A dental abscess is a build-up of pus in the tooth, gum or jaw due to a bacterial infection.
In his book ‘The Practical Handbook of Homeopathy’ (a very useful book to have on hand for self-prescribing at home) Colin Griffith’s writes:
“Abscesses in the gums and teeth are never simply local affairs. They are a local manifestation of a deeper condition that involves both the immune system and the liver, the organ that generates heat in the body. It is important to see abscesses in this light because the usual treatment is to take antibiotics which suppress not only the local infection but also the body’s chosen manner of elimination.”
It can be interesting to note which tooth or teeth are affected because as you can see from the diagram below every tooth relates to one the meridians used in the Traditional Chinese Medical system. For example problems with the front teeth may correspond to weakness in the Kidneys and Bladder meridian which also corresponds to certain parts of the body like the sex organs and also to certain emotions like fear.
Abscesses may develop where there are amalgam fillings or a root canal and so it’s worth considering whether these treatments are a good idea in the first place. In other cases it may be that the liver is congested from poor diet or alcohol. Another reason might be that the abscess is a vent for a previously suppressed infection in another area where someone has been treated with antibiotics e.g. acute mastitis – in the case of previous suppression with antibiotics it’s best to consult a homeopath.
In other simpler cases then the following remedies may be of use:
Hepar Sulph
Abscess which forms in the gum with sharp, splinter pains; very sensitive to any touch or chewing. Generally does not want to be touched or questioned too much; irritable!
Lachesis
Decay below a filled molar (upper left) causes pressure, swelling and heat in a developing abscess. Pains can vary but are always bad: throbbing, drawing and boring. Pains in the limbs on the other side of the body and < if the period is due are also characteristic. Patient may be bad-tempered.
Merc-Sol
Abscess with increased salivation, foul (metallic or bloody) taste and strong thirst for cold water. Pains are sharp and tend to go up into the ear or jaw.
Myristica
A blood cleansing remedy which is similar to Hepar-Sulph and sometimes works even more swiftly. When used in conjunction with Silica it is often all that is required to deal with uncomplicated abscesses.
Pyrogen
A powerful blood cleansing remedy that is only needed for deep-seated constitutional toxicity – if the infection is this severe it’s best to consult a practitioner. The abscess will be deep,, slow to develop and darkish red. The patient will feel if the flu is coming on and be aching all over the body. The complexion will be dark and flushed.
Silica
A remedy for slow-developing abscesses with intermittent sharpish pains. It can encourage an indolent abscess to come to the surface or to be dispersed by the body by absorption.