Many people think of tooth extraction as a solution when they experience toothache, but the underlying issue is often not the tooth itself, but a manifestation of bodily imbalance. Tooth extraction may only address the symptoms, not the root cause. The real solution lies in regulating the body. Below, I will use a real case and simple language to explain it clearly.
The Toothache Story of a 21-Year-Old Girl
Symptoms:
In March of this year, a 21-year-old girl came to me with a toothache that had lasted for three days and was getting worse. By the third day, her face was swollen, and it hurt so much that she could barely speak, and her back molars felt swollen. She usually had a weak constitution and often stayed up late due to work, not getting enough rest.
Cause:
Her toothache was closely related to the weather and seasonal conditions at the time. It was the rainy season, with high humidity, and there had been no rain for several sunny days, making the damp heat particularly severe. Coupled with her staying up late for work, she had a deficiency of yin and an excess of fire (simply put, staying up late damaged her kidneys, causing internal heat to rise). The combination of damp heat and internal heat led to the formation of phlegm and stasis, resulting in severe facial swelling and toothache.
[Initial Prescription]
Mint 5g Forsythia 8g Bupleurum 8g Scutellaria 15g Coptis 3g Chrysanthemum 10g Calcite 15g Isatis root 20g Purslane 20g
Silkworm 15g Acorus 10g Fritillaria 20g Peach kernel 15g Astragalus 30g Codonopsis 20g Pinellia 20g Magnolia bark 20g Ginger 30g
Poria 20g Achyranthes 20g Magnetite 15g Oyster shell 15g Stevia 6g
[Analysis]
The pathogenesis of this disease is closely related to the weather and seasonal conditions, as the rainy season brings high humidity, and the recent lack of rain with continuous sunny days significantly increases damp heat.
Combined with her non-stop work and frequent late nights, her deficiency of yin and excess of fire accelerated the development and severity of the condition.
At this point, simply reducing inflammation is not enough, as it has become a complex pathogenesis involving phlegm and stasis, leading to swelling.
The Truth About Toothache: More Than Just a Dental Issue
Toothache can be maddening, but it’s often not as simple as the tooth being “bad.” Here are the common root causes of toothache:
- Internal Cause: Staying Up Late Damages the Kidneys, Causing Deficient Fire to Rise
Traditional Chinese Medicine states that “the kidneys govern the bones, and the teeth are the surplus of the bones.” Long-term staying up late damages kidney essence, leading to kidney deficiency and the rise of deficient fire, which travels along the meridians to the teeth, causing toothache. - External Cause: Seasonal Changes and Lifestyle Habits
For example, the rainy season brings heavy damp heat. If eating habits are irregular (either starving or overeating, or eating randomly), the spleen and stomach will be affected. A weakened spleen and stomach allow dampness to accumulate in the body, turning into phlegm-dampness. Combined with the rising deficient fire from the kidneys, it easily leads to toothache, facial swelling, and even headaches and eye swelling. - The Breath of Tooth Extraction
If the tooth is too decayed to be repaired or if wisdom teeth repeatedly become inflamed, extraction may be the only option. However, more often, toothache is a sign of the body’s “sick soil” at work. After extracting a tooth, adjacent teeth may start to hurt, or it may even lead to facial neuralgia, otitis media, and other issues. Therefore, if the body remains unhealthy after extraction, the problems will return.
What Can Moms Learn?
- Don’t Rush to Extract Teeth for Toothache, Regulating the Body is More Important
Toothache is often a warning sign from the body. Extraction only provides temporary relief and does not cure the root cause. Like the girl in the case, she didn’t extract her tooth and recovered through Chinese medicine and adjusting her lifestyle. - Daily Cultivation is Key
- Follow the Seasons: During the rainy season, avoid cold raw foods and eat more light foods to protect the spleen and stomach.
- Regular Sleep Schedule: Avoid staying up late to let the kidneys rest, naturally reducing internal heat.
- Moderate Diet: Avoid overeating or undereating to keep the spleen and stomach comfortable, preventing dampness from solidifying.
Suggestions for Chinese Patent Medicines
If the toothache is related to damp heat, you can try:
- Agastache Powder/Pills/Liquid
Suitable for cases of external wind-cold and internal dampness, it can relieve exterior symptoms, resolve dampness, regulate qi, and harmonize the middle. For example, during the rainy season, if you feel mentally off, bloated, or have abdominal discomfort, it’s great for regulating.- Liquid Form: Fast absorption, suitable for quick relief from damp heat and fatigue.
- Pills/Granules: Slower and deeper action, suitable for regulating dampness in the intestines and stomach.
Advanced Perspective for TCM Enthusiasts
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, the girl’s toothache was due to a deficiency combined with wind-fire pathogens affecting the Yangming meridian (which governs the face and teeth). In treatment, I used methods to clear heat and detoxify (Scutellaria, Coptis, etc.), dispel wind and remove pathogens (Mint, Forsythia, etc.), resolve phlegm and disperse (Fritillaria, Peach kernel, etc.), and support the body while expelling pathogens (Astragalus, Codonopsis, etc.). The comprehensive approach adjusted the qi and blood, cleared heat and toxins, and resolved phlegm and dampness, naturally relieving the toothache.
Conclusion: Keep Your “Original Teeth” by Starting with Regulation
When you have a toothache, don’t rush to extract your teeth; original teeth are so precious! Like the girl in the case, by regulating her body, her toothache was relieved, and her teeth were preserved. In daily life, manage your sleep and diet, follow the seasons, and nourish your spleen, stomach, and kidneys. Toothache will naturally stay away from you.
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