Homeopathic Dentistry

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.

Early Childhood Caries (ECC), sometimes also called “bottle decay” is a phenomenon we still have only poorly understood. Nevertheless, it is pretty widespread. It is frightening for many parents to notice their 2-4 year old children  developing widespread cavities on their front teeth All this in spite of the fact that they may be extremely cautious with their diet and oral hygiene.

In the past, Early childhood caries was attributed to the fact that babies were sucking on their formula milk bottle in bed and going to sleep with it, thus creating an environment for the decay-causing bacteria to thrive on the pooled and fermenting milk on the surface of their teeth.

This has changed today and there seem to be other aggravating factors. Thorough attention has to be given by parents to keep the teeth clean from the bacteria that cause this condition.

Diet, as well as proper oral hygiene, Xylitol gels, possibly combined with some homeopathic remedies, as well as proactive dentistry can all be used to prevent or slow down this condition.

Facts about Early Childhood Caries:

1. ECC develops as a result of very early colonization of the baby’s mouth with streptococcus mutans bacteria.
2. The bacterial colonies covering the teeth, known as plaque, will process sugars coming into contact with them and produce acid as a by-product, which in turn will cause enamel to become softer and porous. These white chalky lesions will then progress into the more advanced decay seen in rotting teeth, especially in upper incisors of children between the ages of 2 and 4.

Recent research has shown that neither breastfeeding nor its duration are associated with the risk for early childhood caries. On the other hand, increased risk of ECC is often independently observed in associations with  poverty, and maternal prenatal smoking. Furthermore, some ethnic groups were independently associated with severe early childhood caries.

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.

This mother describes the dramatic effect that the placement of two mercury amalgam filling had on her fifteen year old son KJ…

This certainly is an extreme reaction. Most dental patients with amalgam fillings will have no directly observable reactions, but maybe KJ is actually the luckier person.

Due to the strong reaction his well educated mother had to take drastic actions to save her son. Most other amalgam fillings might sit there for years and years and quietly poison the host without being noticed and connected with ailments that appear over the years.

What comes to mind is the anecdote on how to cook a frog – throw him into boiling water, he will immediate jump out and escape. But put him into cold water and slowly heat up the water to boiling, the frog will not notice the danger he is in and will end up on a plate.

Taking this story to heart might make it possible for many to reconsider the danger of the amalgam fillings they still have and that don’t seem to cause any problems. Maybe they did and still do.

A tooth may discolor after trauma, if the nerve dies, or even some time after a root canal treatment.  It looks unsightly, especially if it is a front tooth.

These teeth can be bleached from the outside and inside simultaneously.

The filling in the back of the tooth is removed, exposing the hollow pulp chamber, which will contain some old cement or the pink latex-like gutta percha, or the filler that is conventionally used to seal the root canal.

The gums around the teeth have to be isolated in order to prevent contact with the bleaching gel.

This is achieved in this case using a light-hardening gel, Opal-dam from Ultradent®.

A power-bleach is used, which is either chemically-activated immediately prior to use, or light-activated after placement.

The  front and the chamber of the tooth are covered by the gel.

This procedure is repeated every 10 minutes until an acceptable shade is achieved.

The gel is then finally washed off and the isolating barrier is removed.

The hole in the back of the tooth is then bonded with a composite.

Most of the time the whitening will be sufficient to avoid further treatment.

In some cases veneering the teeth would be a nice option but in the majority of cases the color of the bleached tooth will match all the other teeth perfectly to have the patient smile widely without hesitation.