Holistic Oral Care Trends in Dentistry

Holistic dentistry is an active approach where patient's entire body is the centre of focus and not just the oral cavity.

Holistic dentistry requires dental knowledge as well as understanding of other medical conditions to improve the overall health of an individual particularly in children.

It is also known as

• biological dentistry
• natural dentistry
• green dentistry
• unconventional dentistry
• progressive dentistry
• biocompatible dentistry.

It is basically the incorporation of hypnosis, homeopathy, aromatherapy, nutrition and \1 in clinical dentistry.

According to acupuncture, each tooth in our body is associated with a particular organ, this is known as Tooth Meridian. This indicates that overall health is related to various dental conditions.

Tooth Meridian

Coming to the natural remedies, which includes -

1. Oil Pulling

Oil pulling or swishing with sesame oil, sunflower oil or coconut oil strengthens the gums and prevents dental diseases like dental caries and periodontal diseases. It is also helpful in curing certain systemic diseases like migraine, asthma, diabetes and hypertension. It also boosts the immune system and helps in weight loss.

Steps of oil pulling

1. Measure one tablespoon of oil
2. Swirl it around gums for 15 to 20 minutes - do not swallow.
3. Spit the oil after the massage.
4. Rinse it well before eating or drinking anything

Duration of swishing can be increased from 5 minutes to 15-20 mins. Spit the oil into a trash can or a paper towel - avoid spitting into sinks or toilets to prevent buildups and clogging of pipes.

Incase of children, age should be above 5 years and one teaspoon of oil should be used.

For best results, it is recommended to be done on an empty stomach, before brushing although you can adapt based on your personal preferences.

If done correctly, the viscous oil becomes milky white and thinner.

2. Charcoal

Activated charcoal available as premixed paste is used for teeth cleaning and whitening the teeth. Along with the advantage of white teeth, activated charcoal is used for the treatment of food poisoning and other gastrointestinal issues.

Ayurveda in \1

Extracts of neem bark, neem leaf, grape seed, clove, fennel and other plants are used in toothpastes to avoid use of chemicals like lauryl sulfate, saccharin, parabens, artificial colours and artificial flavours. Propolis is extracted from resins of pine and are collected by bees is a natural substance used in treatment of oral ulcers. Chamomile, limeflower, vervain, rosemary and valerian are other natural substance that are used as sedatives. These natural ayurvedic remedies also protects our body from different infections. Neem leaves are used in providing relief in viral infections like chicken pox.