Within traditional acupuncture dental problems including tooth pain are a result of the body building up excess heat or when the flow of energy to the mouth is disrupted. In this instance, acupuncturists tend to work by improving and detoxifying the meridians in and around the affected area to help relieve the pain.
By using acupuncture in this way any obstructed energy is cleared allowing the canals that lead to the upper or lower jaw to be opened.
There are three main meridian points that are associated with dental issues; TH21, the ear gate, ST 6 the jawbone and ST7 below the joint. The first point is located where the upper jaw and ear meet and within acupuncture, this point is used to alleviate any upper jaw toothaches the patient may be experiencing. This is part of the triple heater meridian with ST 6 and ST 7 which works by regulating the function of the head, navel and chest areas of the body.
The ST 6 meridian is located along the stomach and helps with the relief of mouth and jaw pain. The stomach is able to connect 45 points from all over your body and because it works by regulating the acid and enzymes it can help with any gum and teeth problems you may be suffering with. The ST 7 point is also located along the stomach and it used to help treat lower jaw tooth aches and pains.
Many studies have been carried out on the effectiveness of acupuncture on dental issues and have shown evidence of being an effective treatment. In 1999 a controlled trial study was carried out where sham acupuncture was used on one set of patients and real acupuncture treatment was given to the other group. The results showed that the genuine acupuncture treatment was more effective than the placebo in preventing post-op pain.
For additional information regarding how we can use acupuncture to remedy your dental distress, call us free on 0800 051 76 88.
