As is typical, your “research” was deaf, dumb, very dumb, and blinded. In other words, you didn’t look for research on homeopathy and dentistry. Here’s a bit more than half of the chapter I wrote on homeopathy and dental conditions.
In 2011, the British Dental Journal published a strongly worded statement for the use of homeopathic medicines in dental care (Eames and Darby, 2011).
A systematic review was conducted on the use of Hypericum (St. John’s Wort) for pain conditions in homeopathic dental practice (Raak, Büssing, Gassmann, et al, 2012). Twenty-one relevant articles were found: four described general recommendations, three basic research studies, six reported studies in dental care, and eight were expert opinions or case reports. Only four studies were eligible for the meta-analysis. There was marked high heterogeneity in the effects pain (Chi-Squared = 26.46; I(2) = 0.89). The overall effect of 0.24 (95% CI: [0.06; 1.03]) favors Hypericum but is not statistically significant.
In 2020, a systemic review was conducted of studies using single-ingredient homeopathic medicines for dental complaints (Amaral, Zina, Paula, et al, 2021). A total of 44 met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this metaanalysis, with prevalence of literature reviews (56.8%), followed by clinical trials (34.1%), cross-sectional studies (6.8%), laboratory research (6.8%), and longitudinal observational studies (4.5%). The clinical trials identified were published from 1965 to 2019, using homeopathy in several dental specialties: in Endodontics, Periodontics, Orofacial Pain, Surgery, Pediatric Dentistry, and Stomatology, as well as in cases of dental anxiety.
The clinical trials selected showed positive effects on oral health; however, when they were critically evaluated, it was possible to recognize research design failures, most commonly the lack of double-blind testing. It is necessary to encourage research on the subject, using standardized methodological procedures, to obtain better evaluation of the clinical applicability.
A more recent study that was not a part of the above review was conducted and compared the antibacterial efficacy of two commonly used homeopathic medicaments Benzoicum acid 30C and Silicea 6C with that of a conventional dental treatment, calcium hydroxide, as intracanal medicament against Enterococcus faecalis (Dutta and Maria, 2020).
E. faecalis. was the test organism used for the trial. Petri plates with 20 ml of sheep blood agar were inoculated with 0.1 ml of the microbial suspensions. The medicines tested for antimicrobial efficacy against E. faecalis were divided into three groups: Group A (Benzoicum acid 30C), Group B (Silicea 6C), and Group C (calcium hydroxide).
Group A (Benzoicum acid 30C) showed the maximum zone of inhibition against Gram-positive E. faecalis (17.2 ± 0.65), and the difference between the groups related to the antibacterial activity was highly significant (P < 0.001). A statistically significant difference was observed between the three groups on the intergroup comparison (P < 0.001).
This study concluded that antimicrobial activity of the acid benzoicum extract was the highest followed by silicea extract and then calcium hydroxide.
Pain management after performing flap surgery is of great benefit to dental patients. Due to the side effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the safety of homeopathic medication, the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of ibuprofen (NSAID) and Traumeel (a homeopathic combination medicine) following flap surgery were evaluated (Das R, Deshmukh J, Asif, et al, 2019).
A randomized, triple-blinded, split-mouth clinical trial, with a sample size of 20 (age range of 20-60 years) was conducted. The 20 subjects included patients diagnosed with moderate chronic generalized periodontitis. Two quadrants for each subject were operated on, with an interval of 3 weeks. Random assignment of the operated quadrants to the following medication protocols was carried out by a third person: Ibuprofen, 600 mg and traumeel, 600 mg (up to three tablets) every 8 hours for the first 24 hours and SOS (Si Opus Sit, meaning only once/if needed) thereafter for a period of 1 week as pain medication, respectively. After 1 week, sutures were removed. The primary outcomes were mean postoperative pain (modified visual analog scale) and number of tablets consumed in 1 week. The secondary outcome was postoperative tissue response. Any adverse effects were recorded.
The number of tablets consumed and pain perception was substantially lower in the Traumeel subjects compared to the Ibuprofen Group (P < 0.001). A better tissue response was shown by the group treated with Traumeel as compared to the Ibuprofen receiving group (P < 0.05). Three patients reported adverse drug reactions after consumption of ibuprofen, but none after Traumeel.
The researchers concluded that this study suggested that while managing pain following flap surgery, Traumeel was superior as compared to Ibuprofen, with minimal or no side effects.
Chronic periodontitis (CP) and Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMII) are chronic diseases that are usually treated by conventional practices. However, homeopathy can help to treat many different diseases.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 80 people with chronic periodonitisis (CP) and diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMII) aged between 32 and 70 years (Mourão, Carillo, Romeu, et al, 2019). They were divided into two groups: control group (CG) and the test group (TG), and both groups received non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). The TG also received homeopathic treatment, including Berberis, Mercurius solubilis/Belladonna/Hepar sulphur and Pyrogenium, while CG received placebo.
“Severe chronic periodonititis is defined if a patient presented at least two proximal sites of 2 non-adjacent teeth with probing pocket depth of ≥6mm and clinical attachment loss (CAL) ≥5mm.
Clinical and laboratorial examinations were evaluated at baseline and after 1, 6 and 12 months of treatment. Both groups showed significant improvement throughout the study, for most of the parameters studied, but TG presented significant gain of clinical attachment loss (CAL) at 1 and 12 months compared to CG. Mean glucose and glycated hemoglobin significantly decreased in both groups after 6 and 12 months. However, there was a significantly further reduction of these parameters in TG, as compared to CG. The researchers concluded that homeopathy as a supplement of NSPT may further improve health, including glycemic control, in DMII patients with CP.
Periodontitis is a severe gum infection that tends to lead to tooth loss and other serious health complications, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major risk factor for periodonitis.
Periodontitis and type 2 diabetes are chronic diseases generally treated with conventional therapies alone. This study compared the effects of homeopathy as an adjunct to conventional therapy in individuals with periodontitis and T2D (Mourão, Alhanati, Gonçalves, et al, 2021).
A total of 85 individuals, ages between 35 and 70 years participated in this randomized study, with 70 patients from the Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They were divided into two groups: G1, individuals with periodontitis without systemic conditions; and G-2, individuals with periodontitis and T2D. Both groups received homeopathic treatment and were evaluated in clinical and laboratory examinations. The medication used was a homeopathic formula consisting of Berberis 6CH, Mercurius Solubilis, Belladonna, Hepar sulphur and a Pyrogenium 200CH biotherapic. The medications were prescribed in diluted low ultra-diluted concentration doses for all signs and symptoms, while the use of Pyrogenium as a biotherapic was used for chronic stimulation.
The study was performed in Brazil by university research professors of homeopathy and periodontics.
Both groups showed significant clinical and laboratory improvements during the study from baseline to 1 year with reductions in total cholesterol (total-C), triglycerides, glucose, glycated hemoglobin (A1cHb), uric acid and C-reactive protein (CRP). Statistical and descriptive analyses were performed. For most parameters, G1 performed better than G2 (P < .05).
The researchers concluded that homeopathy as an adjunct to periodontal treatment improves local and systemic clinics and can provide better health conditions for patients with or without T2D.
And the above represents only PART of a chapter on this subject in the ebook “Evidence Based Homeopathic Family Medicine” by Dana Ullman, MPH, CCH, available for subscription at http://www.homeopathic.com
References:
Amaral TG, Zina LG, Paula JS. Systematic Review on the Use of Homeopathy in Dentistry: Critical Analysis of Clinical Trials. J Altern Complement Med. 2021;27,3:214-224. 10.1089/acm.2020.0271. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2020.0271
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Das R, Deshmukh J, Asif K, Sindhura H, Devarathanamma MV, Jyothi L. Comparative evaluation of analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy of ibuprofen and traumeel after periodontal flap surgery: A randomized triple-blind clinical trial. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2019 Nov-Dec;23(6):549-553. doi: 10.4103/jisp.jisp_85_19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31849401
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