Cannabinoids and Dentistry
© 2018, Austin All Natural
CANNABINOIDS AND DENTISTRY
by Dr. Matthew Carpenter
I am blessed to work in a very positive, high-spirited environment. A biologic dentist tends to attract people who are educated truth seekers with regard to health, so most of my patients are self-starters who take great responsibility and personal accountability for being highly informed about food, medicine, toxins, and materials that enter their bodies.
Most people researching alternative approaches for managing health come across biologic dentistry, and learn about the well-researched, systemic impact of mercury fillings, root canal treated teeth, jawbone infections, and gum disease. While everyone wants better health and quality of life, new patients have usually tried most of the strategies they can control (food and water quality, supplementation, exercise, and meditation or prayer) before actually willingly choosing to have dental work.
Swimming with sharks .
For most people, the thought of electively pursuing dental work, especially with teeth not causing them any physical pain, sounds like electively choosing to swim with sharks, or electively choosing to spend the night alone in a cemetery. People typically have a deep, archetypal fear of dentistry because of physical or emotional trauma they experienced, usually as a child or young adult – a time when deep impressions are being made about belief systems.
The saving grace for many patients with dental procedures has been “laughing gas” or nitrous oxide – N2O. It allows patients a mental escape from the physical reality of the procedure, and many of them depend on the gas as a type of security blanket, to get through the procedures. It’s not really for controlling any physical pain, but gives emotional support during a stressful situation.
Today, it’s been estimated that nearly two-thirds of children under the age of thirteen have methylation challenges to their innate healing or immune systems. (Methylation is a process of removing substances – N2O, for instance – from the body.) It’s become more widely known that N 2O can have a severely negative impact on children and adults that have genetically impaired methylation abilities, and some cases of death in children have occurred.
Environmentally speaking.
Over the past one hundred years, N2O use and release into the atmosphere has had between 265% and 310% more impact on global warming, per unit of mass, than carbon dioxide.
At TDH, several options other than N2O are offered for helping with fear and anxiety over dental procedures:
- Conscious in-office sedation for patients wanting the greatest assurance of being separated mentally from the procedure. (This, however, requires a driver.)
- Very strong, and very effective, German homeopathic remedies for anxiety and calming.
- CBD (cannabidiol) oil is also available, as a means of helping patients feel more calm and relaxed in the dental office. It meets the criteria for the type of medicines I advocate for patients – 100% natural, very few potential negative side effects, and inexpensive.
Some facts about CBD oil and the way it works in your body.
Endocannabinoids are cannabinoids manufactured in the human body, and the endocannabinoid system that naturally produces different cannabinoids is intricately linked to the brain, nervous system, immune system, and digestion. There are two major cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, found throughout the body, and the effects of CBD on them have been well researched, showing CBD stimulates the production of your own internal cannabinoids by strengthening your endocannabinoid system.
Cell membranes are naturally equipped with cannabinoid receptors in all mammals, not just humans, but it seems the human body was built for cannabinoids – it’s well documented that human breast milk is an abundant source of endocannabinoids.
The only known source of cannabinoids outside your body?
Hemp.
If you have questions regarding CBD oil, ProjectCBD.org is one of the most respected websites, and a great place to start. PubMed has published over 1500 peer-reviewed studies on CBD. I’ve done my research on CBD, and feel happy to be providing it to patients as it relates to assisting them in feeling calm about dental work.
Dr. Matthew Carpenter of Transcend Dental Health uses drill-free air abrasion, ozone therapy, natural alternatives to antibiotics, and non-surgical treatment of gum disease, and genotype testing for susceptibility to mercury toxicity. Call (512) 255-3618 for an appointment.
www.tdhtx.com
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