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> Introduction to Teeth & Gums

A healthy tooth is a living organ, nourished by blood vessels and supplied by nerves; its root is sheathed in special shock-absorbing periodontal tissue, and the base of its crown is firmly held by gums which are pale pink and do not easily bleed. The enamel which covers the crown of a healthy tooth is the hardest substance in the body; the layer of dentine beneath it is also hard, but less so; inside the dentine lie blood vessels, and also nerve endings which detect heat, cold, pressure, and pain.

Permanent teeth, 32 of them, begin to replace milk teeth from the age of six onwards, with the incisors emerging first; the process usually completes itself, with the four wisdom teeth, between the age of 17 and 21.

The single most important influence on teeth at any age is, not surprisingly, food: fibrous, chewy, non-sugary, non-acidic foods keep teeth healthy; soft, acid-producing, highly refined foods packed with sugar promote decay. Good dental hygiene can help to undo the effects of sugary foods, but only up to a point. Food influences teeth in other ways too; a woman's diet before conception and during pregnancy (see Introduction to Fertility & Pregnancy) can positively or adversely affect her baby's teeth, and when the child is born his or her teeth will be the better for eating plenty of foods containing calcium and Vitamins A and D. Heredity influences teeth too, but there we have to abide by the luck of the draw.

When it comes to cleaning teeth, regular vigorous brushing with a small-headed, highly manoeuvrable toothbrush, and occasional flossing, are far more important than the toothpaste you use; in fact most commercial toothpastes contain some form of sugar and many quite gratuitous ingredients.

Fillings become necessary when part of a tooth has decayed; the dentist drills out the decayed part, shapes the cavity to receive the filling, seals the cavity with resin, then fills it with mercury amalgam or quartz and resin. Many dentists are now avoiding mercury and other metals in fillings to prevent the establishment of electrical currents within the month and a build-up of mercury. Extraction becomes necessary when a tooth is decayed or broken beyond repair, or loose because of gum disease, or in the way of another tooth coming through; a tooth may also be removed if it is preventing a proper bite or if teeth are overcrowded in a small jaw. Crowns, made of gold or porcelain, are a half-way measure between filling and extraction; if the base of the tooth is healthy but the crown is severely discoloured, decayed, or broken, just the top of the tooth is replaced. Scaling and polishing are procedures which remove plaque and calculus (hardened plaque), and help to keep both teeth and gums healthy.

All of the procedures just mentioned are minor, and can be performed by a dentist, with a local anaesthetic if appropriate. Sometimes, however, where the structure of the jaw or the arrangement of teeth is faulty, the specialist attention of an orthodontist may be required; up until the age of about 13 the jawbone is soft enough to allow teeth to be slightly repositioned, usually with the aid of a plate or brace, so that they do not recede, protrude, slope, twist, crowd each other, etc.

There is a fairly general belief among homeopaths that certain dental procedures, injections for example, can antidote homeopathic remedies. If you are receiving constitutional treatment and a dental appointment is imminent, notify your homeopath; he or she may prefer to delay prescribing until the effects of dental treatment have worn off. That said, homeopathy offers a number of specific remedies for use before and after dental treatment (see Fear of Dental Treatment and Discomfort After Dental Treatment). Cranial osteopathy also has a role to play in dental medicine.

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Ailment & Diseases

  Discomfort after Dental Treatment
  Fear of Dental Treatment
  Gingivitis
  Tooth Abscess
  Tooth Decay (Caries)
  Toothache
  Vincent`s Disease (Acute Ulcerative Gingivitis)
  Wisdom Teeth Problems
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Organisations


Related to Teeth & Gums
  British Society of Medical and Dental Hypnosis
  National Board of Homeopathy in Dentistry, Inc. (NBHD)


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