Alt Oral Book Review: Metaphysical Anatomy

Alt Oral Book Review: Metaphysical Anatomy

Book Review: Metaphysical Anatomy: Your body is talking, are you listening?
by Evette Rose (2012)
The first thing you notice about Metaphysical Anatomy: Your body is talking, are you listening? Volume One by Evette Rose is that is HUGE! It’s a 1.5 KG, 7 x 10 inches, 800-page paperback that does double duty in my office as an occasional reference and a reliable doorstop.
The bulk of this self-published book comprises an alphabetical guide to over 650 medical conditions. This book isn’t specifically about oral health, but Metaphysical Anatomy does not stint when it comes to the mouth, it covers abscess, bacteria, bruxism, canker sores, cold sores, gingivitis, gum problems, periodontitis, grinding, clenching, jaw problems, lips, salivary gland disorders, teeth problems, tooth sockets inflamed, root canal, TMJD,  throat and tongue problems. Whew!
Alt oral book review

Each section gives a description of the types of trauma, and trauma responses, associated with each condition. Rose offers a list of questions that could be explored in therapy, journalling, or meditation to help you recognise how your symptoms are a trauma response developed out of survival instinct.

Upfront the book explains the fundamental healing concepts in Metaphysical Anatomy (MA) as ‘a trauma-based personal development process’ which seems to be the essence of Evette Rose’s courses and coaching practice. I suspect that the book is most useful for her students rather than casual readers.

Alt oral book review

Physical, emotional or environmental trauma is the ultimate cause of most human problems. If one’s physical trauma response is not completed, it can cause disease later in life, and trauma responses can be passed on through generations. The trauma cycle is completed by discharging the retained nervous system energy of adrenaline, tensed muscle and other symptoms of stress. A trauma cycle can be completed later, or even in later generations without necessarily even knowing what the origin of the trauma was. It can be enough to recognise how a trauma response serves you now.


The MA approach to healing medical conditions involves completing the trauma cycle by acknowledging that a survival instinct continues holding trauma in your body.

This theory is closely aligned with my own understanding of energetic influences on oral health. However, in my experience (not having studied with Evette Rose), the discussions of oral health conditions in the A-Z section are of limited use. When I first got the book I tried it out with a couple of clients but it didn’t resonate with them at all so I quickly resumed my own, more reliable, intuitive approach.

Alt oral book review

Should you read it?

Nonetheless, Metaphysical Anatomy has occasionally been helpful for me over the years since then. When I’ve encountered a client with a condition I’m not familiar with, it is one of several books I might turn to help me build a healing story with them (although I never wholly rely on it). As a result, it has helped to influence the ‘Symptoms as Messengers’ chapter of my own book, The Secret Lives of Teeth: Understanding emotional influences on oral health.

Metaphysical Anatomy Volume 1 is a significant investment in money and shelf space for anyone who wouldn’t be using it professionally. I imagine an Applied Kinesiologist might get the best ROI. But for the casual self-help reader (who hasn’t studied with Rose), the value proposition is a lot shakier and it makes an expensive doorstop.

The Secret Lives of Teeth cover

Learn how to interpret the metaphysical messages of your teeth and gum symptoms!

The Secret Lives of Teeth is a clear and comprehensive guide teaches you a unique, complementary self-help approach to easing toothaches, enhancing enamel and gum remineralization and getting better results with necessary dental treatments. 

Available as a paperback or ebook. 

Has a dentist told you that your cavities or receding gums are your fault because you are drinking too much Coke, you don’t floss enough or you need to stop breastfeeding your baby? And you know that isn’t true!

I’m not going to blame you or shame you.
The underlying causes of your oral health issues are not your fault!

Nature or nurture, ancestry or environment, free will or systemic oppression, unconscious emotions or the degraded food system

These are the factors that make your teeth and gums vulnerable to disease.

Even though your tooth decay and gum disease is not your fault, it is within your power to change.

You can turn your oral health around with natural strategies and healthy habits.

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Metaphysical meanings of molars and premolars

Metaphysical meanings of molars and premolars

Metaphysical Meanings of Molars and Premolars

The metaphysical meanings of molar and premolar teeth are different for every individual. However, there are some common themes and widely accepted frameworks for interpretation.

Molars and premolars are your most powerful teeth, the grinders and chewers.

Energetically, these big back teeth help you to process the challenges in your life. 

Meridian meaning of molars

The meridian system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treats molars and premolars differently from the rest of your teeth. The meridians for each pair vary according to whether they are in the upper or lower jaw and the right or left side. 

Upper molars and lower pre molars are on the Stomach and Spleen meridians on the left side or Pancreas on the right side. These meridians are associated with emotions including anxiety, self-punishment, hate and  low self worth.

Lower molars and upper premolars are on the Lung (associated with grief and sadness) and Large Intestine meridians (associated with feeling compulsive, trapped, controlling or overcritical).

When you are trying to understand what is going on metaphysically with a molar or premolar, it’s helpful to take into whether it’s on the top or bottom jaw, and right or left side.   

Learn more about the meanings of each quadrant of your mouth, and some important general advice for working with metaphysical meanings for oral health here

Metaphysical meanings of molars and premolar teeth

Psychosocial meanings of molars and premolars

 Dr Michele Caffin’s psychosocial framework relates each type of tooth to a particular aspect of your life. You can explore each of these interpretations in more detail by cross-referencing with the meanings of right and left, upper and lower quadrants of the mouth explained here.

 The first premolars (teeth numbers 5, 12, 21, 28) relate to your ego, your identity and your desires.

 It’s common practice for orthodontists to extract the first premolars of young teenagers with crowded teeth. But metaphysically, missing these teeth can weaken your sense of self and may result in submitting to authority figures even if you don’t want to. 

 The second premolars (4,13,20,29)  relate to your creativity, hobbies and children. 

 These teeth can start to experience problems when the responsibilities of adult life, particularly parenting start to crowd out your own interest. 

The first molars (3,14,19,30)  relate to status and expression.

 These teeth can be affected by how you speak up for yourself at work or at home.

The second molars (2,15,18,31) relate to relationships and daily life.

 There is a close relationship between these back molars and wisdom teeth (which I’ll focus on in the next video and blog in this series). 

——————————

But these two frameworks (TCM and psychosocial) are just starting points for understanding and healing your teeth and gums, they are not sufficient by themselves. You need to be a detective, investigating the unique personal influences on your own teeth and gum symptoms.

 

The Secret Lives of Teeth cover

Learn how to interpret the metaphysical messages of your teeth and gum symptoms!

The Secret Lives of Teeth is a clear and comprehensive guide teaches you a unique, complementary self-help approach to easing toothaches, enhancing enamel and gum remineralization and getting better results with necessary dental treatments. 

Available as a paperback or ebook. 

Are mouth infections and abscesses influenced by anger?

Making sense of symptoms

Chronic oral health symptoms can be the embodiment of an emotional or psychosocial pattern. It’s common to be able to trace your adult teeth and gums problems back to patterns that emerged in childhood or adolescence as a survival strategy.

You may have spend years consciously try to change the emotional pattern with therapy, trauma healing or emotional expression, yet the physical pattern can persist in your mouth.  

Angry Abscesses

Abscesses and infections in your mouth may indicate a pattern of suppressed frustration or anger.

The abscess may flare up if you are triggered into anger in your current circumstances, or it can be a long low simmer from earlier in your life.

Look at the particular teeth adjacent to the infection to help you make sense of it.

For example, on your left side molars or premolars an abscess may be in response to a toxic intimate relationship or unhealthy family dynamic.

Infected molars or premolars on your right side are more likely to be assocated with work related frustration or injustice in the public sphere.

Is gum health influenced by security and stability?

Gum insecurity

Gum problems around molars and premolars may indicate a lack of stability or security in relation to the particular issues governing those teeth. 

Gum issues adjacent to premolar #5 could relate to insecure employment, unemployment or underemployment.

Gum issues around molar #19 may relate to insecurity in a romantic relationship,  such as feeling jealous or betrayed.

 

Misaligned  molars

When your upper and lower molars aren’t vertically aligned enough to chew properly,  it may represent a resistance or block to deeply engaging with life challenges, either in the past or as an ongoing pattern. 

For example, if your lower jaw skews to your right indicate that you have avoided emotions, or not been processing issues, around family and intimate relationships.

Or if your lower jaw is skewing left perhaps you have avoided career or economic responsibilities or had difficulty with pursuing your professional or academic ambitions. 

Could your crossbite be influenced by emotional avoidance?

What’s next?

Please don’t take these suggestions about how to interpret your molar and premolar issues too literally.

They should be considered as prompts for self examination, and not acted on as a reliable diagnosis for yourself and especially not for anyone else.

Explore your own unique personal symptoms by journalling, in safe, therapeutic conversations with a counsellor or coach (like me!) or read my book, The Secret Lives of Teeth: Understanding emotional influences on oral health.

This blog is part of a series which explores ways to work with the metaphysical meanings of specific teeth such as wisdoms, canines and incisors and how to interpret different kinds of symptoms in your teeth or adjacent gums.

To help speed up the process you can watch my free Listen to your Teeth masterclass where I take you through a guided meditation for listening to your teeth. 

The Secret Lives of Teeth cover

Learn how to interpret the metaphysical messages of your teeth and gum symptoms!

The Secret Lives of Teeth is a clear and comprehensive guide teaches you a unique, complementary self-help approach to easing toothaches, enhancing enamel and gum remineralization and getting better results with necessary dental treatments. 

Available as a paperback or ebook. 

Meliors Simms headshot

Hello! I'm Meliors Simms, the Holistic Tooth Fairy.

As a natural oral health coach I have worked with hundreds of clients worldwide to avoid unnecessary dental procedures and have better experiences with the necessary ones. (Find out about my coaching services here).

After a diverse career (from research to counselling to arts) and a lifetime of terrible teeth, I stumbled on an Alt Oral approach which prevented what would have been my 7th root canal.

That inspired years of independent research and experimentation, eventually resulting in my uniquely holistic approach to oral health.

My new book The Secret Lives of Teeth is a comprehensive guide to healing teeth and gums with metaphysical perspective. Read a sample here for free

.

 

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Metaphysical healing guidelines for oral health

Metaphysical healing guidelines for oral health

Metaphysical Healing for Teeth and Gums

Metaphysical healing teeth and gums can help boost the effectiveness and sustainability of dental procedures as well as natural approaches to oral such as health herbs or diet, anatomical adjustments to your breath or jaw muscles, optimising your oral hygiene rituals… or a necessary dental procedure. 

In this video I lay out some guidelines for applying spiritual healing concepts to teeth and gums. There are strengths and limitations of using existing frameworks of metaphysical meanings to symptoms, which I explain in relation to the four quadrants of your mouth: the upper and lower jaws and the right and left sides. Finally I’ll provide some practical examples of how to work with metaphysical meanings to help with healing your own symptoms.

This video series is all about the metaphysical or non-physical, influences on your oral health, but its important to remember to provide physical support for your teeth.  If you have intense or constant pain, or other serious symptoms please visit a dental professional.

Interpreting the quadrants of your mouth

Metaphysically and dentally, you can divide your mouth horizontally into upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible); and vertically into right and left sides. 

Upper Jaw

Your upper jaw is about dreams and intentions, it represents what you want and wish for, the upper jaw is where you set goals and visualise the future. Having symptoms concentrated in your upper jaw can indicate a problem with knowing or accepting your dreams or desires.

Lower Jaw

Your lower jaw is about action, speaking your truth, and qualities of  courage, authenticity, decisiveness. Symptoms in your lower jaw can suggest you have held back from speaking out or taking action. 

TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint)

Your TMJ joint, the hinge between upper and lower jaw, represents the connection between your desires and your actions. It can embody your fears, your impulsiveness or your hesitation. Symptoms such as TMJ disorder, a clicking jaw or teeth grinding can indicate resentment or anger.

In many healing traditions the Right side of the body is associated with  masculine energies or your relationship with your father while the Left side is associated with feminine energies or your relationship with your mother.

However, I find it’s not usually helpful to take such a gender-essentialist interpretation of these associations with the sides of your mouth. 

Instead, the ancient Chinese concept of yin and yang can be more meaningful.

Right side of your mouth

The energy of the right side of your mouth may tend to be more yang: active, outward, professional, career, logical thinking. 

Left side of your mouth

The energy of the left side of your mouth may tend to be more yin:  inner world, intuitive, family, children, hobbies, creativity.

But knowing the traditional associations with different parts of your mouth is just a starting point for spiritual healing, not a solution or cure in itself . 

Metaphysical meanings of the quadrants of your mouth
The Secret Lives of Teeth cover

Learn how to interpret the metaphysical messages of your teeth and gum symptoms!

The Secret Lives of Teeth is a clear and comprehensive guide teaches you a unique, complementary self-help approach to easing toothaches, enhancing enamel and gum remineralization and getting better results with necessary dental treatments. 

Available as a paperback or ebook. 

Guidelines for spiritual healing

As a holistic oral health coach, I may refer to existing metaphysical frameworks such as Traditional Chinese Medicine’s meridian system, Dr Michele Caffin’s psychosocial system and correlations identified by Louise Hay, Evette Rose and others as starting points for understanding the metaphysical influences on your oral health. These frameworks are most helpful when inspiring what questions to explore, rather being relied on for answers. 

Think of these existing associations as story prompts that can help you explore your own childhood and adult experiences, your family patterns  and ancestral lineage. 

Parts of your unique story might come to you in a dream, or as a memory from a past life. 

Your story can emerge from your visioning, or be picked up from the wider culture. 

Finding your healing story this way can give you a delicate, imaginative tool for healing. 

For the purposes of healing, it doesn’t necessarily matter whether your healing story is true or accurate in order to transform your relationship with your oral health.

However, it can feel intoxicating to finally make sense of your symptoms with a compelling metaphysical interpretation.

That intoxication can lead you to give your healing story more weight than it can hold. 

It may not be wise to use your healing story to determine your identity, and you should certainly be very careful before going public with blame or claims. 

Before you take your healing story out of the safe space of your healing work, (ie before you share it anywhere beyond your journal or a confidential therapeutic conversation) ensure you have receipts.

Without corroboration, or evidence, going public with your healing story could potentially cause further harm, if not to you, then to others. 
Find your unique oral health healing story

Your unique metaphysical meanings

Journalling can be one way to help you develop traditional associations into a healing story that can help you to relieve your symptoms and transform your oral health. 

Think of your symptoms as metaphors you can apply to the associations.  Make a list of words that describe your symptoms:

eg blocking or eroding or aggravating, deep or shallow, nagging, intermittent, subtle, overwhelming, irritating, invasive, unbalanced, stuck etc…

Once you’ve written down the words that describe your symptoms, reread each word and think about the non-symptom experiences in your life that those words could also be metaphors for.  A thesaurus or synonym search might be helpful.

Understanding the metaphysical meaning of your teeth issues can be like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with a picture that is mostly blue sky.  You have to test many possibilities to find the right fit.

With relaxed curiosity and a playful spirit you can test your symptom’s metaphors against the associations of their placement in your mouth.

A throbbing toothache in your upper left jaw

For example: if you have a throbbing toothache in your left upper jaw… think about anything in your personal life that feels overwhelming, or a nagging desire that remains unfulfilled.  Have you had any relationships that feel like this, or felt like this in the past, especially within your family or intimate circle? 

A throbbing toothache in your lower right jaw

If the throbbing toothache is taking over your lower right side consider whether your work life is demanding or whether you’ve made a career move you regret. Are you uncomfortable now or in the past with anyone in a position of authority, or anyone in a fatherly role  or acting in domineering way?

Keep brainstorming metaphors and experimenting with associations. Don’t be afraid to extend your pool of possible healing stories by drawing on memories, dreams, insights from other people, even song lyrics that catch your ear!

 

Spiritual Healing Guidelines for teeth and gums

Recognising your own healing story

You won’t always recognise your story right away.

Sometimes you will think: not this old trauma, surely my 20 years of therapy and healing resolved this by now.
Sometimes you will think: that’s too trivial, I don’t have enough emotional attachment for this to explain my symptoms.
Sometimes it can take weeks of chewing on these ideas before you get clarity.

To help speed up the process you can watch my free Listen to your Teeth masterclass where I take you through a guided meditation for listening to your teeth.

 

The Secret Lives of Teeth cover

Learn how to interpret the metaphysical messages of your teeth and gum symptoms!

The Secret Lives of Teeth is a clear and comprehensive guide teaches you a unique, complementary self-help approach to easing toothaches, enhancing enamel and gum remineralization and getting better results with necessary dental treatments. 

Available as a paperback or ebook. 

Meliors Simms headshot

Hello! I'm Meliors Simms, the Holistic Tooth Fairy.

As a natural oral health coach I have worked with hundreds of clients worldwide to avoid unnecessary dental procedures and have better experiences with the necessary ones. (Find out about my coaching services here).

After a diverse career (from research to counselling to arts) and a lifetime of terrible teeth, I stumbled on an Alt Oral approach which prevented what would have been my 7th root canal.

That inspired years of independent research and experimentation, eventually resulting in my uniquely holistic approach to oral health.

My new book The Secret Lives of Teeth is a comprehensive guide to healing teeth and gums with metaphysical perspective. Read a sample here for free

.

 

Is there a Spiritual Meaning to Your Toothache?

Asking your intuition about your toothache meaning can put you in touch with the subconscious feelings and thoughts that influence your oral health. Is there something you're not talking about in your life? What are your stress levels day-to-day at the moment? Are you...

Metaphysical teeth: Self-help strategies for oral health

Metaphysics is the study of abstract ideas, concepts and systems.  There is more to teeth and gums than their existence as physical objects within our bodies. Economics, aesthetics, psychology, spirituality, meridians, family stories and cultural myths are just a few...

Political Teeth

What do Nazis have to do with your teeth? A holistic approach to oral health doesn't stop at the boundaries of our bodies (or even at the edge of our aura).  We exist in communities that are connected globally in real time and our mouths are not separate from what is...

How to heal decaying baby teeth

As a parent you want to do whatever is right to keep your baby healthy. You can feel so guilty to see brown spots or cavities developing on your baby's teeth. Yet, discoloration and dental decay can start very young, sometimes within hours of a new tooth erupting!...

Natural solutions for gingivitis or gum disease

What is gingivitis or gum disease? Gum disease or gingivitis covers a continuum of symptoms such as bleeding gums, gum recession and gum pockets which may or may not proceed to ginigivitis and eventually periodontis.  Left untreated the consequences can range from...

How to get rid of cavities naturally, for FREE

I believe in empowering you to be your own teeth healer, no matter how much cash you've got left after visiting the dentist. I'm not holding back some powerful secret behind the paywall of my coaching services. It is completely feasible that you can learn how to heal...

Spiritual Reasons for Gum Disease

Understanding the spiritual meaning of gum disease The spiritual meanings of gum disease symptoms are often overlooked, yet working with these messages often holds the key to effective healing.  Gingivitis, periodontal or gum disease often begins with gum recession or...

A simple guide to online coaching

Any timezone, any place A consultation with the Holistic Tooth Fairy is nothing like going to the dentist! It's easy, empowering and even fun! All our consultations are done in online video calls which means that you can work with us no matter what country or what...

My 5 Best Websites for Natural Oral Health

As soon as you start searching for information about oral health on the internet you can quickly become overwhelmed by thousands of choices, most of them fronting small dental practices or large toothpaste manufacturers. Almost all offer the same tired mainstream...

Root Cause Netflix Documentary Review

Root Cause is the Netflix documentary stirring up root canal concerns I had to write this Root Cause review because root canals loom big in my life. I’ve had six root canals in five teeth, I still have three in situ. Their origins are, without exception, memorably...

Stabilize Receding Gums with Whole Foods

Stabilize Receding Gums with Whole Foods

Are you growing ‘long in the tooth’?

The underlying cause of gum disease is nutrient deficiency in your body which causes inflammation and bone loss in gums. Gum recession is often the first symptom to be noticed.  Receding gums don’t have to lead to gingivitis or periodontal disease. You can manage gum health with natural and self-help strategies.

You can help to stabilize receding gums and gingivitis with the teeth healing diet plus three special gum healing foods.

 

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only.  Please consult your health practitioner and use common sense. Terms and conditions here.

Gum Anatomy

The gums are made up of

  • gum tissue which is the pink skin around your teeth
  • periodontal ligament which consists of lots of microscopic strands of cartilage that connect your tooth into the socket
  • alveolar bone which is the section of the jaw and palate which includes the sockets that hold the teeth in place
  • cenentum which is the outer layer of the tooth below the gum line where the periodontal ligament connect the tooth to the alveolar bone

Giving the wrong message

Receding gums are often a source of shame becuase dentists and dental hygienists tell us that they are caused by not flossing enough. 

The mainstream explanation of gum disease is that it is caused by inadequate oral hygiene leading to gingivitis causing bacterial toxins in plaque which  stimulates a chronic inflammatory response known as gum disease or periodontitis.

That is why dentistry focuses on removing plaque and the tooth decay caused by bacteria. But plaque bacteria is not the underlying cause of receding gums or gum disease.

Eating right to stabilize receding gums

In 2010 new research summarised the consensus of periodontal science findings that most people’s bodies are able to respond to the bacteria in plaque without developing gum disease.

Not all bodies are vulnerable to plaque. In well nourished bodies, plaque doesn’t trigger gum disease because the most significant underlying influence on gum disease is actually the food we eat, not our oral hygiene habits.

Healthy gums are fed by nutrient-rich body fluids supplied through the circulatory and fluid systems.

Resilience to gum disease depends on a diet of whole foods that contain up to ten times more fat soluble vitamins and two to four times more minerals than in a normal modern diet.

The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are found most readily in animal fats and without them we are not able to absorb and use the minerals that we do eat.  The teeth healing diet I summarise in my free Feed Your Teeth Guide outlines the foods that supply fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients needed to prevent gum disease and tooth decay.

Feed Your Gums

Eating to heal and prevent gum disease is a little different than a diet targeting tooth decay as it involves a greater emphasis on vitamin C and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium and iodine.

Recent research shows that an improved diet can have as positive effect on gum disease as scaling and root planing which is one of the common dental procedures for treating gingivitis.

Whether you are eating for your teeth or your gums, synthetic vitamins and minerals can help but they are not as effective as nutrients from whole foods and may have unintended side effects because they are so specific and isolated.  Keep reading to learn about just three of the most effective whole foods that can help to stabilize receding gums.

 

Kelp

Kelp is an balanced source of trace minerals including . It supports glandular function and balanced blood chemistry. Kelp also helps the body to utilize and metabolize food.
Kelp is a sea vegetable that is enjoyed in many traditional cuisines from China to the Hebredies. Kelp is sold in dried pieces, as powder or granules or processed into noodles. I prefer to eat it as a tasty condiment. Eating kelp as a whole food is much safer than taking kelp supplements which are so concentrated that you can overdose with iodine, sodium or heavy metals.

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of kelp powder or granules 4-6 days a week is sufficient for most people to keep gums healthy. I keep a jar of kelp granules on our dining table and sprinkle it onto cooked vegetables, salads and other savory dishes 4-5 times a week. 

 

*Avoid kelp if you have a thyroid disorder, high blood pressure or heart failure. 

Green tea

Studies have shown that green tea reduces symptoms of gum disease including gum pocket depth, bleeding gums and attachment of gums to teeth. 

Green tea contains catechin (aka epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG) which is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial flavinoid. These are the properties that seems to make green tea effective at preventing gum disease.

Green tea also helps prevent tooth decay, inhibits the development of oral cancer and freshens your breath!

 

Drink no more than five cups of green tea every day to enjoy the benefits for your gums.  The most healthy way to drink green tea is to make it with non-fluoridated water (i.e. spring or filtered water). Make it in a ceramic pot with water that has cooled for three minutes after boiling. Let it steep for three minutes before drinking. 

 

*Green tea can cause stomach upsets in some people (like me). 

Parsley

Chewing on a handful of raw parsley every day supplies a significant dose of vitamin C as well as vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin B12, Beta Carotene, Folic Acid and Iron- all nutrients that support gum health.

A mouthful of freshly picked parsley has the additional benefit of offering a great workout for the jaw, as chewing on the fibrous plant  helps to strengthen and rebuild the bone.

*High doses of parsley should be avoided during pregnancy; if you are on blood-thinning medication or have kidney or gallbladder disease.

Meliors Simms headshot

Hello! I'm Meliors Simms, the Holistic Tooth Fairy.

As a natural oral health coach I have worked with hundreds of clients worldwide to avoid unnecessary dental procedures and have better experiences with the necessary ones. (Find out about my coaching services here).

After a diverse career (from research to counselling to arts) and a lifetime of terrible teeth, I stumbled on an Alt Oral approach which prevented what would have been my 7th root canal.

That inspired years of independent research and experimentation, eventually resulting in my uniquely holistic approach to oral health.

My new book The Secret Lives of Teeth is a comprehensive guide to healing teeth and gums with metaphysical perspective. Read a sample here for free

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Yoga for Receding Gums

Yoga for Receding Gums

Receding gums and jaw tension

Clenching or grinding teeth is one of the major causes of receding gums. When you clench or grind your teeth even a little bit, it rocks the teeth which can wear down the top of the bone socket inside your gums.

The best way help stabilize your receding gums is to relax your jaw completely, as often as possible.

My TMJ playlist includes a range of self-help tactics that I’ve curated from around You Tube, but this simple yoga hack is my own variation.

I’ve been practicing yoga for about 30 years, and almost daily for the last dozen. These days I usually just follow an online class, but whatever kind of yoga I’m doing, I turn it into teeth healing practice with this simple hack.

A simple exercise to help stabilize your receding gums

In any inversion pose where my face is pointing towards the floor (eg forward fold, downward dog, or child pose). I consciously relax my jaw and face and let my lips fall down into a duck face.

If you want to do this exercise without doing yoga, simple get on your hands and knees, or just lean forward so your face is pointing downwards (make sure you aren’t hurting your back or your neck as you bend forward).

Here’s what to do: Breathing deeply and steadily pay attention to all the muscles around your mouth, jaw and eyes and deliberately release your normal facial expression and let the muscles of your face give way to gravity.

For extra fun, you can try blowing our your breath in a horsey huff to loosen up your lips some more, or gently shake your head side to side and letting your loose cheeks and lips sway with the motion.

Toothache home remedy

This hack is good relieving toothache, particularly those deep in the root aches that are particularly painful at night.

Keeping your jaw relaxed takes the pressure off of the nerves in your jaw, giving pain relief that is sometimes instant.

The only side effects are good ones: relaxing the jaw also allows blood to flow more freely, carrying nutrients and oxygen to the teeth and gums so that the body’s can carry out natural remineralization and bone growth.

It even helps to prevent cavities because clenching and grinding puts pressure on the enamel causing cracks and chips.

 

Most people are so used to carrying tension in their jaw that they aren’t even aware of it.

It might take several sessions of practice before you can really feel what its like to have your jaw completely relaxed.

Doing this exercise regularly will make it easier to notice when your jaw is tense, so you can mindfully relax it, throughout your day.

Meliors Simms headshot

Hello! I'm Meliors Simms, the Holistic Tooth Fairy.

As a natural oral health coach I have worked with hundreds of clients worldwide to avoid unnecessary dental procedures and have better experiences with the necessary ones. (Find out about my coaching services here).

After a diverse career (from research to counselling to arts) and a lifetime of terrible teeth, I stumbled on an Alt Oral approach which prevented what would have been my 7th root canal.

That inspired years of independent research and experimentation, eventually resulting in my uniquely holistic approach to oral health.

My new book The Secret Lives of Teeth is a comprehensive guide to healing teeth and gums with metaphysical perspective. Read a sample here for free

.

 

Yummy Gummies: The Anti-Cavity Candy

Sugar-free sweetness Why is sugar so bad for teeth? A teeth healing diet is full of delicious food options, but sweetness is not its main flavour. Everyone knows that sugar is bad for your teeth, though its a well-kept secret that the reason sugar causes cavities is...

Stop tooth decay naturally

Healing tooth decay A holistic approach to remineralize tooth decay is probably quite different from almost all the mainstream dental advice you've ever received. It starts from the principle that the health of our teeth and gums is tied to the health of the rest of...

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Why relax your jaw There's almost no teeth or gum problems that can't be helped when you relax your jaw! Carrying tension in the jaw is so common that it's almost universal.  Are you one of the millions of people who use a night guard to try and prevent jaw tension...