The incidence of periodontitis is higher in people over the age of 35. Periodontitis can greatly impact the daily life of patients when it occurs. Traditional Chinese scraping therapy, also known as Gua Sha, has a certain effect in relieving toothache. So how can Gua Sha help with periodontitis?
How to Relieve Periodontitis with Gua Sha
1. Areas and Functions of Gua Sha
1. Select Hegu and Sanjian points on the Yangming Large Intestine Meridian to clear heat, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain.
2. Select Neiting and Daying points on the Yangming Stomach Meridian to expel heat and relieve pain, as well as promote tooth health.
3. Select Shenyu point on the Taiyang Bladder Meridian to nourish yin and reduce fire.
4. Select Neiguan point on the Jueyin Pericardium Meridian to clear the heart and reduce fire.
2. Methods of Gua Sha
1. Facial Gua Sha
Use the rounded corner of the scraping board to massage the Daying point.
2. Waist Gua Sha
Along the Taiyang Bladder Meridian, scrape and stroke the sides of the waist and focus on the Shenyu point.
3. Back of Hand Gua Sha
Along the Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, scrape and stroke the edge of the back of the hand near the tiger's mouth, and focus on the Hegu and Sanjian points.
4. Back of Foot Gua Sha
Use the rounded corner of the scraping board to massage the Neiting point.
3. Indications
Gua Sha is suitable for patients with periodontitis as it can reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Periodontitis refers to chronic inflammation of the tissues surrounding the teeth. It is a destructive disease that ultimately leads to the formation of periodontal pockets, bone resorption, and gradual loosening of the teeth. Patients often have symptoms such as gum recession, gum bleeding, gum edge suppuration, and bad breath.
Precautions for Gua Sha in Periodontitis
1. Precautions before Gua Sha
1. Gua Sha therapy requires exposed skin and open sweat pores. If exposed to cold wind, the pathogenic qi can directly enter through the open pores, affecting the efficacy of Gua Sha and potentially causing new diseases. Therefore, a suitable treatment location with good air circulation and warmth should be chosen. Avoid Gua Sha in drafty places during the summer. Minimize skin exposure.
2. Choose a comfortable position for Gua Sha to facilitate scraping and prevent dizziness.
3. Strictly disinfect Gua Sha tools to prevent cross-infection. Before scraping, carefully inspect the tools to avoid skin abrasions.
4. The hands of the practitioner should also be disinfected.
5. Before scraping, explain the general knowledge of Gua Sha to the patient to eliminate their fear and gain their cooperation to prevent dizziness.
6. Avoid performing Gua Sha treatment on patients who are extremely hungry, full, or overly tense.
2. Precautions during Gua Sha
1. Apply even and appropriate force during scraping, according to the patient's tolerance, until petechiae appear.
2. For infants, the elderly, and patients with serious medical conditions, use a lighter scraping technique.
3. Avoid pursuing excessive petechiae by using excessive force or prolonging the scraping time. The amount of petechiae is influenced by various factors. Generally, blood stasis is associated with more petechiae, while excess heat conditions or fever are associated with more petechiae. Deficiency and cold conditions are associated with fewer petechiae. Excessive medication, especially the use of steroid drugs, can inhibit petechiae formation. Obese individuals or those with well-developed muscles have fewer petechiae. Yin meridians are less prone to petechiae than yang meridians. Petechiae are less likely to occur in low room temperatures.
4. Regularly inquire about the patient's sensations during scraping. If dizziness occurs, such as fatigue, dizziness, pale complexion, nausea, cold sweat, palpitations, cold extremities, or decreased blood pressure and loss of consciousness, immediately stop Gua Sha. Comfort the patient and help them lie down, keep warm, and drink warm water or sugar water. If the symptoms persist, use the rounded corner of the scraping board to press the Hegu point lightly, avoiding edema after pressing. Apply a relieving scraping technique to the Baihui and Yongquan points. After the patient's condition improves, continue scraping the Neiguan point and Zusanli point.
3. Precautions after Gua Sha
1. Gua Sha treatment opens sweat pores and expels pathogenic qi, which consumes some of the body's fluids. Therefore, after Gua Sha treatment, the patient should drink a cup of warm water and rest for a while.
2. To avoid the invasion of pathogenic wind and cold, the skin pores should close and return to normal before taking a bath. This usually takes about 3 hours.
3. For patients with complex and severe conditions, Gua Sha treatment should be combined with other therapies, such as medication, to avoid delayed treatment.
Contraindications of Gua Sha
1. Patients with bleeding tendencies should avoid or use caution when applying Gua Sha. Conditions such as thrombocytopenia, allergic purpura, leukemia, etc., should not be treated with purgative Gua Sha, but rather with tonic or balanced purgative Gua Sha.
2. Patients with critical conditions, such as acute infectious diseases, severe heart disease, etc., should be immediately hospitalized for observation and treatment. If there are no other options, temporary emergency treatment with Gua Sha can be considered to buy time and treatment opportunities.
3. Newly occurred fractures should not be treated with Gua Sha until they have healed. Gua Sha should also be avoided on surgical scars within two months. Gua Sha should be used with caution in patients with surgical scars after malignant tumors.
4. Infectious skin diseases, such as abscesses, boils, scars, ulcers, sexually transmitted skin diseases, and unexplained lumps on the skin, should not be directly scraped.
5. Gua Sha should be avoided on the lower abdomen of elderly or frail individuals, on the abdomen of individuals on an empty stomach, or during the menstrual period of women. Facial Gua Sha should be performed with a smaller area and a tonic technique for women.
6. Gua Sha should be avoided in individuals who are afraid of or allergic to Gua Sha.
7. Pregnant women and women during menstruation should avoid Gua Sha on the lower abdomen and acupoints such as Sanyinjiao, Hegu, and Zusanli. The scraping technique should be gentle and tonic.
How to Relieve Toothache Caused by Periodontitis
1. Mash a suitable amount of garlic and apply it warm on the painful area to relieve symptoms of pulpitis, periodontitis, and toothache.
2. Grind 10 grams of white pepper into powder and mix it with white wine to form a paste. Apply the paste into the tooth cavity in four separate occasions.
3. Boil 120 grams of vinegar, 30 grams of Sichuan pepper, simmer for 10 minutes, let it cool down, and then hold it in the mouth for 3-5 minutes (do not swallow). This can relieve toothache.
4. Take an appropriate amount of beehive, add a sufficient amount of pure alcohol, ignite it, and when the beehive turns into black ash, apply the ash to the affected tooth. The pain should subside in 4-5 minutes.
5. Dissolve monosodium glutamate in warm water at a concentration of 1:50, hold the solution in the mouth for a while, and then spit it out. Repeat this several times. After two days of persistence, the toothache will improve.
6. Put 100 grams of ordinary white wine and 10 grams of salt in a teapot, mix it, and heat it until the salt is dissolved. Hold it in the mouth at the painful area, being careful not to swallow it. The toothache will immediately stop.
7. Prepare gallnut, Sichuan pepper, and realgar, grind them into fine powder, soak the powder in alcohol, and store it in a bottle. When toothache occurs, take one and bite on it to relieve the pain.
Treatment for Periodontitis
1. Mild Periodontitis
(1) Treatment Principles
The main treatment principle for mild periodontitis is inflammation reduction. In addition, taking vitamin A and C supplements can promote the growth and healing of periodontal tissues.
(2) Diet
Diet is an essential aspect of periodontitis treatment. Paying attention to diet is crucial, as it can worsen the condition. Avoid spicy and irritating foods and eat more gentle and nutritious foods. Maintain oral hygiene by brushing your teeth in the morning and evening, and rinsing your mouth after meals. These habits are most beneficial for treating periodontitis.
2. Severe Periodontitis
(1) Basic Periodontal Treatment
For patients with acute gingival abscess, acute periodontal abscess, acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, etc., appropriate treatment should be provided based on the condition. Extract teeth that cannot be saved to maintain long-term periodontal health. Perform scaling, root planing, and bone leveling to remove plaque, tartar, and necrotic bone. Temporary fixation, occlusion adjustment, and medication may be necessary.
The goal of this stage is to eliminate local pathogenic factors and strengthen patient awareness. Therefore, it is important to provide oral hygiene guidance to patients and correct their bad habits. Patients should understand the etiology of periodontitis and the importance of establishing good oral hygiene habits. Teach patients how to remove plaque, such as correct tooth brushing methods and proper use of dental floss, toothpicks, and interdental brushes. After basic treatment, reassess the effectiveness of the treatment.
(2) Surgical Treatment
Two to three months after basic treatment, reassess the periodontal condition. If the probing depth of certain tooth sites is still above 5mm and bleeding occurs upon probing, or if there are I-II degree furcation lesions or poor gingival and alveolar bone morphology, surgical treatment is necessary.
Periodontal surgery can thoroughly level the root surface, remove infected tissues, correct gingival shape and alveolar bone morphology, and promote periodontal tissue regeneration.
The ultimate goal is to distribute forces evenly, eliminate trauma, establish coordinated occlusion, establish stable equilibrium, fix loose teeth, restore missing teeth, control pathological mobility, promote healing of periodontal tissues, and restore chewing function.
