Do your Teeth really influence your health or is this just some new age fantasy?
We often think of our teeth as these pieces of dentin and enamel that we need to help us chew and digest our food. We floss them and clean them regularly to maintain their health and prevent cavities and gum disease.
But are they more important than that? Do they actually influence our physical and mental health? I believe they do.
Our teeth not only help us talk and articulate our speech but they give shape to our face. They help form our beautiful smiles so give us confidence. Our mouth is also the first point of entry for our respiratory and digestive systems. Our mouth’s contain a lot of bacteria but most of these germs are harmless and inactivated by saliva and good oral care. But if these bacteria greatly multiply, we can end up with gum disease and tooth decay and both of these have been linked to disease in the body.
Studies have shown that poor oral health has been linked to endocarditis (infection of the inner lining of the heart chamber and valves), cardiovascular disease, birth complications such as prematurity and low birth weight and pneumonia. New research has also found a link to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease in those with long term gum problems.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, the teeth are considered to be part of the Water element, which consists of the Kidneys and Bladder. Any weakness in these areas may affect the teeth. Individual teeth are also connected via meridians (our energy pathways), to various organs in the body. Defects in a particular tooth may affect the health of an organ and vice versa. When an organ or system becomes diseased or infected, the associated tooth may also show some type of symptom. You can view these connections here.
So many of us take our teeth for granted. We may floss them and brush them regularly and see the dentist when we need to. However it’s easy to forget how important they are in our overall health and how they can give us hints about the state of our whole body.
I recently had a wisdom tooth removed. Apart from the pain in the affected area, I started to experience abdominal cramps the following day. At first I couldn’t understand why. I hadn’t eaten anything that might have caused an upset. Then I remembered the connection to my meridians and of course, it suddenly made sense. That particular wisdom tooth was connected to my small intestine. Once I addressed this, the pain went.
One of my Reflexology tutors recounted a story where she was treating a client with shoulder problems. No matter what treatment she gave, the issue could not be resolved. Then she remembered the teeth and suggested the client have her teeth checked. Sure enough there was an issue with the tooth relating to the shoulder. Once it was resolved, the shoulder could easily be treated with great success.
Don’t underestimate the signs your body is giving you and never underestimate the importance of your teeth. Do your teeth really influence your Health? I definitely think so. Make sure you pay attention to them on a regular basis. They and your whole body will thank you for it.
Warmest wishes,
Judy xxx
References:https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/dental/art-20047475, https://www.dentalhealth.org/healthysmile, The Way of the Five Seasons by John Kirkwood, https://www.healthyrootstulsa.com/services/mouth-body-connection/. https://www.biologicalmedicineinstitute.com/post/2019/08/14/uniquely-human. Image by svklimkin from Pixabay.
Disclaimer: Please note that all information in this article is the opinion of the author and obtained through her research and knowledge and the above references. It is not meant to replace medical advice and a medical opinion should always be obtained for any health condition.