The maintenance of healthy teeth and gums and regular dental care is vital to your overall health and well being. You can use homoeopathic remedies to support the body’s healing process during dental treatment and to assist in healing and the resolution of oral disease.
The following information may be helpful and relates to homoeopathic remedy pictures and information available in traditional homoeopathic texts. Homoeopathic principles should be applied when using any homoeopathic remedy. Always read the product label. If symptoms persist consult your health care practitioner promptly.
Abscess and Toothache
Firstly ascertain whether the condition is acute or chronic.
Acute: Repeat the indicated remedy often. Belladonna, sudden onset, swelling, redness, intense heat and throbbing, especially right sided. Apis, swelling and oedema, rose coloured like a bee sting. Sepia, tooth pain, without obvious cause during pregnancy. Chamomilla, marked intolerance to pain.
Chronic: Repeat a 6c potency of the indicated remedy 2-3 times daily to resolve. Hepar sulph to encourage drainage and resolution of pus then Silica after pus has discharged. When the abscess involves an infected wisdom tooth, extraction is often the best solution. Treat the acute phase with Belladonna and then follow with Hepar sulph until extraction is possible.
Accidents and Injuries to the Mouth and Teeth
Seek immediate emergency dental treatment and use Arnica plus Ferrum phos several times a day. Add Hypericum if the nerve is exposed or damaged and Ruta grav to aid ligament repair if the tooth is loose. Hepar sulph helps prevent infection. If a tooth is knocked out it needs to be replaced in the tooth socket or stored in milk to prevent dehydration and other cellular changes until dental treatment is available.
In the case of a fracture use Arnica routinely. Once the bone is set use Symphytum to encourage union and start taking a quality nutritional supplement. For the pain and stiffness alternate Rhus tox and Bryonia. Hypericum is important if there is nerve damage, numbness or tingling.
Anticipatory Anxiety
If visiting the dentist causes anxiety choose from the following remedies and take several times on the day prior to and again immediately before treatment. Aconite, acute anxiety, great fear and dread. Argent nit, trepidation, hurried, incessant speech, diarrhoea. Chamomilla, children who are disagreeable, capricious and throw things. Adults who are nervous, sensitive and angry when in pain. Gelsemium, silent, motionless, trembling and weak. Phosphorus, fear and anxiety in sensitive children.
Anaesthetic Effects
Local anaesthetic: Ruta grav if the bone feels injured by the needle. Hypericum, shooting pains. Apis, swelling with burning, stinging pains. Ledum, stiff and cold at the puncture site.
General anaesthetic: Phosphorus is the most useful remedy for those prone to adverse effects after a general anaesthetic, 3-4 doses prior to, or even after the anaesthetic, can be very helpful. Those vulnerable to chest complications can take a few doses of Antimonium tart in the days before the surgery or Ipecac for nausea with excess salivation.
Antibiotics & Drug Toxicity
Ill effects of antibiotics can be reduced by taking extra garlic or garlic capsules, plain organic or biodynamic yoghurt and acidophilus. When antibiotics produce diarrhoea – Nitric acid. When antibiotics produce thrush – Borax. Sulphur twice daily for a week following antibiotics can help rebalance the system. The main remedies for reactions to and toxicity from medications are Nux vomica, Arsenicum and Sulphur.
Oral Health
Attention to diet and oral hygiene from birth along with regular dental checks is essential in the maintenance of our dental health. Plaque forms daily even in a healthy mouth and is best removed by regular and thorough brushing and flossing. Sugar reacts with the bacteria in plaque and causes decay. Remedies such as Calc carb or Calc phos assist the uptake of nutrients and the regulation of calcium metabolism in children during periods of rapid growth. Demineralisation in older people may be helped by Calc carb, Calc phos and Silica.
Bad breath: Usually this is due to poor oral hygiene, smoking, consumption of pungent foods, sinusitis and upper respiratory tract infections or the presence of oral disease. If the problem persists despite attention to these factors, a Constitutional remedy is indicated. Nux vomica, after a stomach upset, meals or alcohol. Aurum, in pubertal girls. Mercurius, breath offensive, excess saliva, tooth decay.
Bruxism: Tooth grinding or clenching in adults can be the result of circumstantial disturbances such as grief or may be related to the personality. Treat the underlying cause. Abandon coffee to reduce tension. In children you may also consider remedies such as: Cina, jumpy and cross. Worms may be present. Phytolacca, intense desire to clench particularly during teething. Arsenicum, grinding in sleep, particularly in anxious people, worse between midnight and 2am.
Cold sores: Infections often recur when immunity is low. Nat mur, pearl like blisters, puffy and burning. Rhus tox, tingling blisters, mouth and chin may be infected, ulcers at corner of mouth. Hepar sulph, promotes healing of infected sores.
Gingival (Gum) health: There is no substitute for regular check ups, scaling, efficient cleaning and flossing in the maintenance of healthy gums and teeth. However some people, despite good oral hygiene still suffer gum disease and/or tooth decay. These people are often helped by a Constitutional prescription from their Homoeopath and may need to assess their nutritional status especially Vitamin A, C, E and Zinc. Hormonal changes at the time of pregnancy or menopause can also affect the gum tissue. Nat mur, Phosphorus and Sepia are the most commonly indicated.
Arnica given before and a few doses after scaling reduces soreness and bleeding. The main remedy for bleeding gums and chronic inflammation is Phosphorus. Otherwise consider Mercurius, bad breath with coated tongue, peculiar taste and excess saliva. Active infection with redness and loose teeth. Hypericum, with pain. Silica, for repeated infections. Staphysagria, stained teeth, bone loss, bleeding gums and a high rate of decay.
Mouth ulcers and cracked lips: Need to be treated for the immediate complaint and for the predisposition to recurrence. Borax, thrush and ulcers that are hot, tender and bleed easily. Mercurius, foul breath, ulcers, tongue large and imprinted by the teeth. Nitric acid, base of the ulcer bleeds, stinging pain. Cracks at the corners of the mouth. Nat mur, lips chapped and dry, crack middle of the lower lip, thrush, ulcers and cold sores.
Teething: For acute symptoms; Chamomilla, unbearable pain in fretful, angry children who cannot be consoled. One cheek hot and one pale. Belladonna, child irritable, flushed, restless and delirious.On a deeper level use Calc carb when teething is slow in plump, fair, sweaty children. Calc phos helps thinner children. Borax,teething with mouth ulcers. Cina children wet the bed and grind their teeth. Mercurius has red gums and excessive sweat and saliva.
Thrush, oral and/or systemic: Candida can thrive when resistance is low after illness, antibiotics or medications. Take Borax at earliest sign and include acidophilus or plain yoghurt daily. Mercurius, excess saliva, trembling tongue. Nat mur, thrush with cold sores. Arsenicum, thrush with mouth ulcers and fatigue.
Oral Surgery
Arnica is recommended to prepare the body for the effects of surgery and is recommended routinely for all people affected by accidental or surgically induced physical trauma. Hypericum is indicated for its effects on damaged nerves, controlling pain and promoting regeneration. These two remedies along with a few doses of Pyrogen support the immune system, facilitate healing and help reduce the incidence of infection.
Post operative recovery: Be sure to follow the post operative instructions and use Arnica as it’s an excellent remedy for surgical shock, and for the bruised sore feeling following surgery. Hypericum is for nerve damage and repair. Staphysagria, for pain at the incision site and to promote repair after an incised wound. Ruta grav, bone pain and damage with a deep bruised and stiff feeling. Persistent bleeding that you cannot control needs attention or advice from your surgeon.
Convalescence: Depending on how complicated and difficult the procedure was you should expect some moderate swelling and pain. If you suspect infection then immediately start Hepar sulph or other indicated remedies under abscesses and contact your dentist. Dry socket can be relieved by Ruta grav. After fasting there can be difficulty and discomfort in re-establishing digestive function. Carbo veg and Lycopodium, taken as needed, can help restore normal digestion. Post-operative vomiting often responds well to Phosphorus or if the vomiting is caused by and only occurs after eating consider Ferrum met or Ipecac if nauseous, thirstless and chilly but worse from warm air.
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