Pyorrhoea

Treatment

Any treatment for pyorrhoea, to be effective, should be constitutional. It should aim at cleansing the blood and tissues of the acid impurities which are at the root of the trouble. The extraction of the teeth affected with the disease will not help clear the systemic toxemia.

The patient should begin the treatment with a short juice fast for three to five days. The juice of a fresh orange diluted with water on 50 : 50 basis, should be taken at two-hourly intervals from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during this period. If the orange juice does not agree, carrot juice may be taken. The bowels should be cleansed daily during this period with a warm water enema. If constipation is habitual, all steps should be taken for its eradication.

After the juice fast,the patient should spend a further three to five days on an exclusive fresh fruit diet. IN this regimen, he should have three meals a day, at five-hourly intervals of fresh juicy fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, grape-fruit, oranges, pineapple and melon. If losing much weight on the all-fruit diet, those already under weight may add a glass of milk to each fruit meal. Thereafter the patient may gradually embark upon a balanced diet, with emphasis on fresh fruits, green salads, whole meal bread, properly cooked vegetables, cheese, nuts, and milk.
White bread, white sugar and all refined and tinned foods must be completely given up.

Condiments , sauces, alcohol, coffee and strong tea as well as meat and other flesh foods should also be avoided. The patient should also keep away from starchy and sticky foods.

The teeth and gum, like other parts of the body require exercise. This can be achieved by eating hard and fibrous foods. Wheat is especially valuable in the prevention and treatment of pyorrhoea. It takes time to eat wheat chappaties and as it is generally taken with other foods, it compels the chewing of other foods also. This not only provides the needed exercise for the teeth and gum but also a great aid to digestion.

Chewing unripe guava is an excellent tonic for teeth and gums. It stops the bleeding from gums due its styptic effect and richness in vitamin C. Chewing its tender leaves also helps in curing bleeding from gums and keeps the teeth healthy. A decoction of root-bark can also be beneficial used as mouth- wash for swollen gums.
Lemon and lime are also useful in pyorrhoea due to their high vitamin C-content. They strengthen the gums and teeth and are very effective for preventing and curing acute inflammations of the gum margins.

Raw spinach juice is another valuable food remedy for the prevention and treatment of pyorrhoea because of its beneficial effect on the teeth and gums. This effect is generally enhanced if the spinach juice is taken in combination with carrot juice. A permanent aid for this affliction has been found in the use of natural raw foods and in drinking an ample quantity of carrot and spinach juice.

The daily dry friction and hip bath and the breathing and other exercises should form a part of the morning routine. A hot Epsom-salt bath taken twice weekly will also be beneficial.

As regards local treatment, the teeth should be cleansed every morning and night with a little lemon juice squeezed on the toothbrush, after it has been dipped into warm water. Afterwards mouth should be well rinsed with warm water containing lemon juice. The forefinger of the right hand should be rubbed gently over the gums for a minute or two after each brushing.