Central Hong Kong practice delves beyond types of teeth and what they do to their connection to whole-body health

Many of our patients may be somewhat familiar with the four basic types of teeth and their functions. Before visiting our practice in Central Hong Kong, they may be less familiar with the connection each of these types of teeth has to the rest of the body.

Ancient cultures through the millennium understood what some modern practitioners are just beginning to embrace; each tooth is directly linked to a specific body part and, as such, the health of that tooth reflects or influences the health of that interconnected body part.

A primer on our teeth

Basically, the types of teeth in our mouth can be categorized as:

• Incisors
• Canines
• Premolars
• Molars

The incisors or “front teeth” are used for cutting and shearing food into manageable pieces.
As the name suggests, the canines or pointy “dog’s teeth” grip and tear food.
Premolars sitting right behind the canines are flat, which makes them ideal for chewing and crushing.
The large, flat surfaces of molars at the back of the mouth are ideal to withstand significant pressure from crushing, grinding, and biting food.

The body connection

Every organ, gland, and tissue is thought to sit on a specific energy channel, pathway or acupuncture meridian. Each tooth is accordingly connected to a specific body part by way of these meridians, which gives birth to the “teeth-body” connection concept. For instance, it’s thought if a patient has weakness in one part of the body such as cancer of the breast, dental procedures like root canal therapy on a specific premolar residing along the meridian will make the problem worse due to this relationship.

We have included the handy “Dental Meridian Tooth” Chart on our website for convenience. Feel free to click on each tooth, be it an incisor, canine, premolar or molar. See how it is related to other glands, organs, muscles, joints, and conditions. For example, are stomach problems disrupting daily activities? Odds are, there could be issues with a number of upper back teeth on both sides of the mouth. Bottom premolars may also be problematic.

Take the time to explore what ancient medicine has known for centuries. It’s a possible some links may be found between specific tooth problems and problems in other parts of the body. Dr. Titania Tong and her holistic services partners are more than happy to introduce patients to this approach to oral and overall health care. Phone 852 2810 1801 to schedule an appointment.