Natural Remedies for Toothache and Gum Disease

by Emily Kane ND, LAc

Toothaches and gum diseases are usually only related in that they both occur in
the mouth. They have, generally speaking, very different causes and therefore will
be discussed separately in this article.

The classic toothache is almost always caused by nerve pain due to an exposed
nerve root. While it is true that receeding gums can expose nerve roots, causing
"tooth" pain, another scenario is that of a filling worn down or fallen out.
Chewing gum regularly will make fillings come out more quickly; avoid it if
possible. Usually a toothache requires a trip to the dentist, however there a
number of treatments you can access relatively easily if you can't see the dentist
right away.

First of all, avoid very hot or very cold foods or beverages, such as hot coffee
or ice cream. Also, avoid hard to bite foods such as raw carrots or apples. Gentle
pressure onto the hurting tooth through the cheek may provide some relief. You
could also try holding a warm wrung out towel against the cheek or jaw over the
painful area, or a castor oil pack. The castor oil pack is a marvelous tool for
pain relief anywhere. Simply apply a generous layer of castor oil to the area that
hurts (in the case of toothache apply the oil to the cheek; putting castor oil in
your mouth could cause stomach cramps or loose stools), cover with a layer of
saran wrap then apply a hot towel or heating pad to the area. Be careful not to
burn the skin. Rest with the heat on for at least 20 minutes. The castor oil will
stimulate "drainage" of the blood congested with microbes, in the case of
infection, or with pain producing elements, such as cytokines, in the case of
dental nerve irritation. Castor oil is available in most health-food stores.

One of the easiest and most effective natural pain killers, especially for
toothache, is clove oil. Many dentists still use clove oil in their offices where
stronger analgesics (pharmacologic agents for pain suppression), such as
novocaine, can be avoided. You can rub the clove oil directly onto the painful
area inside the mouth. Dilute it with olive oil if it is too strong straight. You
can also hold a whole peg of clove in your mouth at the site of the toothache. The
numbing sensation will kick in quite rapidly, and will last up to 90 minutes.
Although not quite so effective as clove oil, garlic or myrrh oils can be locally
applied for pain relief. Wintergreen oil works too and so does Aloe vera juice,
especially if the pain is accompanied by inflammation or obvious irritation.
Another trick is to roll a small amount of beeswax onto crushed aspirin, or
aconite powder if available, and stick this little ball of medicine onto the tooth
that hurts.

For those inclined towards Homeopathy, which works especially well for children,
these are a few classic toothache remedies: Belladonna 6X every 15 minutes until
you get to the dentist especially if the pain is accompanied by fever and/or
bright red cheeks. Plantago 6X is a good choice if the child feels better when
eating, or complains of reflexive pain from the tooth to the eyelids. Mag. Carb.
6X may help if the child seems sensitive to the least bit of touch. Chamomile 6X
is the remedy of choice in cases that seem worse from heat.

The good news about toothache is that the tooth can usually be fixed.

Gum disease is more serious, generally more chronic, and not readily responsive to
"quick fixes." Gum disease is caused by infection, and prevention, as always, is
the best approach to this disease. Avoid over-eating, avoid excessive stress which
may cause nighttime teeth griding (bruxism) and avoid sugary foods and beverages.
Gum disease is very common, in fact it is listed as the most prevalent infectious
ailment in the United States after the common cold. The rate of infection
increases with age; it is a major cause of adult tooth loss. The first stage is
gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums, caused by sticky deposits of bacteria,
mucus and food particles. These sticky deposits are called "plaque" or may still
be refered to by a more outdated term: tartar. The plaque builds up around the
teeth and, at the gum line, irritates the gums causing bleeding and ultimately
infection. Gingivits is the medical term for gum infection; pyorrhea means
bleeding gums. The accumulation of plaque eventually causes the gums to swell and
become infected, widening the gaps between the gum and the tooth, like pockets,
which further enhances disease. These "pockets" gather food debris and can become
soft, red, shiny and will bleed easily. When gum diseases progresses ad begins to
affect the jaw bone, it is called periodontal disease.

All of this can be prevented or improved with physical measures. Foremost is

consistent, thoughtful tooth, gum and tongue brushing with a clean, soft brush.
Brush the teeth at a 45 degree angle to get under the gum line. Get a new
toothbrush regularly (at least 4 times yearly) and make sure your toothpaste isn't
irritating. If you make lots of plaque, consider an alkalinizing toothpaste, such
as one containing baking soda. Bacteria prefer an acid environment. The FDA has
recently approved the first toothpaste (made by Colgate) that can claim on the
label to "prevent gingivitis and plaque" but you probably don't need drugs in your
toothpaste to keep your gums healthy. If you can't get to your toothbrush soon
after eating, at least vigorously swish out your mouth with water. Gum disease is
a major cause of bad breath.

The next obvious preventive approaches to gum health are eating nutritious whole
foods (not processed), flossing daily and regular dental check-ups. Avoid refined
carbohydrates including alcohol and soda pop. Faulty dental fillings and ill-
fitting protheses can also accelerate gum disease by providing sites for plaque
accumulation. Sufficient saliva is also critical to clear the mouth of plaque and
bacteria. Persons with dry mouth due to age or disease will need to stimulate
their salivary glands more vigorously by chewing carrots or sugar-free candies,
sipping fluids throughout the day and attempting to breathe through the nose only.

Bacterial plaque is not the only cause of gum disease. A compromised "host" is
also a factor in any disease; that is, someone with a poorly functioning immune
system due to substance abuse, poor nutrition or poor general hygiene. Smokers
suffer from much more rapid gum deterioration than non-smokers -- in case you
needed just one more reason to quit! Smoking promotes periodontal disease and
ultimately tooth loss by doing free radical damage to the cells on the surface of
the inside of the mouth. Smoking also drastically reduces Vitman C stores.

Gum problems which progress from gingivitis to periodontal disease may be a sign
of a more systemic condition, such as diabetes mellitus, collagen diseases,
luekemia or other diorders of white cell function, anemia, or vitamin deficiency.
White patches on the gums or elsewhere on the oral mucous membrane (inside the
mouth) that can be scraped off are a sign of fungal infection (thrush) which must
be treated, principally by avoiding sugar, antibiotics and steroids (including
inhalers) whenever possible. The reason you would want to avoid antibiotics, if
possible, in treating gum disease is that they destroy "good" bacteria, which help
to break down and digest food, in the mouth as well as along the whole length of
the gastro-intestinal tract.

Once you have gum disease, what can be done? Luckily, quite alot, including many
non-drug and non-surgical methods. For example, natural bioflavonoids, the
molecules that give plants their colors, decrease wound healing time and are
useful in treating gum and periodontal disease. Blueberries, hawthorn berries and
grapes are all rich sources of flavonoids. Other nutrients which are essential to
gum health include CoEnzyme Q-10, Vitamin C and Folic acid. Co-Enzyme Q-10, or
CoQ-10 for short, is a tiny molecular catalyst in the middle of a series of
chemical events called the electron transport chain. These chemical reactions take
place in the walls of tiny organs called the mitochondria which, among other
functions, convert water into oxygen. CoQ-10 is well known for its role in
preventing and treating heart disease, since it provides more oxygen to the
tissues at a cellular level, thus reducing the requirements of the heart muscle to
pump oxygenated blood around the body. CoQ-10 is essential for treating gum
disease because it provides more oxygen to the rapidly turning-over cells of the
mucous membranes in the mouth. Oxygen is deadly to anaerobic bacteria, which are
the type most likely to damage the gums.

Vitamin C is also critical to gum health, and my favorite "anti-oxidant" for

several reasons. First, a word on why, after expounding on the virtues of more
oxygen, we now want to provide "anti" oxidant support? Anti-oxidants is a rather
unfortunate term and these important nutrients would be more acurately described
as "anti-free radicals." Free radicals are chemial species that possess lone
electrons, which is a very unstable chemical state. Lone electrons will do
anything to be paired with another electron, including ripping an electron off a
pefectly stable structure, thus creating a domino effect of tissue destruction.
This is what is known as "free-radical damage," and is probably the underlying
cause of aging. Vitamin C is a large, complex molecule that can "absorb" a free-
radical and stop the chain of destruction. Vitamin C is inexpensive (manufacturers
never cheat in its production, unlike with Vitamin E), widely availabe in a
variety of forms and generally well tolerated. Some people with very sensitive
stomachs need to take a buffered form, rendered a neutral pH with the addition of
minerals such as calcium or magnesium.

Another crucial nutrient for gum health is folic acid, or folate. The mucous
membrane of the gastro-intestinal tract, which starts in the mouth, has the
highest rate of cell turnover in the entire body. This is why many chemotherapy
drugs, which are geared to "attack" cancer cells that are rapidly dividing, are
folic acid inhibitors. People taking chemotherapy drugs will often suffer terribly
from sores and blisters in their mouths, and all along the GI tract. Folic acid is
essential for normal cell proliferation and the constantly renewing mucous
membrane over the gums would not stay healthy without this important B vitamin.

Please give these methods a try, and hopefully surgery and/or antibiotics can be
avoided. Now, truthfully, when was the last time you changed your toothbrush?

sidebar of dosages for basic gum health nutrients:

CoQ10, 100 mg daily to increase oxygenation of the blood, which ultimately
translates to more "fresh" blood in the mouth, which is highly vascularized.
Vitamin C, 4-9 grams daily to promote collagen healing and retard plaque growth.
Gums which bleed easily may be a sign of Vit C deficiency.
Folic acid, 400 mcg daily to enhance cellular regeneration. Many chemotherapy
drugs inhibit folic acid which is why cancer patients on chemo are often plagued
with sores on the inside of their mouths.
Calcium and Magnesium, 500-1,000 mg of each daily to help prevent bone loss.
Vitamin A, 20,000 IUs or the safer, water soluble form of Vit A, Beta-carotene,
10,000 IUs daily to heal mucous membranes in the mouth by providing anti-oxidants
and bioflavonoids.
Vit E, another potent anti-oxidant, 400 IUs daily to promote skin integrity,
including in the mouth. Vit E has a long standing and well-deserved reputation as
the "anti-aging" vitamin. Vit E oil can be applied directly to the inflammed gum
for rapid healing.
Selenium, 200mcg daily, enhances the anti-oxidant effects of Vitamins E and C. It
is also a catalyst in nearly 75% of all enzymatic reactions in the body, which
means without it we would't run very well, just like a car without spark plugs.
Bibliography

Murray M and Pizzorno J. Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Prima Publishing,

Rocklin, CA 1991

Carlson KJ, Eisenstat SA, Ziporyn T. The Harvard Guide To Women's Health. Harvard
University Press Reference Library, Cambridge, MA 1996

Golan R. Optimal Wellness. Ballantine Books, New York, NY 1995

Dean C. Complementary Natural Prescriptions for Common Ailments. Keats Publishing,

New Cannan, CT 1994

Balch JF and Balch PA. Prescription of Nutritional Healing. Avery Publishing

Group, Garden City Park, NY 1997

Emily Kane ND practices in Juneau, Alaska and can be reached at: (907)586-3655
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