Dentistry in Ayurveda (Danta - Shastra)

From the Jacket: Ayurveda describes the structure and functions of teeth and gums. It describes various tooth pastes and how to select the tooth powder according to constitution and character of gums. It describes the various teething disorders and their treatment in detail. Ayurveda gives in detail the diet which is beneficial and harmful.

Ayurveda describes various congenital anomalites of teeth e.g. discoloured teeth, malocclusion of teeth, supernumerary teeth, injured teeth, tartar, erosion of enamel, tooth ache, caries of teeth, periodontosis, tumors of jaw bones and dislocation of temporomandibular joints. Ayurveda gives the treatment of these conditions.

Ayurveda describes gum disorders like hypertrophy or atrophy of gums, suppurative gingivitis necrotising ulcerative gingivostomatitis, alveolar abscess bleeding gums, tumors of gums and their treatment. It describes procedure for extracting the tooth.

About the Author:

Dr. V.B. Athavale M.B.B.S., D.C.H., M.D.(Paed), M.A.M.S., F.A.M.S., and Vaidyacharya is a renowned Paediatrician, and an eminent author who has several noteworthy achievements to his credit. He did his M.B.B.S. from Grant Medical College and Sir J.J.Group of Hospitals, both in Mumbai, stood first in D.C.H.(c.p.s.) 1956, and completed M.D. (Paed) in 1958.

He was offered the UNICEF Fellowship in 1965, when his paper was read during the International Paediatric Conference held at Tokyo. He was also chairman of the workshop on 'Herbal Medicine for Health for the developing Countries, which was held at Bangkok in the year 1981.

Dr. Athavale worked as a Honorary and Professor Head of Department of Paediatrician, L.T.M.G. Hospital, Sion, Mumbai during 1970 to 1990 and was recognized for his various accomplishments for which he has been bestowed with honours and awards, both National and International.

He has also authored more than a dozen books on Ayurveda, for which he has been conferred upon the International Award for the best author of Ayurvedic books in 1997

V. B. Athavale Research Foundation had been founded as a mark of respect and gratitude to Dr. Athavale when he retired after 30 years of selfless service as Hon. Professor and Head of Department of Paediatrics, L.T.M. Medical College and L.T.M.G. Hospital, Mumbai.

Preface

I am glad to being out this special issue of pediatric Clinics of India on the occasion of ‘International Congress of Dentistry’ held in Bombay. Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine literally means ‘Knowledge of life’. It includes art of living, science of health and philosophy of life. Though more than 5000 years old, it is by no means an outdated science. Even today, people of Indian think and live according to principles of Ayurveda. There are over hundred colleges all over the country, which teach Ayurveda in a systematic manner.

The close resemblance of the word Dantashastra and Dentistry suggests a strong possibility that the word Dentistry is derived from the word Dantashastra. Dentistry is one of the recognised sub-specialities of ‘Shalakya-tantra’ i.e. surgery of head and neck, which is one of the eight recognised specialities of Ayurveda. In Ayurveda literature, one finds reference of several textbooks of shalakyatantra (surgery of head and neck) namely Nimitantra, Videhatantra, Kankayana tantra, Gargya tantra, Galavatantra, Satyakitantra, Shounaka tantra and Kankayana tantra. These texts were named after the respective authors. In addition, one finds reference for Chakshushya tantra i.e. Ophthalmology and Karalatantra i.e. Science of irregular teeth or text book of Orthodontics. Unfortunately, these text books are not available and we are missing a lot of valuable information. It is surprising that even with the available literature, practically all the dental disorders mentioned today have been described in Ayurvedic texts. The principles of Ayurveda are based on sound scientific principles, which would remain as eternal truths. Ayurveda believes in treating the man as a whole. Hence Dentistry was specially taken up at post graduate level. Naturally, every ‘Dantashastrajnya’ i.e. Dentist was well versed with Ayurvedic medicine and surgery. As local measures and surgical treatment constitute important therapeutic measure, Dantashashtra was a surgical sub-speciality. Even today’s dentist styles himself as dental surgeon and not as a physician.

In this book, an attempt is made to dig out the golden mine of Ayurveda, so that this hidden wealth of knowledge can be easily digested, absorbed and utilised by the dentists all over the world. I sincerely hope that the modern dentists will utilise this knowledge for promoting the health and hygiene of teeth so that man can live a better life.

CONTENTS

1.	Ayurveda
	Origin of Ayurveda and Dentistry	1
	Physiology and Pathology of Ayurveda	1
2.	Danta
	Normal teeth and gums	4
	Teeth and Tissues	5
	Functions of teeth	5
3.	Dantaswasthyam - Health and Hygiene of Teeth	7
	Cleaning the teeth, Tooth brush	7
	Tooth Powder and tooth paste, Advantages of brushing	8
	Gargling of the mouth	9
	Types of gargling, contraindications	10
	Cleaning the tongue,	11
	Diet useful and harmful for gums,	11
	Diet useful and harmful for teeth	12
4.	Danta-janma - Teething in children	15
	Disorders seen during eruption of teeth	15
	Treatment of Disorders associated with teething	15
5.	Dantamoolaroga - Diseases of gums and roots of teeth	18
	Samvruta Danta - Hypertrophy of gums	19
	Vivruta Danta - Atrophy of gums	19
	Danta-Vaidarbha - Injury to the gums	20
	Adhimansa - Pericoronitis of wisdom teeth	21
	Dantaveshtha - Chronic suppurative gingivitis	21
	Upakusha - Recurrent Acute Suppurative gingivitis	23
	Sheetada - Chronic Suppurative Recessive gingivitis	25
	Soushira - Suppurative Periodontitis	27
	Mahasoushira - Necrotising Ulcerative Gingivo-Stomatitis	29
	Paridara - Chronic Atrophic Gingivitis	29
	Dantanadivrana - Alveolar Abscess with Sinus	30
	Dantapupputaka - Periodontal Abscess	32
	Dantavidradhi - Alveolar abscess	33
	Dantamansarbuda - Tumors of the gums	35
	Dantamanasasruk - Bleeding from gums	36
	Diet useful in bleeding disorders	37
6.	Dantaroga
	Classification of diseases of teeth	39
	Danta-Vikrutayah - Anomalies of teeth	40
	Karala i.e. Malocclusion	41
	Adhidanta i.e. Supernumerary teeth	41
	Shyavadantaka - Discolouration of teeth	41
	Abhighataja Dantaroga - Traumatic Diseases of teeth	42
	Danta Bhanga - Dantabheda	42
	Hanumoksha	42
	Dislocation of tempero-mandibular joint	42
	Dantasharkara - Dental Tartar	43
	Kapalika - Tartar with erosion of enamel	44
	Dantashoola - Tooth ache	45
	Dalana or Sheeta Danta-Enamel erosion with hypersensitivity to cold items	48
	Dantaarsha - Enamel erosion	49
	Krumidanta - Dental caries	50
	Treatment of complications of Krumidanta	51
	Treatment of pain associated with Dental caries	51
	Bhanjanaka - Pathological fracture of teeth	53
	Chaladanta or Dantashaithilya - Periodontosis	54
	Ashtiarbuda - Tumors of the bone	57
	Dantashabda and Dantakadkadi - Chattering of teeth-Bruxism	58
7.	Chikitsasutrani - Principles of treatment	59
	Dantamansachchedana - Gingivectomy	60
8.	Dantaroganam oushadhani - Drugs and Recipes	64
	Specific Symptoms and drugs	64
9.	Dantodharanam - Extraction of the tooth	73
	Preparation of tooth extraction	73
	Process of tooth extraction	73
	Complication of tooth extraction	74
10.	Adarsha Dantavaidya - Ideal Dentist	75

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