Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS March 14, 2016
Bee Glue? Is it like Elmer’s Glue® or Gorilla Glue®? Is this a joke?
Bee glue has nothing to do with commercially prepared glues. Bee glue is a substance produced by honeybees. It’s not a joke. I am actually stuck on bee glue, and here’s why.
Bee Glue is propolis. Propolis is a resinous mixture that honeybees create from tree buds, sap flows, and other botanical sources. Bees use this substance to seal holes or damaged areas in their beehives, but bee glue has numerous medicinal benefits that are profound.
There is extensive anecdotal history how ancient civilizations used propolis to improve health. Greeks used it to treat abscesses. Assyrians put it on wounds and tumors to fight infection and improve the healing process. Egyptians used it to embalm mummies. However, there are more than anecdotal accounts of its benefits.
Health properties have been researched and published in many peer-reviewed journals. HERE, HERE, HERE.
Since the mouth is my domain, I am concerned about synthetic preparations that are supposed to heal mouth conditions. Today, there are so many commercial products for sale that are manufactured using chemicals to treat gum disease. Toothpastes, mouth rinses, gels that are applied to the gum tissues, little chips that are inserted underneath the gums, and systemic antibiotics just to mention a few. All have been shown to reduce the infection of gum disease, but with many potentially unhealthy side effects.
As a periodontist, I want to get results. However, I don’t want to put chemicals into my body or my patient’s body if I could avoid them. That’s why I investigated propolis (bee glue).
In the last several years, propolis has been studied for its ability to heal problems in the mouth:
- Propolis has been shown to improve a dentist’s ability to remove active decay in a tooth. HERE.
- Propolis has been shown to improve a dentist’s ability to effectively perform a root canal on a tooth that has become infected and abscessed. HERE. HERE.
- Other research has shown that propolis could reduce the bacteria that cause periodontal disease better than a deep cleaning alone. HERE.
- Still other research has shown that propolis is effective against unhealthy dental plaque. HERE.
These are exciting results from propolis – a totally natural and organic product that has little if any side effects.
In the future, I believe you will see more propolis products to improve the health of your mouth. The challenge will be for commercially prepared products using propolis to retain all the biochemical properties of natural propolis.
Because of my intense interest in propolis, I currently am in the process of developing commercial products that incorporate propolis as well as other organic substances for body health. I’ll keep you posted.