Treatment of Gum Disease
Rinpoche sent the following letter to his dentist after his last visit. The dentist had remarked how much Rinpoche’s gums had improved and asked what he had been doing.
My very dear Dr Williams,
Thank you very much for your treatment to me. I wanted to just mention one thing, as you said last time that you wanted to know the cause, or things that I may have done to change the situation with my gums, as they are better. I think maybe I mentioned exercise—I should be doing regular exercise, but I only very rarely go for walk, so really I have not done exercise and that would not have been a contributor. What I did is control the food that is bad for diabetes—potatoes and white flour —I have been controlling that more.
I have also been seeing an American dentist in Nepal, as I am in Nepal every year. She really encouraged me to use a small brush to clean in between the teeth, so I have been doing that. She told me to do that three times every day, outside and inside. I don’t do it every day, but I try to do it as much as I can. It is harder when I am busy. I try to do it as much as I can, but not every day, so from time to time it doesn’t happen.
This is my detailed explanation to you, as you wanted to know and it might be helpful to others.
Then also as my gums have got better, so that brings happiness. Happiness comes from our own positive thought and virtue—happiness comes from virtuous thought and action.
Having bad gums came from negative thought and negative action, from karma, so that is the root; the main cause is my own mind.
Although this doesn’t happen every day, when I remember I try to do a meditation that the toothbrush is purifying all the obscurations of sentient beings and the toothpaste is the path to enlightenment—method and wisdom.
With much love and prayers...