Sunday, May 3, 2009

Dental Preparedness


Did you ever see that movie with Tom Hanks called "Castaway"? In that film Tom's character has a toothache when he is living in civilization that he means to get taken care of...but before he can see a dentist...a plane that he is a passenger on goes down and he becomes a castaway on an island. The film has a sobering scene where Tom...who is in excruciating pain from his rotten tooth...takes an ice skate blade and a coconut...and beats the tooth out of his mouth!! After screams from the intense pain and incredible trauma...he finally finds relief as the tooth comes out.

While we may not expect that we will go down in a plane and be a castaway on an island...there are all kinds of disasters...man made and otherwise that could make a visit to a dentist a short or long term impossibility. In my mind...there are few pains that are more debilitating than that of dental pain! A sore arm you can shake off and get back to work whereas a rotten tooth can make your brain feel like it is in a vice...making all of your physical and mental abilities of no worth to anyone.

So far as I know...there aren't home remedies for major dental work! Of course other than liquor and a pair of pliers! There are various plants such as what is called the toothache plant that will numb the pain to some degree...but it won't fill a gaping rotten hole!

I recommend that you get your families dental house in order...and practice superb oral hygiene to avoid future issues. You should also keep a stock of floss...toothbrushes...rinses...pastes...whatever your belief is regarding what will keep your teeth healthy. I personally recommend not using fluoride products of any kind as I believe that fluoride is poison.

Take care of it now and chew happily later!

Read the comments for some more on home remedies...

5 comments:

  1. There actually ARE some natural remedies for tootaches. I know becuase I've been dealing with one for a couple weeks, and I've been researching. Sucking on a clove, yes a whole clove, has actually been known to heal an abcessed tooth. Also things like Habenero Pepper, Tea tree oil, peppermint, and more can all help. Habenero increases blood flow to the area to assist in healing, and tea tree is a natural antibacterial. Colloidal silver is also a natural anitbiotic and between them all, they can restore a tooth back to good health. YOu have to be persistant, and it does take some time, but it works! HOpe this is helpful.

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  2. I wonder. I find it difficult to believe that an infected tooth (where the pain comes from the diseased tooth at the nerve level) would respond to the tea tree oil, peppermint, etc., for very long, although they can probably act as a good pain reliever (something that sounds good to me!), but to actually heal an infected tooth. Hmm. I would definitely practice excellent dental care, but also I would depend upon Priesthood blessings if pain occured and the above remedies didn't help. It's the same with any unstoppable medical situation that we might find ourselves in during a true world crisis, from a broken arm to internal injuries or the black plague. When medical science isn't available, and when we have tried our best to cure the situation, then a Priesthood blessing is, in my mind, key. So to be obedient, prepared, strong in the faith, those things will increase the ability to be healed in that way.

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  3. All great points. It would seem to me that the scripture "ye are saved by grace after all ye can do" can apply here. Making use of the means provided by the Lord can put you in a position to be worthy of His divine assistance.

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  4. http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download_dentist.php

    The link above will take you to a free download of a book "Where there is no dentist" and Where there is no doctor", midwife etc.

    The hardcopy books are also for sale.

    In the dentist book, a temporary filling can be made from zinc oxide and clove oil. Both ingredients are easy to find.

    All these books are worthwhile buying or downloading and printing.

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