Effectiveness of hirudotherapy in the treatment of dental diseases

An important and unresolved problem in dentistry is the treatment of diseases such as periodontitis, periodontitis, alveolitis and periimplantitis. These pathologies are widespread, difficult to treat, and often recurrent.

The lack of stable results of therapy requires the search for new methods of treatment and prevention of these diseases. One of the effective, but undeservedly forgotten methods is hirudotherapy or treatment with leeches.

In this article, the doctor-hirudotherapist, candidate of medical sciences - Dimitrov Andrei shows why hirudotherapy is a valid method of combating dental diseases.

Characteristics of diseases

Clinical statistics in dentistry indicate a large number of patients suffering from periodontitis, alveolitis, periodontitis, and Peri-implantitis.

Let us briefly review the characteristics of each pathology:

Periodontitis is an inflammatory process of the connective tissue that surrounds the tooth tip. The disease is very painful, the pain increases even with a slight touch, gingival swelling develops, and the body temperature rises. The main reason is poor-quality root canal treatment.

Alveolitis is the development of an inflammatory and infectious process after a tooth extraction. The patient feels severe pain in the hole where the tooth was extracted, the general condition worsens, weakness and high body temperature are observed.

Regional lymph nodes are enlarged. The main reason is a violation of the postoperative regimen after tooth extraction.

Periodontitis is an inflammatory process of the periodontal tissues around the teeth, with further destruction of bone tissue and enamel. The disease causes bleeding gums, pain and bad breath. The main cause is a large accumulation of plaque, insufficient oral hygiene.

Peri-implantitis is an infectious process that develops at the site of dental implants, accompanied by inflammation of soft and bone tissues with further bone thinning.

The patient feels pain, the gum swells, and a pocket is formed in which pus and blood accumulates. The main cause is poor-quality implants and a doctor's error during their installation.

Use of medical leeches in dentistry

Hirudotherapy is a method that involves the use of medical leeches to treat various diseases. All the pathologies listed above are accompanied by an acute inflammatory and infectious process.

Diseases are manifested by swelling of soft tissues, pus accumulation and multiplication of bacterial microflora. In this case, the benefit of the medical leech Hirudomedicinalis becomes obvious.

A number of authors consider hirudotherapy as an effective and comprehensive method. The therapy has directed effect:

- reflexive - activates biologically active points on the gum tissues through the puncture;

- mechanical - it relieves regional blood flow, removes edema in tissues and accumulation of pus masses;

- biological - the secret of a medical leech contains many biological substances with anti-inflammatory, regenerating, analgesic and antibacterial properties.

Thus, in my practice, I note that hirudotherapy has a number of effects not only locally, but also locally, namely:

- thrombolytic;

- antiischemic;

- anti-inflammatory;

- draining;

- restoring microcirculation;

- immunostimulating.