Life Lesson/Dental Health

My Dental Woes Became a Course in Mini Miracles

Need a root canal? Find an Endodontist with a GentleWave machine. Your concerns will be over and your mouth will be grateful.

I was savoring a patch of sun-ripened blackberries and conversing with a Billy goat on the other side of the fence last week. A seed traveled to my upper gum and I used my finger to move it down.

Wait, it wasn’t moving. I was touching a swelling, not a seed. I probed some more, confirming a dreaded self-diagnosis. “Oh no Billy, I have an abscess in my mouth!” He looked at me with woeful eyes and bleated out a sympathetic baaaaah as well. Which I interpreted as “Call your dentist!” I took his advice, striding back home to my phone, unable to stop worrying my tongue upward.

I live on an island with one overworked dentist. Dental issues mean a long ferry wait in line, trip to the mainland. And in my case, a journey to the city to visit the Integrative Dentists I have been seeing for forty years. These dentists specialize in biological techniques which support our immune systems.

I drove into the city, occasionally mulling over worst-case scenarios like Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away. He was stranded on a deserted island after an ocean plane crash killed everyone on board. He had an abscessed tooth and extracted it on his own using a system of weight and pulley. He also passed out from the shock.

Another gruesome memory surfaced of walking past a man suffering on a dirty mat on the streets of Mumbai, India. He was waiting for the ‘dentist’ to perform an extraction with a set of filthy pliers he had already used on several other people. I watched in horror as the poor guy cranked his mouth open, screaming in pain as pliers grabbed hold of his tooth, twisting it back and forth, inducing further agony, until popping out in a gush of blood.

I realized I was making assumptions and indulging in shadowy thoughts which could negatively affect my mindset. By the time I finished a too long, self lecture I was sitting in a sanitized chair with my skilled and concerned dentist scanning a new set of X Rays.

“I”m going to refer you to an Endodontist. I can’t tell which tooth is involved in this abscess and it might be two. So sorry, but the office I’m sending you to is the best in the city and if anyone can save your teeth, it will be them. They are special. You’ll see what I mean.”

Two days later I’m in another exam room with a new flavor offered. For one thing, the overall vibe in this office is one of optimism and light humor. Dr. E has sparkly eyes as does the receptionist, technician, and another dentist. I’m thinking it must be an employment requirement.

I’m immediately endeared to Dr. E who is analyzing my panoramic, high-tech, X-Ray results while complimenting my healthy pink gums and naturally white teeth. “Don’t worry” he says patting my arm. “We will save your teeth. This is a bit complicated, but we can do both root canals with the GentleWave machine in our other office,” he states while lancing and draining my abscess.

The receptionist scanned their schedule in vain to find an open slot. Their practice was very popular and they were booked solid for two months. I left without an appointment but a promise to work on it. Half an hour later I received a call from one of the dentists. “We’re creating a space for you. It’s normally when we have an office meeting, but we don’t want that abscess lingering.”

No wonder every review I checked out on this practice was five stars. This team was compassionate and caring.

Root canals have been around since the 17th century. Edwin Maynard developed the first root canal instrument from a watch spring. Endodontists [root canal specialists] now use “files” to clean out the infected pulp in the tooth. Even with these precision tools, it can be challenging to clean all the decaying material hidden in tiny cracks and crevices. Any leftover infection can re-inflame the tooth and gum.

Here is where the GentleWave machine and technique can work their wonders. It’s a state-of-the-art alternative to files, using ultra-cleaning technology to reach every microscopic space within the tooth. This innovative instrument uses a combination of fluids and sound waves to loosen and flush away infected pulp and decay.

Cleaning with sound waves also alleviates the need for pressure, which could also affect the 12 cranial nerves. Sutures are in our skull for a reason and they can be impacted by dental work. Minute movements of expansion and contraction take place in our skulls which Osteopaths and CranioSacral practitioners can trace. I went through the Upledger CranioSacral Training and felt this subtle flow and pulse in our bodies often with my clients.

Part of our skull’s purpose is to protect our brain. Very slight pliability in certain sutures allows our head to absorb blunt trauma easier than having all our bones fused. A completely fused skull would be in danger of cracking like an eggshell, a vulnerability that could threaten our brain function. Braces are also based on the concept of our head being malleable and open to restructuring tooth alignment.

A constantly fresh stream of fluid circulates for nine minutes in and out of the canal during GentleWave treatment. Since I had two infected teeth, it was an 18-minute ritual that ended up being oddly soothing. Turns out Dr. E was a master with this machine, inducing awe in the other dentists with his expertise. At one point, there were three dentists as well as an assistant in our ample space. It was after hours and my session became an educational opportunity for all of us.

Two hours flew by as I practiced yogic breathing and listened in as the other dentists learned subtle nuances of the cleaning technique.

“Look how she’s breathing her way through this ordeal! Few people can take two root canals in one sitting. It’s because she’s healthy and using her breath to calm her nervous system!” Dr. E approvingly noted. He told me his mother, now in her 80’s, had been a yoga teacher as well and attributed her health to her daily practice.

I felt so odd finally getting out of the chair. Shouldn’t I be feeling uncomfortable after enduring this process? Instead, my mouth was no longer numb and there was no pain or even discomfort. I thought I must still be feeling the drugs but they explained how they used as little as possible and I could be back to normal.

An hour later I was eating dinner with no swelling or sensitivity. This was a minor miracle considering the lengthy procedure. Even if you are knocked out during a dental process, your body will register what has taken place.

For fourteen years I studied the effects of Sound Healing on my consciousness and I could now thank acoustic energy for two, non-invasive, root canals. This visit confirmed my belief that the majority of medical tools and equipment in the future will be based on sound and light.

I was filled with gratitude when one of the dentists checked in by phone the next day. I had been noticing a slight clicking in my right jaw for several months and it had disappeared. I felt energetic and balanced, without any trace of the dental work from the previous day.

When I told her my story she responded with a typical comment from anyone in this practice. “We knew we could do a double root canal with you for two reasons. Number one being that you are in good health. Truthfully though, number two is as important as the first reason. You had a positive attitude and your body accepted the work due to your conscious cooperation. This makes all the difference. You’re an excellent patient.”

I came right back at her with my own interpretation. “Your office was a very healing and supportive environment. Not only for myself as a patient, but also the general camaraderie established by the entire staff. It’s a mark of regard for your patients well being that you’ve incorporated the latest technology into your practice. Thank you for your compassion.”

A few takeaways from this mouthy, opportunity to learn new tricks:

This practice highly valued clear and kind interpersonal relations, in staff as well as with patients. Their particular skill, in addition to being excellent dentists, was meeting patients in their comfort zone and resonating with them on that level. This open attitude reduced stress, encouraging trust, promoted healing, and increased clear communication.

A big component in their healing ability was this high level of emotional intelligence. When they discovered how easy it was to get a laugh out of me, humor became the first-course menu and I ended up snorting away in the chair, happy as a pearl in her shell.

If a need for a root canal should ever make itself known, please check out the GentleWave technique with a skilled Endodontist and have your canal gently scrubbed clean. Check this technique out before agreeing to extractions and implants. You could save a lot of money and your teeth at the same time. Any questions? Meet me in the garden where I’ll be chomping on the carrots.