Looking Back...& Forwards
As I get older, I realise how much more care and attention I should have given to looking after my teeth! I come from a generation (I am approaching 80) where we had not yet fully realised for example the harmful effects of sugar. It was also a generation where routinely people would have all of their teeth removed and be given dentures – not necessarily because all their teeth were bad but because it was simpler to do this sooner rather than later. A lot has changed in the last 60 years.
NHS - Free at the Point of Delivery?
I needed a hole filling in my tooth recently. I went to my NHS dentist and hours after the treatment I was in agony. I went to a private dentist locally who explained why this had happened and removed the tooth ( cost £280) with amazing skill and gentleness. I was intensely grateful for her willingness to fit me in at short notice and for taking away that excruciating pain - so grateful I asked her to do a full inspection of my oral health and make some recommendations. Her suggested treatment programme involved removal of 5 teeth and the creation of a temporary denture which could last for a minimum of 6 months after which time I might need to refit it. I would then have to wear the denture forever. The cost of this would be £4,500 plus possibly another £1500 if the denture needed adapting after 6 months.
Free dental treatment under the NHS is being slowly but inexorably removed as more and more dentists go private only. We can no longer rely on free/ cheap treatment anymore to repair the damage we have often inflicted upon ourselves with poor oral hygiene or bad diet. We need to do all we can to look after our teeth and our health in general .This is where propolis comes in.
What is Propolis?
Propolis is a natural medicine produced by the honeybee. It has been used as a medicine since ancient times by the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans.
I have been researching the extraordinary medicinal properties of propolis for over 30 years, publishing the principal work in English on the subject “Bee Propolis: Natural Healing from the Hive” https://beevitalpropolis.com/products/bee-propolis-natural-healing-from-the-hive and contributing to over 40 scientific papers.
I have created and run the International Propolis Research Group (IPRG), an international network of scientific researchers into propolis www.iprg.info . The IPRG will be having its 4th International congress in 2025 in Brazil www.propolisconference-brazil.com . Propolis is now being heavily researched as part of solutions to global health problems like antibiotic resistance. The point I would like to make is that propolis is no longer seen as a folk medicine or witchcraft, it is now a part of a new approach to medicine. It is one of the medicines from the beehive, which are medicines of the future – we call them Apiceuticals www.beevitalpropolis.com
What's it got to do with Teeth?
10 years ago, I co-authored a book on the use of propolis and oral health with Dr. Philip Wander a leading UK dentist . Philip had been using propolis in his top-rated dental practice for fifteen years, treating Manchester United footballers amongst others. Together we put together a manual for treating around 35 different oral health problems. Ten years later we have rewritten "Propolis in Oral Healthcare" https://beevitalpropolis.com/products/propolis-in-oral-healthcare with the support of Dr. Munir Ravilia another leading researcher and dentist. The book includes a great deal of new research as well as clinical trial results .The book is designed to help dentists treat your oral health problems as well as be a guide for you in helping yourself to maintain healthy teeth naturally.
Pro and Anti Medicine
The really good news about propolis is that it does not work like pharmaceuticals by simply attacking and killing bacteria or viruses or fungi. It is not an ANTI medicine – it is a PRO medicine. It works by stimulating and tuning up your whole immune system. So instead of killing bacteria it disables them, it stops them from multiplying. Propolis also stops bacteria getting together as biofilm which are basically organised battalions of bacteria like MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), determined to do you harm and to take over.
Good Oral Health = Good Overall Health
Good oral health is very important to your overall health. Plaque for example (something which it is very difficult to get rid of) is biofilm i.e. organised bacteria. Its presence in the mouth is linked to heart disease and to other diseases. Keeping your teeth clean and continually working to keep plaque away is the surest route to a healthy mouth and a healthy body.
Brushing with Propolis Toothpaste https://beevitalpropolis.com/products/propolis-toothpaste and using a Propolis Mouth Wash https://beevitalpropolis.com/products/propolis-mouthwash are two forms that can help. The resinous nature of propolis can seal up infected or inflamed areas. But make sure your propolis toothpaste really does contain propolis. Propolis Mouth Wash is a good way to line your oral cavity with the healing values in propolis. Please note that many modern mouth washes contain alcohol and we now know that regular use of alcohol-based products can cause oral cancers difficult to treat and which can be fatal.
Propolis Bgel https://beevitalpropolis.com/products/propolis-b-gel has been specially formulated by the University of Bradford to stick to the oral mucosa and is great for treating sores and ulcers in and around the mouth.
Prevention is Better than Cure
As always, prevention is better than cure. Propolis is sometimes called an adaptogen because it helps your body to adapt or balance forces in the body, for example by keeping harmful bacteria in their place, or sealing up viruses and preventing them from becoming active in the body. Taking a daily dose of propolis in capsule or tablet form can really help you maintain this kind of balance.
Taking Back Responsibility
We are facing a real shift in the provision of Dental Health Care . In the future, if we want to leave it to the dentist to fix things, that’s okay, but we will all need to pay for it sooner or later and it is not going to be cheap. Alternatively, we can take the long view by taking responsibility for our own health in general and our oral health in particular. This is the common - sense route - taking care of yourself, eating properly, getting proper rest, low use of alcohol, no use of tobacco. It is also important to look after your relationships, as well as making sure you can spend time on those things that really matter to you. Propolis is not a MAGIC BULLET, but it is a truly natural and effective element in any overall health plan.
Finding Out More
If you want to know more about natural health and natural living, then drop in at the Dispensary in Skinner Street. At the Dispensary you can get not just healthy foods and medicines but information and events about the multitude of positive things you can do to stay well.
The book "Propolis in Oral Healthcare" is available from The Dispensary, 25 Skinner Street, Whitby. YO21 3AH, or online at https://beevitalpropolis.com/products/propolis-in-oral-healthcare