Health and disease are simple when you know biology, diet and nutrition and can eat simply, and complicated, diseased and painful when you do not know, cannot or will not eat simply. Concentrated sweets, sugar nourish, cause tooth decay and nerve, root damage, infection. The cessation of sweets, proper diet and certain herbs slows and or arrests tooth decay and infection. Just because something gets worse does not mean it cannot get better
The teeth are nothing more than bone, enamel fed, kept alive by nerves. Blood, nutrients feed, nourish and cleanse the nerves. Pain in the teeth, gums occur when cavity, decay and or infection penetrates into the nerve. It is the infected nerve and not the decayed tooth (enamel, dentin-covered-pulp) that causes pain. Excess sugar (processed, concentrated) is generally the cause as it tends to nourish certain bacteria that infect the nerves. Abscesses, accumulation of pus caused by the breakdown of tissues, may also occur. Reduction of sugar, increased flossing, brushing, dental visists (teeth cleaning) and peppermint oil can help prevent and or cure most tooth, nerve infections, depending on severity. Dental caries (cavities), pain, abscesses, etc. are commonly treated with drilling, fillings, root canals, extractions, antibiotics, etc. which are temporary in nature, unless the diet is adjusted accordingly (serious reduction in sugar).
Most tooth decay, infections of the gums, nerves is caused by poor diet: too much sugar, flour, protein, fat, etc., in addition to poor hygiene, lack of brushing, flossing. Poor diet (sugar, cookies, soda, ice cream, etc.) keeps the infection alive while correct diet (less sugar, balanced diet) and herbs tends to cure.
Concentrated sugars (white, brown, molasses, fructose, candy bars, pastries, ice cream, etc), chocolate, oily, greasy foods and overeating weaken and clog the stomach, small, and large intestines. . In TCM, the meridians of the stomach and large intestine pass through the mouth and gums. Overeating, especially poor quality, sweet foods can easily inflame and bleed the nerves and gums, especially during the night (culmination of daytime activities, diet) and early morning hours.
Simple foods: fruit, vegetables, grains, beans, cheese, spices, herbs, etc. fight and or prevent decay, infection. Eat yogurt instead of ice cream. Eat bread and peanut butter (as long as you are not allergic) instead of cookies. Eat fruit and celery, carrot sticks, instead of candy.
Does this mean that you should avoid the dentist and forgo dental work? No. It is wise to see a dentist and get his, her diagnosis as well as cleaning (regular and periodontal). After that, comes decision time. How much time do you have to heal the infected nerve before it becomes worse. Do you have enough time to experiment clean up your diet to see if makes a difference? Are you willing to suffer pain, as it takes time to heal and you cannot take too strong a medication, as you need to feel, gauge the pain to see if it is getting better or worse? Getting better usually occurs in stages that may take days or weeks to occur. The healing process is slow but methodical and varies according to the individual. Seek a qualified medical opinion before making any decision.
Case history: In 2003, I was living in Issaquah, WA. In the summer, I used to hike in the mountains, and then go swimming in the river at Twin Falls (fed by mountain water). Mountain water is incredibly cold, even in the summer. No one can stay in more than twenty minutes. While swimming, I got water in my ears and the next day I developed a severe toothache that infected, inflamed my mouth, right side, upper gums and teeth.
I tried to cure it naturally. Nothing worked. A week later, I went to a dentist. He and his partner were confused as to which tooth, root was decayed, infected, as the x-rays were inconclusive. They tested each tooth many times, but I was so knocked up with medication, that I could only guess, which of the two teeth (they had narrowed it down to two) were infected. They finally settled on one tooth and did a root canal ($1300). They both thought the tooth would ooze blood, pus once they opened it up. Nothing came out, except a few drops of blood.
Next day the pain came back in full. I was able to nullify the pain via acupuncture and herbs: cayenne pepper and peppermint oil. Peppermint oil worked the best (several drops, ten to twenty times per day, swish around the infected tooth, gum).
Over the years the pain, inflammation, looseness, in my gums, teeth came and went. Eventually, three years later, it turned into an abscess, a big white pimple on the side of my gums. I would pop the abscess (it would squirt out with force) and the pain would lessen. I also started using an anti-inflammatory (Ibuprofen), four tablets at a time, four times a day to control the pain. This went on for another couple of years until I discovered that good diet (no candies, sweets, chocolate, alcohol, overeating) in addition to tea tree oil (anti-fungal), peppermint oil (antibacterial), xylitol (antibacterial) toothpaste and daily flossing could control and or eliminate the infection, abscess (as long as I ate well). Once I started eating poorly, too much candy (I could eat a little, occasionally) and or overeating, the infection, pain, loose teeth would automatically come back.
So far, I have been abscess, pain free with no loose teeth ever since. I do have an occasional flare-up. Years later, another tooth, root, nerve on the opposite side became infected (I had x-rays, dental examination and an incredible amount of pain) and I was able to cure via diet, peppermint oil (several drops, 20- 30 times a day) and Ibuprofen. It took four to five weeks to cure (not 100%, occasional pain, depending on diet). Check with your dentist first.
Acupuncture Physician (FL 1992- 2002). author, Hot and Cold Health and Disease. Available Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Cold-Health-Richard-Heft/dp/0974791709 unless secure, confident and happy with doctors, drugs, surgery, insurance and nursing homes.
Related posts: