The link between oral and general health

From Fatima H., North York


Practising dentistry in different parts of the world has given me the rare opportunity to observe the oral health of people of diverse cultures, backgrounds and lifestyles. Just over 10 years ago, I moved from Vancouver to Toronto with my husband. I started working as an associate dentist in a dental office where I have remained for almost 10 years. In this time, I have observed that there has been an exponential increase in the number of patients who are on prescription medications. Multiple medications used to be the purview of the elderly; now children are on medications for a variety of issues that range from behavioural problems to juvenile diabetes. An increasingly medicated population has not translated into a healthier population—quite the reverse is true. This alarming state of affairs has oral repercussions, as well as personal and societal ones.

I have tried to educate my patients regarding the link between their oral and general health. My personal experience of chronic neck pain and my parents’ health issues in recent years made me seek help from the alternative/complementary field and led me on a healing journey that involved several years of study and research that included emotional healing modalities, hypnosis and psychology. These have made me come to the realization that not only lifestyle but personal history can contribute heavily to our experience of health or disease.

About six years ago, my chronic neck pain was getting worse and I was looking for a natural solution. After some research, I ended up at a therapist who uses EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) in her practice.  After several sessions with her, I was astounded at how much better I was feeling. Not only was much of my neck pain gone, I felt lighter and more at peace. I decided to learn more about EFT and started practising it on myself. Nightmares which had plagued me most of my life vanished. I joined a two-year mentorship program with Nancy Forrester, an expert and teacher of Energy Psychotherapy. In those two years, Nancy helped me resolve a lot of emotional issues and I learned how to help myself and others do the same. I spent a lot of time reading and researching into the issue of chronic pain and came to the realization that much of our physical problems originate in emotional issues and limiting beliefs that can be traced back to childhood. Further courses in hypnosis and other energy healing modalities have given me more skills in helping people with various issues. I got certified in health coaching and have had dental patients come to me for help with their sleep apnea and also bring me their children who are suffering from stress-induced behavioural problems.

Helping my parents deal with their chronic health issues in recent years has made me fully convinced of the limitations of allopathic medicine. With its disregard for the mind-body connection and its emphasis on chemical drugs that suppress symptoms and undermine the immune system, it can only foster deeper and more serious illnesses. By contrast, guiding my parents towards holistic practitioners has resulted in a complete turnaround in their health, wellbeing, and quality of life.

My introduction to homeopathic medicine came through an acupuncturist friend. She encouraged me to look deeper into homeopathy when I expressed an interest in it, and after reading the books The Science of Homeopathy and Levels of Health, I sought out a local homeopath who has since been successfully treating me and my husband for various issues. Buoyed by this positive experience, I enrolled in George Vithoulkas’ online e-learning program. The fundamental tenets of homeopathy make so much sense to me and are so scientifically sound that I cannot help but be fascinated and excited. Watching how the cases unfold and evolve (not least my own and my husband’s) has been both instructive and inspiring. I believe that homeopathy is a healing modality that would add tremendously to my skillsets. It has so much potential, both as an adjunct to other healing modalities and especially for those special cases that may not be responding to anything else. I feel it would be a powerful tool that would help many people who, as yet, are not even aware of its validity as a healthcare option. I look forward to spreading the word and educating those who are open-minded enough to appreciate the power and precision of this truly scientifically-based healing system.

Image courtesy by adamr  (freedigitalphotos.net)