September 1, 2015 / Maratha Mandal’s Nathajirao G. Halgekar Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Cente / Contemporary Clinical Dentistry
Text/Wu Tingyao
I have heard that applying Ganoderma lucidum powder directly on the inflamed gums can relieve periodontal inflammation and pain. People who love to use Ganoderma lucidum may take this “word of mouth experience” for granted, but for those who are not familiar with Ganoderma lucidum, it can be like a fantasy. How would science evaluate this matter? Judging from a report published in “Contemporary Clinical Dentistry” by Indian scientists in September 2015, the seemingly folk remedy is not unreasonable.
Anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria can damage the gum tissue and cause chronic periodontitis. This group of bacteria usually enters the mouth with food and stays in the gap between the teeth and the gums. If they are not removed in time, they will reproduce here, which will not only cause periodontitis but also cause bad breath, and even make teeth fall out of loose gums. Therefore, although the bacteria are small, they will have a great impact on human eating pleasure and interpersonal relationship.
Prevotella intermedia is the most important one in this group of bacteria. The researchers isolated them from the dental plaques of 20 patients with chronic periodontal disease. After treatment, the spore powder aqueous solution (10 mg of spore powder per 1 mL of normal saline) was cultured with bacteria from different patients for 48 ~72 hours.
It was found that among the 20 bacterial samples, 13 bacterial samples were sensitive to most concentrations (1～500 mcg/mL) of Ganoderma lucidum spore aqueous solution (which have a bacteriostatic effect), but 7 bacterial samples remain unaffected no matter what concentration of Ganoderma lucidum spore aqueous solution is. On average, the lowest concentration of Ganoderma lucidum spores that inhibited the growth of Prevotella intermedia was 3.62 mcg/mL.
Although the effect is not 100%, there is at least a 65% chance that the external application of Ganoderma lucidum spore powder can improve periodontal inflammation. Researchers believe that the results of this experiment provide scientific evidence for the value of Ganoderma lucidum spores externally applied to inflamed gums; if the Ganoderma lucidum spore powder can be taken orally at the same time, improving the physical fitness of patients with immunomodulatory effects of Ganoderma lucidum itself may be more helpful for the treatment of periodontal disease.
Of course, keep the basic work of preventing and treating periodontal disease, including brushing with a toothbrush, flossing, and washing your teeth regularly to prevent bacteria from harming your gums, which may be the real fundamental practice.
[Data] Nayak RN, et al. Evaluation of anti-microbial activity of spore powder of Ganoderma lucidum on clinical isolates of Prevotella intermedia : A pilot study. Contemp Clin Dent. 2015 Sep;6(Suppl 1):S248-S252.
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About the author/ Ms. Wu Tingyao
Wu Tingyao has been reporting on first-hand Lingzhi information since 1999. She is the author of Healing with Ganoderma (published in The People’s Medical Publishing House in April 2017).
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★ The original text of this article was written in Chinese by Wu Tingyao and translated into English by Alfred Liu. If there is any discrepancy between the translation (English) and the original (Chinese), the original Chinese shall prevail. If readers have any questions, please contact the original author, Ms. Wu Tingyao.
