for her gums. She already knew that
flossing; brushing and visiting the dentist twice a year for a cleaning was
important so I gave her some more ideas. I suggested that she rinse her mouth
with aloe vera gel and apply aloe vera daily to the gum areas that were
inflamed. If she swallowed any aloe vera this would be fine, as it would just
have the pleasant side effect of helping her digest her food better. I also
suggested an herbal toothpaste called Parodontax, Grace, or other brand, which
is made completely from herbs like rosemary, thyme, myrhh, sage, peppermint and
goldenseal. She could also make her own toothpaste by combining powdered herbs
of goldenseal, thyme, sage myrrh and peppermint with baking soda and sea salt.
To assist with receding gums she could use a miswak or a balsa wood toothpick,
which helps regrow tissue in the area and prevent further receding in the area.
I also suggested that she take an extra dose of vitamin C (up to 10,000mg) every
day for three months to help rebuild her immunity and speed up the healing of
her gums.
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homeopathic hypericum used for nerve pain in the teeth
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To
cap off her new herbal dental program I informed Tricia that some of the things
she was already doing to her teeth may be damaging. Electric toothbrushes are
very effective, but if not used correctly they can cause a wearing away of the
tooth enamel and result in tooth sensitivity. Sonic toothbrushes are a better
choice. However, the point that was most important was to brush carefully and
thoroughly without being over-zealous and causing more harm to her teeth or
gums. Dentists also recommend brushing with small round circular moves now
rather than a back and forth motion. Last, but not least, I warned Tricia that
her mouthwashes containing alcohol could be eroding the enamel on her teeth,
irritating her gums and killing good bacteria as well as bad bacteria in her
mouth. The end result would be worse tooth health, rather than better tooth
health.
For
more information about natural dental care I recommended that Tricia read the
book, The Complete Book of Dental Remedies by Flora Parsa Stay, DDS.
