Most dental offices in the United States are staffed by dentists who were trained in the west, prioritizing Western medicine, and a western approach to health.
Eastern medicine, or traditional Chinese medicine, takes a somewhat different approach. Based on a unique understanding of how energy flows through the body, traditional Chinese medicine seeks to identify the foundational cause of symptoms.
Rather than treating the symptom, these experts attempt to treat the problem, so the symptoms are no longer an issue.
Holistic dentists who work with Eastern practices may make use of the meridian tooth chart to assist them in this process, recognizing that a toothache may not just be due to local degradation of the bone and surrounding tissue but potentially a symptom of a problem in another part of the body.
What Are Meridians?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), meridians are said to be pathways of energy, also known as qi (pronounced “chee”), that run through the body.
According to this philosophy of health and wellness, when there is a blockage along a meridian, it manifests as an illness or disease in the related organ system or area of the body.
TCM, therefore, seeks to find and unblock areas where blockages have occurred, promoting the free flow of qi through the body, which in turn facilitates healing.
How Are Meridians and Teeth Connected?
There are said to be 12 meridians in the body and all of them run through the mouth. These meridians are connected or are correlated with different teeth, and those teeth are associated with the function of different organs.
The idea is that if a tooth is in pain, it may be because there’s a problem with the associated organ or organ system. Similarly, treating a diseased organ or organ system is said to have a positive impact on the correlated teeth.
How Are Tooth Chart Meridians Useful in Dental Care?
For a holistic dentist, it is not just the teeth and surrounding tissue that are important when considering dental treatment. The notion of meridians connecting teeth to organ systems and that an issue with a tooth may be a reflection of a problem in a different part of the body fits with the overall idea of holistic health. Therefore, a holistic dentist may take into consideration the possibility that a toothache may be connected to disease or inflammation in another part of the body.
When it comes to treating the dental issue holistically, the practitioner may treat the tooth directly or address the problem in such a way that the whole person and possible related disease in other parts of the body are taken into consideration.
A tooth meridian chart is just a visual representation of which teeth are connected to which organs. This can make it simpler for a patient undergoing holistic dental care to understand the thought process behind the holistic dentist’s recommendations.
Learn More About Holistic Dentistry
Find out more about holistic dental practices when you contact Dison Family Dentistry to set up an appointment today.