Toothache
Toothache is a common ailment . It may be due to wind fire , stomach fire ,
asthenic fire , and dental caries .
Etiology and Pathogenesis
The Hand and Foot Yangming Meridians go into the upper and lower gums
respectively . Toothache may be due to flaring up along the meridians of the
pathogenic fire transformed from pathogenic heat in the large intestine and
stomach , or from exogenous pathogenic wind that attacks and accumulates in the
Yangming Meridians . The kidney controls bones and the teeth are the odds and
ends of the bones . Deficiency of the kidney yin with flaring up of the
asthenic fire may also give rise to toothache . Sometimes toothache is due to
dental caries caused by over intake of sour and sweet food .
Differentiation
a ) Toothache due lo stomach fire :
Main manifestations : Severe toothache accompanied by foul breath , thirst ,
constipation , yellow tongue coating , forceful and rapid pulse .
Analysis : Accumulated heat in the stomach and intestines results in
constipation . Up surging of the stomach heat causes yellow tongue coating and
foul breath . Thirst is due to the exhaustion of body fluid by heat . Severe
toothache is due to the stomach heat flaring up along the meridians . Forceful
and rapid pulse also indicates the stomach fire .
b ) Toothache caused by wind fire :
Main manifestations : Acute toothache with gingival swelling accompanied by
chills and fever , superficial and rapid pulse . Analysis : The exogenous
pathogenic wind invades the Yangming Meridians and turns into fire . Then
occurs the toothache with gingival swelling . When the exogenous pathogenic
factors struggle against the body resistance in the muscles and skins , there
are chills and fever as exterior symptoms . Superficial and rapid pulse is a
sign of wind - fire .
c ) Toothache caused by deficiency of the kidney yin :
Main manifestations : Dull pain off and on , loose teeth , absence of foul
breath , reddened tongue , thready and rapid pulse .
Analysis : The kidney controls bones and the teeth are the odds and ends of
the bones . The kidney in deficiency state fails to keep the teeth strong , so
they are loose . Flaring up of the asthenic fire leads to dull pain . Since
nothing is accumulated in the stomach , there is no foul breath . Thready , rapid
pulse and reddened tongue are due to heat caused by yin deficiency .
Treatment
a ) Toothache due to stomach fire :
Method : The reducing method is applied to eliminate heat and stop pain .
Points of Hand - Yangming Meridian are selected .
Prescription : Hegu ( Li4 ) , Jiache ( S 6 ) , Neiting ( S 44 ) , Xiaguan ( S 7 ) .
Explanation : Hegu ( Li4 ) of the contralateral side is used to disperse
pathogenic heat from the Hand - Yangming Meridian . Neiting ( S 44 ) , the
Ying - ( Spring ) Point of the Stomach Meridian , is used to reduce the fire in the
stomach . Xiaguan ( S 7 ) and Jiache ( S 6 ) are local points to stop pain and
regulate the qi circulation in the Foot - Yangming Meridian .
b ) Toothache caused by wind fire :
Method : The reducing method is applied to dispel wind and clear off heat .
Points of the Sanjiao Meridian of Hand - Shaoyang are selected .
Prescription : Yemen ( S J 2 ) , Fengchi ( G 20 ) , Hegu ( L 14 ) , Jiache ( S 6 ) ,
Xiaguan ( S 7 ) , Waiguan ( S J 5 ) .
Explanation : Waiguan ( S J 5 ) is the Ying - ( Spring ) Point of the Sanjiao
Meridian of Hand - Shaoyang . Fengchi ( G 20 ) is used to dispel wind and clear off
fire . Hegu ( Li4 ) , Jiache ( S 6 ) and Xiaguan ( S 7 ) are selected to regulate the
qi circulation in the Yangming Meridians of Hand and Foot and to eliminate
heat for relieving pain .
c ) Toothache caused by deficiency of the kidney yin :
Method : The even movement is applied to nourish yin and lower the fire .
Points of the Foot - Yangming and Foot - Shaoyin Meridians are selected .
Prescription : Jiache ( S 6 ) , Xiaguan ( S 7 ) , Taixi ( K 3 ) .
Explanation : The teeth relate to the kidney and are situated at the place
where the Stomach Meridian and Large Intestine Meridian go through . Thus Taixi
( K 3 ) is used to nourish yin of the kidney and lower the asthenic fire . Jiache
( S 6 ) and Xiaguan ( S 7 ) relieve pain by regulating the qi in the meridians .
Remarks
Toothache described here is involved in acute and chronic pulpitis , dental
caries , peridental abscess and pericoronitis .
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