By B. Paine
Recently, a bit of food became wedged up between a crown and my gum-line and it made the gum area irritated and swollen. I wasn’t sure if my gums were infected or not.
Either way, a trip to the dentist and the subsequent bill for a new crown (estimated at about $500 after insurance) was not what I wanted to think about.
After popping over-the-counter pain medication in an effort to be able to get some sleep, it dawned on me to try some EFT tapping. I must admit, I had a lot of doubt as to whether it could help, especially since I was in a lot of pain.
I started tapping with:
Even though I have these swollen gums and I’m miserable, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Then moved on to tapping:
Even though I’m afraid my gums are infected and I’ll need to see the dentist, I trust my body to heal what needs to be healed.
Even though I’m afraid I’ll end up with a huge dental bill that I wasn’t planning on at this time, I love myself and will put my health needs first.
Even though my gums are sore and swollen and really hurt, I love myself and know that my body can heal and any discomfort I’m feeling can quickly and easily go away.
Even though I’m afraid that EFT isn’t going to help at all, I deeply and completely love and accept myself and choose to believe in the power of my body to heal itself.
Amazingly, I found after each tapping round my discomfort was diminishing and becoming less and less. Even though I’m a firm believer in energy work, I was having a hard time believing that EFT could effectively take away my pain and work for me.
However, I felt as though the swollen gums were beginning to return to normal and the “infection” was draining from the area.
I finally got the pain down to about a SUDS level number of 1 or 2 out of 10 (from what was previously about an 8) and I was able to get to sleep. I woke up in the morning feeling much better. The area in my mouth was still a bit sensitive but not at all painful and throbbing as it had been.
I did a little more EFT tapping to encourage healing and complete recovery and it remained at about a SUDS level number of 1–no pain, but I’m aware the gums are not completely normal yet. Perhaps it’s my body’s way to keep me aware and mindful to be gentle with that area while it continues to heal.
The best part of this EFT tapping story, is that when my husband woke up, he asked me how my mouth was feeling and I was able to share with him how I had used EFT to be comfortable and get to sleep. He was totally amazed and intrigued about what I’d done.
This gave me a great opportunity to explain about EFT tapping and how it works.
I would like to note that I realize that replacing the crown on this tooth may be necessary to prevent future episodes such as this. In fact, my dentist has told me the tooth is decaying underneath the crown due to the poor fit. I’ve just been putting the work off. This incident was a reminder that I have been ignoring my health needs.
Using Emotional Freedom Techniques provided the means for me to get comfort and healing in a moment of need.
I am continuing to use EFT tapping for stronger and healthier gums and to reduce the anxiety of having the dental work done that needs to be completed and the bill that will come afterward!
