Treating diseases of the teeth and mouth with acupuncture

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  June, 2005  by Honora Lee Wolfe

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Key Words: acupuncture, tooth diseases, mouth diseases

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Acupuncture can be effective as a main or adjunctive therapy for many types of conditions affecting either the teeth or the mouth. However, I have been unable to find current research on this subject. The material below is taken from an early-20th century Chinese acupuncture treatment manual by Dr. Cheng Dan-an. As you read this article, some Chinese disease categories will be straightforward, clearly describing symptoms that patients present. When this is not the case, we must "translate" the Western diseases that patients report into Chinese disease categories in order to better treat their discomfort using acupuncture therapy. Cheng Dan-an was one of the most important transitional acupuncturists between Qing dynasty acupuncture traditions and modern acupuncture as it is practiced in the People's Republic today. My additions to Cheng's text will appear inside brackets [ ].

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Treatment of Toothache

Disease causes: The teeth are the surplus of the bones and pertain to the kidneys. However, this region is also subordinated to the yang ming. [Therefore,] the causes of most tooth pain, not including dental caries pain, are heat in the yang ming and wind cold raiding. It may also pertain to yin vacuity with yang hyperactivity.

Symptoms: Swelling and redness, aching and pain of the gums of the teeth and a yellow tongue coating are yang ming heat. Pain but no swelling or thirst and a tongue with no coating is yin vacuity, yang hyperactivity. Aversion to cold and tooth pain is wind heat. Teeth with dental cavities is tooth decay pain.

Treatment: For gum swelling and pain, moxa Tai Xi (Ki 3) 3 cones. Needle He Gu (LI 4) 4 fen and retain and twist for 3 minutes. Needle Jia Che (St 6) 3 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes. Needle Nei Ting (St 44) 3 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes.

For upper tooth pain, moxa Tai Xi (Ki 3) 3 cones. Needle Tai Yuan (Lu 9) 2 fen and retain and twist for 1 minute. Needle Shui Gou (GV 26) 2 fen and retain and twist for 1 minute.

For lower tooth pain, needle He Gu (LI 4) 5 fen and retain and twist for 3 minutes. Needle Lie Que (Lu 7) 2 fen and retain and twist for 1 minute. Needle Cheng Jiang (CV 24) 2-3 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes. Needle Jia Che (St 6) 3 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes.

For tooth decay pain, needle He Gu (LI 4) 5 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes. Needles may be left in place for 30-60 minutes.

Prognosis: Good

Dr. Cheng Dan-an's Notes: I have always needled only one point, He Gu (LI 4) to cure any type of toothache almost without fail. If occasionally there was no cure, I would achieve it without fail by then needling Nei Ting (St 44). Nevertheless, while these points may relieve the pain for the time being, they are not effective for tooth decay pain [as more than a palliative treatment].

Lip Diseases

Disease causes: The lips pertain to the spleen. Wind leads to twitching. Cold leads to contraction. Heat leads to dryness and cracking. Blood vacuity leads to no color. Qi depression leads to sores and swelling. When the lips are diseased, one can, depending on the condition, treat the spleen.

Symptoms: Lip swelling, possible dry lips, possible feeling as if a worm were moving, clenched jaws which are unable to open or close.

Treatment: For swollen lips, needle Nei Guan (Per 6) 3 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes. Needle Shen Men (Ht 7) 3 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes. Needle He Gu (LI 4) 4 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes. Needle Zu San Li (St 36) 5-6 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes. Needle Nei Ting (St 44) 3 fen and retain and twist for 1 minute.

For lips twitching uncontrollably, needle Shui Gou (GV 26) 2 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes.

For dry lips and inability to descend [i.e., swallow], needle Er Jian (LI 2) 2 fen and retain and twist for 1 minute. Prick Shao Shang (Lu 11) to exit blood.

For clenched lips and inability to open and close, needle He Gu (LI 4) 3-4 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes. Moxa Cheng Jiang (CV 24) 3 cones.

Adjunctive treatment: One can use a slice of Cortex Phellodendri (Huang Bai) stuck to the upper lip.

Prognosis: Good

References: De Xiao Fang (Formulas for Obtaining Results): For cocoon lip not able to open or close, moxa Hu Kou (LI 4). In males, the left and in females, the right. Also moxa Cheng Jiang (CV 24) 3 cones.

Mouth Diseases

Disease causes: The spleen opens in the portal of the mouth. If the mouth is dry or if there is excessive oral thirst, this mostly pertains to spleen/stomach heat. If the mouth is clenched and does not open, this pertains to vacuity with evils taking advantage of this loophole and raiding the foot yang ming channel.

Symptoms: Oral thirst, dryness and parching, possible sticky fluids within the mouth, possible clenched mouth [i.e., jaws] which does not open.

Treatment: For dry, parched mouth, needle Chi Ze (Lu 5) 4 fen and retain and twist for 1 minute. Needle Qu Ze (Per 3) 3 fen and retain and twist for 1 minute. Needle Da Ling (Per 7) 3 fen and retain and twist for 2 minutes. Needle Er Jian (LI 2) 2 fen and retain and twist for half a minute. Prick both Shao Shang (Lu 11) and Shang Yang (LI 1) to exit blood. Needle Fu Liu (Ki 7) 3 fen and retain and twist for half a minute.