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A Brief History Of Comfrey Being Used Medicinally
Comfrey plants have a long history of medicinal use by many herbalists and home healers.
From the fresh comfrey leaves, their hairy stems or their slippery root cuttings, from the root to the tip the common comfrey plant has been used as an alternative medicine.
From comfrey herbal tea or a dietary supplement for internal use, to poultices for wound healing and other external uses, Comfrey has been used for over 2,000 years to treat a variety of ailments.
Using Comfrey For Tooth Decay And Cavities
If you find yourself in a situation where you can’t get to the dentist to take care of a sore tooth that’s become inflamed and you suspect infection, comfrey may assist the body to heal that inflammation until you can address the underlying problem.
Here’s How To Use Comfrey For Dental Inflammation
To use comfrey for dental problems:
- Take a leaf of either dried or fresh comfrey and turn it into a chew. Folding the leaves inward will be more comfortable as the top of the prickly comfrey leaves can have quite a rough or spikey texture. The fresher upper leaves are often less hairy and very well tolerated in small amounts.
- Roll the folded-up comfrey leaf around in your mouth, focusing on the particular area of concern while sucking on the juices this creates.
- Leave the leaf chew on top of the cavity area for a while if you like as this will increase the amount of comfrey in contact with the inflamed area.
This process will assist the body to heal any abscesses, infection and inflammation. Most pain should be gone by the following day but you should repeat the process again in a few days anyway to be sure that it’s done it’s job.
Note that it’s a good idea to start this regime sooner rather than later. Don’t just tough it out until the pain is unbearable – Get onto it quickly!
Bolstering Your Dental Health
It’s important also to mention that while this will help stop the bacteria and decay it doesn’t do anything for the conditions that created the carries in the first place and while the gum, bone and tooth will be free of infection the decayed area will remain.
This leaves the already weakened area more vulnerable to further decay which is why it’s important to keep up with a good maintenance routine.
One way to bolster your dental maintenance routine is to use a daily oil pull to aid the body in healing cavities, whiten your teeth and give you beautifully healthy pink gums.
Ever Thought Of Growing Your Own Comfrey At Home?
Comfrey is a super easy medicinal herb to grow at home!
The scientific latin name for Common Comfrey (the major comfrey species) is Symphytum Officinale L. and thankfully it does well in almost all positions in the garden, and in most parts of the world!
Tolerating part shade or full sun, your new plant will thrive provided you give it a quick lashing of organic matter and keep a little water up to it in its first year in the garden. With moist soil you’ll quickly see young leaves emerge in the springtime growing season with a full bush up to 75cm in its first year.
The large, slightly prickly leaves can also be chopped and dropped as a fabulous in-situ mulch that brings nitrogen up from the soil fertilising the plants around them. Bonus!
Comfrey Safety Concerns
In 2010 a controversial study involving comfrey being ingested by rats at a rate of 2% and up to 8% of their total daily diet indicated safety concerns around the pyrrolizidine alkaloids found within the properties of the plant.
Consumption of pyrrolizidine alkaloids have been shown to cause liver disease in clinical trials however this information is said by some to be aimed at discrediting the use of comfrey for medicinal purposes by those who stand to gain from a ban on its use.
Some have said that the quantities of comfrey used in the trials were not at all similar to what would be prescribed by a herbalist or other health professional.
You can read the study here.
In any event, it is always best to err on the side of caution and speak with your healthcare provider about any new herbal medicine or dietary supplements you might want to use.