How Do I Ask Our Family Dentist To Use Turmeric For Tooth Decay?

I love our family dentist and so do my kids. My 7 year old has what looks like the beginning stages of a cavity. We are working hard to prevent it with diligent brushing, flossing, and closely monitoring what she eats. My husband and I greatly limit our kids’ sugar intake. We are guessing that our daughter has been raking in sweets at school. Although we have spoken with our daughter’s teacher about her sugar intake, she is probably eating more than we allow. I hope summer break will help her adjust to being without even more sugar. Whenever possible we prefer natural treatment for any medical or dental problem. I’m not a fanatic about it, but whenever I learn about something that is known to work, I want to explore it. If my daughter does develop a cavity, I would prefer that the tooth is taken care of naturally. I know turmeric works wonders so why not treat her tooth with turmeric? Is this something I could convince our family dentist to do? How do I present it? Thanks. Lydia

Lydia – Curcumin, the principal ingredient in turmeric, is said to have many beneficial properties. Although use of turmeric has not been approved for family dentists and all other branches of dentistry in the U.S., there are several known benefits for the spice.

Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric reportedly has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. There are numerous clinical trials on the on the benefits of turmeric for medical and dental treatment.

One study, published in a 2017 article of the International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, has some interesting findings. The study is entitled, Clinical and Radiological Evaluation of Turmeric Powder as a Pulpotomy Medicament in Primary Teeth: An in vivo Study. It is published on the website of the U.S. National Library of Medicine – National Institutes of Health.

Overview of a Study that used Turmeric for Pulpotomy in Primary Teeth

• The purpose of pulpotomy (similar to root canal treatment) is to preserve primary teeth because they maintain proper spacing and guide permanent teeth to the correct position.
• The study involved 50 children between ages 4 and 9 who had dental caries. 15 out of 50 were selected.
• After removing decay from the affected teeth, a mixture of turmeric powder, distilled water, and radiolucent material was placed in the children’s affected teeth.
• After treatment, follow-ups were scheduled three weeks, two months, four months and six months.
• Successful treatment was based on absence of decay and absence of pain or tenderness when pressure or movement was applied to a tooth.
• After six months, only one of the fifteen patients reported pain in a treated tooth. There were no reports of issues with tenderness, mobility, and sinus/fistula.

More studies are needed to prove the effectiveness of using turmeric in a pulpotomy.

Although turmeric isn’t approved for dentistry in the U.S., continue to take diligent care of your daughter’s teeth. If your family dentist recommends a filling or pulpotomy, remember that preserving her tooth is a priority to prevent problems with the primary tooth that will follow.

This post is sponsored by the San Jose dentists of Hillsdale Dental Care.