Homoeopathic Approach to Managing Dentition Problem in Children

Introduction 

Most parents get alarmed when their sweet, charming baby suddenly can’t stop crying and needs to be carried around all the time. This usually happens when the toddler is about 6 months old and can be a classic symptom of teething. (1)

Newborn infants do not have teeth for about the first 6-month premolars after birth (predentate period). At this stage, the upper and lower alveolar ridges in the mouth, also known as gum pads, house the primary (deciduous) and some permanent tooth buds. The primary dentition period starts with eruption of the first primary tooth; all 20 primary teeth erupt by 3 yr of age. The permanent teeth start erupting around age of 6 yr, and the transition to full permanent dentition is completed by 13 yr of age. (2)

Development of Teeth 

• The primary teeth form in dental crypts that arise from a band of epithelial cells incorporated into each developing jaw. By 12 weeks of fetal life.
• After that another generation of tooth buds forms lingually (toward the tongue); these will develop into the succeeding permanent incisors, canines, and premolars that eventually replace the primary teeth. This process takes place from approximately 5 months of gestation for the central incisors to approximately 10 months of age for the second premolars.
• On the other hand, the permanent first, second, and third molars arise from extension of the dental laminae distal to the second primary molars; buds for these teeth develop at approximately 4 months of gestation, 1 year of age, and 4-5 year of age, respectively.

The period associated with eruption of primary (deciduous) teeth in infants can be difficult and distressing for both child and parents, as this is often accompanied by minor signs/ symptoms. With homeopathic remedies we can ease the symptoms which child suffer from. (1)

Teething Problem: 

• Increased salivation, drooling
• Running nose
• Mild fever (<38.9°C)
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhoea
• Circum-oral rash
• Facial flushing
• General irritability
• Sleep disturbance
• Crying, fussiness
• Ear rubbing on the side of the erupting tooth
• Intra-oral ulcers
• Inflammation of gingiva overlying the tooth 
• Gum irritation 
• Increased biting tendency

Homoeopathic Aspect 

Homeopathic medicines are a safe and effective method to manage pediatric complaints like teething. Homeopathic medicines are prepared from naturally occurring substances and are very safe to use, even on toddlers. They have no side effects and help treat the symptoms of teething very gently and effectively. Homeopathic medicines for teething are selected according to the individual symptoms shown by the child.

Rubrics Related To Dentition (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)

REPERTORY	RUBRICS
Complete repertory (4)	Mouth; pain; aching; gums; dentition agg. Mouth; redness; gums; dentition, during Mouth; rub, desire to; gums, during dentition Mouth; salivation; dentition agg. Teeth; dentition; difficult. Teeth; dentition; agg. Teeth; dentition; difficult; wisdom teeth Teeth; dentition; difficult; painful, very, child will not sleep Teeth; dentition; rapid Teeth; dentition; slow, late Teeth; grinding; dentition agg. Teeth; pain, toothache; children, in; dentition, during Rectum; diarrhea; children, in; dentition agg. Stool; greenish; dentition, during
Synthesis (5)	Teeth; Dentition; difficult Teeth; Dentition; painful Teeth; Dentition; during dentition; ailments Teeth; Dentition; slow Mouth; Dentition; agg. Stool; Dentition; agg. Stool; Dentition; amel. Fever; dentition; during
Kent (6)	Mouth; pain; sore; gums; dentition; during. Teeth; bite; wants to; on something hard which relieves pain; dentition. Teeth; dentition; difficult. Teeth; dentition; slow. Rectum; diarrhoea; dentition; during.
BBCR (7)	Mouth; agg; dentition, during. Teeth; agg; dentition. During Teeth; dentition, slow, difficult, etc. Stool; agg and amel; dentition, during; agg. Sensation and complaints in general; infants; dentiton; with sleeplessness Sensation and complaints in general; infants; dentiton; with fever Sensation and complaints in general; infants; dentiton; with diarrhea Sensation and complaints in general; infants; dentiton; with cough
Boericke (8)	Teeth; dentition; teething difficult, delayed. Teeth; dentition; teething difficult, delayed; concomitants; compression of gums. Teeth; dentition; teething difficult, delayed; concomitants; cough Teeth; dentition; teething difficult, delayed; concomitants; diarrhea Teeth; dentition; teething difficult, delayed; concomitants; salivation

 

Homoeopathic Remedies (8)(9)(10)(11)

REMEDY	INDICATION
CHAMOMILLA	Child tends to put fingers in mouth all the time. Toothache extending to the head and ears < warm food and drinks. Profuse, frothy salivation during toothache. Slow and difficult dentition Diarrhea during dentition  Convulsion during dentition Child want to be carried Piteous moaning because he can’t have what he wants. One check red one hot. Child exceedingly irritable, fretful; oversensitive to pain.
CINA	Difficult dentition Child tends to bite glass when being fed. Teeth sensitive to cold air and cold drink. Diarrhea worse during dentition, warm weather. Fever with pale cold face and warm hands. Irritability and anger over trifles in children during dentition or with worm affections; quiet only when carried over the shoulder. Clings to those near him.
CALCAREA CARB	Difficult and delayed dentition with characteristic head sweats and open fontanelles. Painless diarrhea after taking formula (in nursing child), cold drinks, milk, sweet, during dentition (especially immediately after feed) and during summer. Child susceptible to cold; takes cold easily. During sleep grinding of teeth. Head strong and mischievous child.
CALCAREA PHOS	Retarded dentition. Slow and difficult dentition. During first and second dentition of scrofulous children; diarrhea and great flatulence Teeth are soft, decay easily. Complaints during dentition. Tendency to diarrhea, from juicy fruits, during dentition, Cough > lying; cough during dentition. Peevish, restless and fretful.
MERC SOL	Difficult and delayed dentition. Desire to clench teeth together sonstantly. Enamel is deficient. Great thirst in spite of increased salivation. Constant inclination to swallow. Painless diarrhea after taking sugar in any form, during and after measles, during dentition, and with jaundice. Gums spongy, recede, bleed easily. Crown of teeth decay. Fetid odor from mouth.
KREOSOTUM	Very painful dentition; child screams all night; child will not sleep. Teeth tends to crumble easily. Putrid odor from mouth. Rapid and premature decay and caries of milk teeth. Teeth begin to decay as soon as they appear. Decay is faster than the growth of teeth. Black spots on teeth. Puffy, bluish, spongy, bleeding gums. Green stools during dentition. Child wants everything but throw it when given.

 

Reference:

1. https://www.drhomeo.com/dentition/teething-and-its-homeopathic-treatment/
2. Nelson W, Kliegman R, St Geme J, Behrman R, Tasker R, Shah S, et al. Nelson textbook of pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier. c2020.
3. https://homeopathy.delhi.gov.in/sites/default/files/homeopathy/universal/dentition_problem_in_children_eng_r.pdf
4. Complete repertory softwere.
5. Schroyens F. Radar Synthesis Repertory. 9th ed. Amsterdam: (RadarOpus- 10.5) 2009.
6. Kent JT. Repertory of the Homeopathic Materia Medica. 6th ed. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 2002.
7. Boger CM. Boger Boenninghausen’s Characteristics & Reper tory with corrected abbreviations, word index & Thumb index. 47th impression. New Delhi: B. Jain Publisher (P) Ltd.; c2019.
8. Boericke William. Boericke’s new manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica with repertory. B. Jain publishers (P) Ltd.; 33rd impression; c2014.
9. Master Farokh. Clinical observations of children remedies; new remedies included. B. Jain publishers (P) Ltd. 3rd expanded edition.;c2006.
10. Allen HC. Allen’s Keynotes rearranged and classified with leading remedies of the Materia Medica and bowel nosodes. B. Jain publishers (P) Ltd.; 10th edition; 26th impression; c2013.
11. Phatak SR. Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines. B. Jain Publishers P Ltd; Revised Edition; c2007.