Rarely, the Food and Drug Administration blatantly warns consumers and patients about a particular product; rarer still is the FDA issuing a warning statement or crackdown on an entire category of products. That exact thing happened in early October of 2016, when the FDA warned parents to steer clear homeopathic teething gels and tablets, a go-to item that was growing in popularity with parents in recent years. Today, the trusted dentist at Missoula’s Bitterroot Dental will examine what are homeopathic gels and tablets and what likely brought about this decision from the FDA.
The Reality of Homeopathic Teething Products
Trusting the FDA
As far as governmental organizations go, the FDA is far from the most popular. Many people suspect or blatantly accuse the FDA of showing bias toward major pharmaceutical industries, partaking in some degree of partisan politics, or, contradictorily, not cracking down on non-pharmaceutical industries. Since the FDA is an almost autonomous voice for determining safety, legality, and sellability of the many billions of dollars worth of drugs and supplements Americans take each year, it is not difficult to imagine how unpopular the FDA can become due to any decision (or lack thereof). However, the advent and continued presence of the FDA has brought about many of the greatest increases in healthcare and nutrition worldwide. While many people distrust the FDA, there are many instances where thousands or millions of lives have been saved due to its intervention, making the relationship between this branch of government and the general population a complicated one, to say the least.
This Unique Case
As stated above, it is rare for the FDA to issue such a bold warning, seemingly out of the blue. Many wonder what caused this sudden turn; it appears that a study linking somewhere around 10 (or more) infant deaths to the usage of homeopathic teething gels and tablets, which likely prompted the swift and decisive action. In this statement, the FDA clearly and boldly warns parents to immediately stop buying such products and further warned them to seek immediate medical attention if their child experiences any of the following after having used any of the medications:
- Seizures
- Difficulty breathing
- Lethargy
- Excessive sleepiness
- Muscle weakness
- Skin flushing
- Constipation
- Difficulty urinating
- General agitation
Understanding “Homeopathic”
The FDA defines this advisory as products in which manufacturers included within teething gels and tablets ingredients such as Calcarea Phosphorica, Chamomilla, Coffea Cruda, Belladonna, Calcarea Carbonica, Passiflora Incarnata, and Terebinthina. Homeopathic medicine in general refers to a system of medicine that dates back to the 18th century; it basically claims that a substance that causes the symptoms of a disease in a healthy person can be used to treat those symptoms in a sick person. This way of thinking is not in line with current medicine, and most doctors and dentists agree that homeopathic medicine is not advisable for use in almost any circumstance. While homeopathy is a type or holistic and natural treatment, something growing in popularity in recent years, homeopathy is not to be compared with other holistic and natural treatments, which attempt to treat symptoms and diseases with relief from symptoms or diseases, not further aggravation of them as is found in homeopathy.
Our Conclusion
At Bitterroot Dental, we encourage all patients and parents to carefully consider any product they give their child and to reach out for help from a local dentist or doctor over any confusion with an active ingredient, brand, or other concern. While the FDA and modern medicine may not be perfect, the regulations in place are designed to give parents, doctors, and dentists the best possible chance to alleviate and treat symptoms and diseases.
