SAY: AHHH! HOMEOPATHY FOR DENTAL HEALTH

Disclaimer: this article is for information only, it is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

Can homeopathy and alternative medicine help with dental conditions?

The answer is YES! Homeopathy is a complete system of medicine, therefore of course it can deal with just about anything! This doesn’t mean that you should stop going to your dentist or taking care of your dental hygene in the usual way! It just means that homeopathy is here to support whatever dental intervention you may need. When it comes to teeth and homeopathy, we all know that Chamomilla helps teething pain in babies, but when it comes to adults issues, what do we do?

Here are some examples:

TOOTHACHE

Of course it is important to see a dentist as soon as possible if you are experiencing toothache, it is important to get it checked out and find out what the cause is. However, if it is not possible to see a dentist straightaway for whatever reason, here are some useful remedies to keep in mind.

• Throbbing pain: Belladonna
• Heat brings on the pain: Pulsatilla
• Cold eases the pain: Coffea
• Major decay, clenching teeth helps: Staphisagria
• Where teeth sensitive and sore to touch, exposed roots, worse with cold air or fluids: Plantago
• Toothache in pregnancy: Sepia

Aconite (toothache after being out in a cold wind), Arnica (pain with  bruising/soreness), Magnesium phosphate (pain shoots like lightning,  worse with cold and better with warmth) and Silica (swollen face/glands,  patient wants face to be warm) can also help.

ABSCESS

A dental abscess is a collection of pus that can form inside the teeth, in the gums or in the bone that holds the teeth in place. It’s caused by a bacterial infection.

It can be very painful of course and when the type of pain is throbbing, the gum is swollen and red, Belladonna is the remedy to try.

If the swelling extends to the neck, Myristica can be very useful too.

Silica is great when the abscess has been there for a long time and it will hasten the discharge and healing. Hepar Sulph is useful in cases of recurring abscesses with production of pus.

Mercurius solubilis 6c is useful for bad breath as a result of sores, with  excessive salivation. Pyrogenium can be used when there is pus present  but without drainage. Bryonia is indicated when there is acute  inflammation or if pricking pain is relieved by firm pressure.  Pulsatilla can help, as with toothache, where the pain is accentuated by  heat and relieved by cold water.

GUM DISEASE

As we age, we all tend to get receding gums, but this can be easily preventable by gently massaging the gums with the toothbrush when we clean our teeth. However, in case of acute conditions, here is what you can do:

• Unhealthy, bleeding gums: Arsenicum album
• Gums that bleed after brushing: Ferrum phosphoricum
• Bleeding gums with bad breath: Merc sol 6c once daily
• Swollen, painful gums, tongue has whitish coating, patient consumes a lot of stimulants like coffee and tea: Nux vomica
• Swollen gums that bleed easily, over-production of saliva: Phosphorus

BROKEN TEETH/OPERATIONS

Breaking a tooth by accident often implies physical and emotional trauma. Therefore the first remedy that comes to mind is Aconite, followed by Arnica. When it comes to operations, Arnica is great for post-op pain relief and speed up healing. Ruta  graveolens is indicated where the bone is injured in a dental procedure  and for “dry socket”. Symphytum is also a medicine to think of, as it  encourages the growth of tissue following dental trauma.

MOUTH ULCERS

• Ulcers with a raw appearance that bleed easily: Nitricum acidum
• Small red ulcers worse for salt or acid: Borax 30c, every fifteen minutes
• Sticky saliva with a swollen tongue: Hydrastis
• Mercurius Sol for mouth ulcers where the breath smells bad

Homeopathy for dental health

Did you know you can also get homeopathic mouth washes?

Helios makes homeoapthic mouthwashes, but you can make your own with Calendula and Hypericum in water with a bit of alcohol or apple cider vinegar as preservative. There are also other gargles available from natural health shops,  with combinations of ingredients including tinctures of myrrh, propolis  and krameria (also known as rhatany, a perennial shrub found in North  and South America) and essential oils of cloves, eucalyptus and  peppermint.

Toothpastes

Does mint toothpaste antidote remedies? The jury is still out there. I always advise patients to wait 15 minutes after teeth cleaning before taking the remedy. There are a number of companies  providing “alternative” toothpastes, which also do not contain  ingredients like fluoride, sweeteners, colourings or sodium lauryl  sulphate. Salt toothpaste is a favourite. Herbal toothpaste is available  for those who dislike the taste of salt. Kramaria is very beneficial  for gums and many prefer its taste. Sanguinaria (bloodroot) is another  favourite botanic ingredient. Other useful toothpastes contain aloe vera  and propolis.

Medicines for dental anxiety

I wish I had known this when my mother was still with us. She was infamous for being terrified of the dentist. Seriously, she had to literally be dragged there, usually by one of her friends, who would come around the house and physically take her there. She was so petrified that she couldn’t move or speak, she became like a child, which was so weird for us kids! We were never scared of the dentist! Gelsenium would be have worked wonders!

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