According to Kathy Arnos, author of ‘The Complete Teething Guide From Birth to Adolescence’ the answer is yes.
“Many people are unaware that our children’s emotional and physical problems are often related to the teething process. Most equate ‘teething’ with infancy, when it actually lasts through young adulthood [through the eruption of the wisdom teeth]. In the weeks, and sometimes months, before the eruption of a tooth, many infants and children experience a weakening of the immune system, and research has established the connection between teething, emotional behavior and physical symptoms.”
Arnos says her main objective in writing the book was to help parents, doctors, and school administrators have a better understanding of why children might be having trouble learning or concentrating, are continuously sick, experience bouts of anxiety and depression, or are acting irrational and out of control.
The book contains information regarding nutrition, homeopathy, and also the use of flower essences for many of the uncomfortable conditions and behaviors commonly exhibited by children who are in a teething phase.
The conditions and behaviors exhibited often include:
- Fevers
- Nightmares
- ADD/ADHD
- Sleeplessness
- Depression
- Headaches
- Earaches
- Anxiety
- Croup
- Sinus problems
Vibrational Essences
Here are a few ideas from the book on how flower essences in particular can be helpful.
Sleeplessness
One common effect of teething on children is sleeplessness, here Arnos suggests the use of Chamomile for children who are having difficulty relaxing; Rock Rose for heightened states of anxiety causing nightmares; and Lavender for a child with overwrought nerves.
ADD/ADHD
Flower essences have proven useful for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders caused by the effects of teething and its disruptive effect on children’s digestive processes. These digestive disturbances “…can trigger food allergies (when the immune system attacks the undigested flood particles), environmental allergies and malabsorption of important nutrients, all of which have an influence on behavior and result from (and contribute to) a weakened immune system.”
In such cases the following remedies are advised…
Indian Pink, for children easily influenced by other activities around them.
Cosmos, for those overwhelmed by too much information at one time.
Vervain, for children with too much physical or mental energy to sit still.
The Complete Teething Guide is a well-documented book with many personal stories, case studies and has an excellent resource guide and recommended reading list. It is is chock full of information and features chapters on
- nutrition during pregnancy and its impact on tooth development, and childhood nutrition
- the developmental sequence in the formation of teeth from birth to the eruption of wisdom teeth and how that sequence corresponds to physiological and psychological maturation, with a range of intensity of teething and physical symptoms
- how breastfeeding and bottle-feeding affect tooth and jaw development
- natural remedies for teething-related symptoms, including physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms
- cavities and tooth decay
- fluoride
- hazards, cautions and emergency situations
- oral hygiene
- correcting crooked teeth