A Case of Apical Periodontitis Successfully Treated with Kampo Medicine

Abstract

Apical periodontitis is the inflammatory lesion of apical periodontal tissue caused by tooth decay, etc. The treatment requires infected root canal therapy that can get rid of infected pulpy, septic matter and bacteria inside the tooth. This report outlines the case of a 77-year-old male patient who was diagnosed as apical periodontitis on the lower right first molar. Dentist advised the patient to have a root canal treatment, but he strongly resisted the treatment and did not agree. So we treated him with Kampo medicine, hainosankyuto and rikkosan as a result his condition has been stable for more than 3 years without using antibiotics or analgesic. If apical periodontitis is left untreated, there would be a risk of tooth conditions gradually getting worse. In cases where standard dental treatment is difficult, Kampo medicine may be useful and hopeful.