Homeopathic Dentistry

In ancient times, as well as in some modern-day primitive tribes, tooth mutilations have carried ritualistic or cosmetic importance. One of the most notable examples is the famous Mayan skulls which still carry teeth inlayed with precious stones.  These inlays were made of a variety of minerals of beautiful colors, including jadeite, iron pyrites, hematite, turquoise, quartz, serpentine and cinnabar.

The known history of dental implants begins more than 1300 years ago with this ancient Mayans artifact.

A 1930s archaeological dig led by Dr. Wilson Popenoe in Honduras turned up the ancient dental inlays. Similar discoveries were made when excavating ancient Egyptian artifacts. It was decades after these archaeological discoveries before the modern world caught up with the Mayans’ dental technology.

It was only in 1907 that a new and accurate method of casting gold inlays was announced by Dr. William H. Taggart. This technique was called the disappearing wax technique. He patented this technique but lost his patents when it was discovered that Dr. Philbrook of Denison, Iowa had written an article concerning gold inlay castings 25 years earlier. A copy of this article was found in the dental library of the University of Iowa.

• According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, approximately 34,000 people will be affected by oral cancer in the United States this year and roughly 8,000 will die. This translates to one death every hour of every day.

• A 2007 study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and published by the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) nowadays is strongly associated with oral cancer among people even without traditional risk factors of tobacco and alcohol abuse.

Any dental office with attention to the holistic nature of dental treatment will  now offer an important adjunctive screening test, the Vizilite, to catch oral cancer as early as possible.

An annual ViziLite Plus exam, after a conventional visual examination, represents an integral part of comprehensive oral-cancer screenings. The screenings help dentists detect oral cancer in its early stages, as well as precancerous tissue. Detection promotes early intervention and prolongs life expectancy.

In the past, oral cancer predominately struck men, adults over 40, African Americans, smokers and heavy alcohol drinkers. The new cancer-screening procedure “ViziLite® Plus with TBlue630″ is simple, quick,  non-invasive, pain-free and effective. We found that ‘Humana Dental’ will cover the screening once a year beginning April 1, 2008, and we are sure that other insurance companies will or may have already started to follow.

The white shell of enamel covering our teeth is the hardest substance in our body.

Enamel has growth rings just like trees. The growth pattern may be interrupted at any phase during the embryonic phase of tooth formation, such as an intense episode of malnutrition, emotional stress or disease, giving rise to changes in these growth rings.

Sometimes these can be so pronounced that we see them as ring-like defects around baby or adult teeth, depending on when the growth retardation occurred in early life. These defects are sometimes called “enamel hypoplasia”, and are more prone to decay.

Depending upon which teeth they are found on and which part of the tooth they are located on, we can extrapolate to the time period, within a few months, in which that interruption happened in pre-partum or post-partum life.

After a dental procedure, perhaps the most widely known remedy for bruising and soreness is Arnica, which you can take in 12, 30, or 200 potency a few times on the day of the procedure.

Depending on other accompanying symptoms or irritations, it can be combined, if taken at least half an hour apart, with

• Belladonna (in case of throbbing pain or flushed face),
• Ruta (in case of jaw soreness, sore ligaments or soreteeth due to a heavy bite), and
  
• Pyrogenium (in case of infection, fever, sepsis).

In general, the more intense the symptoms, the more frequent the dosage. Increase the potency, however, only as the symptoms become more deep-seated on the psychological or emotional character of the person.

The human tooth is an incredible feat of nature. It is highly specialized and engineered to stand up to the extremely strong chewing forces for a whole lifetime. The natural tooth has three unique layers:

1. the inner pulp,
2. the middle dentin layer. and
3. the outermost enamel cover.

Each of these layers provides it’s own specific properties to the tooth as a whole.

The pulp contains the blood vessels, nerves, and lymph channels. Even though the tooth appears to be hard as a rock, it is still living material. The  pulp layers supplies the tooth with “live” and enables it to respond to injury. Around the pulp is the middle ‘dentin layer’.

The biggest part of the tooth’s mass is dentin. This layer is highly organic and contains a large amount of collagen through which it provides the tooth with flexibility and compliance. In other words, it allows the tooth to be hard and still bend without breaking. This layer of dentin is also directly attached to the nerves. This is the reason that when it becomes exposed we experience tooth sensitivity.

The outermost part of the tooth is the enamel layer. It is the hard shiny coating. Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. Through it, the tooth gains its strength and rigidity. It also covers the dentin layer to prevent its rapid aging due to the harsh environment in the oral cavity. Without the enamel, the tooth would be floppy and we would not be able to bite firm fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots. The optimal combination of the dentin and enamel layers provides the teeth with the perfect blend of stiffness, strength, and resilience.

The main challenge of a population that is getting older and wants to keep more of its natural teeth are age related changes in tooth structure. Through the natural aging process the original enamel thickness gets smaller over time. A loss of strength, color changes and even cracking are some of the adverse effects caused by these changes. This knowledge, combined with access to high-performance modern dental materials, allows modern dentistry to correct these changes. With the correct treatment it is now ensured that we can keep our teeth strong, attractive and free of sensitivity. These modern treatments, if started early enough are typically very conservative, safe and, best of all, pain-free.