Tooth out – and now what? (©-st-fotograf-Fotolia.com)
For (almost) everyone there comes a time when he (or she) has to sacrifice a tooth. Be it a wisdom tooth or a broken molar or incisor, what can you do to prevent complications and speed up healing? And, of course, the easier it is to pull the tooth, the fewer roots there are in the jaw. So a cutting edge is usually ‘swop … outside’ – a molar usually means work for the dentist.
And yet there can be considerable differences: I have experienced in myself how different the healing can be. Two transverse wisdom teeth were pulled out. The simpler of the two took about 6 weeks until I could completely open the jaw again. With the more difficult operation and with the same doctor it took 2 – 3 days until everything was ok again! And when I had a root-treated tooth removed, i.e. ‘killed’, it took about 3 – 5 days until everything was ok.
What can you do to prevent complications and accelerate healing?
The practitioner
First of all I would look for a good oral surgeon when it comes to pulling molars or wisdom teeth. That is my personal opinion. My idea behind it is: “An oral surgeon operates on jaws every day. The pulling of a tooth falls rather under ‘peanuts’.”
arnica
I use it as a homeopathic remedy after every procedure where tissue has been injured. I usually choose a C30 or C200 for potency. Here I take 1 – 2 times daily 3 – 5 globulis until no swelling or other residual conditions are there. By the way: Arnica can also be used homeopathically well after falls, as they should occur in such snow/ice weather – even if the falls are further back.
hypericum
I use it as a painkiller. But mostly after dental treatments like drilling or the like. Also here I use a C30 or C200 as potency and partly take every ¼ hour 2 – 3 globulis as long as the pain persists.
pineapple enzymes
There are finished products on the market that contain the pineapple enzyme bromelain (e.g. Wobemucos Mono from Mucos or very cheap here). Bromelain has a decongestant and anti-inflammatory effect and is used for the treatment of sinusitis or inflammatory swelling after sports injuries or operations. Plant enzymes are also said to have an immunomodulating effect and to support rheumatic diseases or even cancer. One should take approx. 3 – 4 times daily 2 – 3 tablets on the first two days after the treatment and afterwards 2 times daily 1 tablet until the swellings are gone. The tablets should be taken 45 minutes before meals or 1.5 hours after meals. Side effects: flatulence, feeling of fullness, nausea, change in shape, colour and odour of the stool may occur.
Essential oils
I love essential oils. They smell (mostly) good and are invaluable in wound treatment, even in seemingly incurable cases. Since I am too lazy to always make my own mixtures, I like to use the preparation ‘Salviathymol’. It contains numerous disinfecting, germicidal and anti-inflammatory essential oils. After my operations I put 5 – 10 drops into a glass of water several times a day and rinsed my mouth, especially the affected area.
Worst Case: it is inflamed – 1
Even if this shouldn’t happen after all the tips, you should get Myristica D6 as dilution (liquid) before you take more drastic steps or let it do, and soak cotton wool with it (possibly dilute it with water). Then put this on or on the affected area. Myristica is something like the ‘homeopathic knife’. It can extract toxins from the wound and cause the inflammation to subside.
Worst Case: it is inflamed – 2
Ribwort plantain can be similarly effective. In this case, however, it is important to take the fresh plant juice. Only this has the desired germicidal effect. Ribwort plantain tea is also great, but only if they also have a cough…
Worst Case: it is inflamed – 3
In case of inflammation the body needs more zinc and vitamin C. So you should feed them to it. There are many zinc preparations on the market. Personally, I prefer the Fairvital products because they are better, better absorbed and cheaper.
Worst Case: it is inflamed – 4
Acupuncture can often be very effective for such problems. Of course, as an alternative practitioner you cannot work in the mouth, but we don’t need that either. From a Chinese point of view, swelling and inflammation can often be traced back to an accumulation of blood and energy. And to get this flow going again you don’t need to do anything in the mouth.