
Caution: Dental Work Can Cause Herpes Outbreaks
- Find out more about the hidden dangers at your dentist office
- If you’ve ever had a cold sore, you NEED to read this
- Two supplements to help you claim victory over viruses.
Dear Living Well Daily,
A while back, my friend underwent a dental extraction. A few days after, she asked me to pick up a prescription for her and bring it over. I quickly agreed, but before I hung up, she threw out a brief disclaimer, “Don’t judge me for this prescription or what I look like. I caught something nasty at the dentist.”
I didn’t think much of her warning. I just assumed she was surprised by the strength of the pain pills she was prescribed and perhaps had an infection from her procedure.
But when I got the script, I must admit, while there was no judgement, I was a bit confused. You see, the drugs she had me pick up were for a viral infection that had little to do with oral surgery (or at least that’s what I thought at the time).
But when I saw her, I was truly shocked. My friend had painful lesions all over her lips and lower face. She was having a hard time speaking and was visibly uncomfortable. And when she told me what happened, my mind was blown…
Unexpected Outbreak
My friend was suffering from a major oral herpes outbreak.
And it seemed that her dental work was the catalyst for the torturous state she was in, even though her dentist had taken precautions to protect her.
Like many folks, she had a history of cold sores (three in her lifetime, to be exact). Nothing major, every handful of years a tiny bump would pop up on her upper lip and disappear a few days later. Because of this, her dentist put her on antiviral medications before her procedure to try to prevent an outbreak.
You see, cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), a common viral infection. In fact, According to the National Institutes of Health, HSV-1 is so run-of-the-mill that about 90 percent of American adults are exposed to the virus by the age of 50. Before an outbreak, itching, burning and tingling sensations are common symptoms. During the outbreak, painful fluid-filled blisters occur and then eventually scab or crust over before they heal.
And while there are treatments to control herpes, there is no cure. The virus can lie dormant in the nerve tissue of the face. When the virus is reactivated, it can cause outbreaks.
Despite it’s prevalence, many people never experience symptoms or outbreaks. However, this means they could infect others unwittingly, or experience an unexpected outbreak following a trauma like dental work.
Unfortunately for my friend, the precautionary course of antivirals she took before the procedure did her no good — she still suffered a serious outbreak. You see, studies show that having intense dental work such as an extraction can trigger severe herpes outbreaks. It’s unclear whether the extraction itself or anesthesia, or both are to blame for the outbreak. While anyone with the virus could be susceptible to a post dental flare-up, it’s more likely to happen to folks who experience cold sores.
Therefore, she didn’t actually catch herpes from the dentist, but rather suffered a nightmarish outbreak triggered by her procedure.
After another course of antivirals, her blisters healed. She hasn’t had an outbreak since. The experience was so traumatic, though, she carries antivirals everywhere she goes, just in case she feels an outbreak coming on.
But it seems she isn’t alone. Just surf the net a bit and you’ll find other cases of these types of trauma-induced outbreaks — everything from dental work to lip injections, and tattooed make-up can ignite a surprise onset.
However, there are ways to protect yourself and a few antiviral supplements that may help you lower your risks of outbreak.
Victory Over the Virus
First things first here. The best way to avoid a herpes outbreak is to not catch the virus. However, as we mentioned earlier, this is not an easy thing to do. However, there are a few things you can do to lessen the risk:
- Avoid intimate contact with anyone who’s showing signs of infection (i.e., cold sores, fever blisters). While you can still catch the virus from someone who doesn’t have immediate symptoms, it’s more likely to happen during an outbreak
- Never share razors, towels, dishes or other items that may have come in contact with an open herpes sore
- If you’ve ever had a cold sore, be sure to report it to your dentist or doctor before any oral medical procedure. This way your practitioner can take the proper steps to try to avoid a trauma-induced outbreak. You can also request that your practitioner prescribe antiviral medications prior to your procedure steps if you’re concerned about a potential outbreak, even if you’ve never had symptoms.
Recently, a study in the Journal of Pineal Research shows that some natural antivirals are as strong as prescriptions. Acyclovir, a common antiviral prescribed for herpes (and the one my friend was taking), was compared to a natural compound that contained melatonin, phosphate, magnesium and fatty acids in the treatment of oral herpes.
At the completion of the study, researchers found that the natural treatment group experienced a 95 percent rate of complete regression of symptoms in seven days. The prescription group, however, saw an 85 percent rate of complete regression in seven days. This means that while both treatments worked, the natural compound was slightly more effective.
The exact doses for this compound are unavailable, or we would share them with you. However, it is noted that it contains 2.5 mg of melatonin. It would make sense that supplementing with melatonin may be one way to help you manage oral herpes, as it is a powerful antioxidant. Not to mention it’s an effective sleep aid!
Another effective natural antiviral is St. John’s wort because it contains hypericin. Hypericin is a chemical that can penetrate nerve cells and destroy the fatty coatings on the virus, killing it off. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, taking two 1.8 gram tablets a day long term can help curtail outbreaks. Click here to check it out.
Live well,
Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily
Sources
[1] Mouth Infections
[2] Severe herpes simplex virus type-I infections after dental procedures.
[3] Risk of Transmission of Viruses in the Dental Office
[4] The Weston A. Price Foundation: Herpes
[5] Effect of black tea extract on herpes simplex virus-1 infection of cultured cells

Written By Natalie Moore
Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.
View More Free Articles
Slim Down with This FAT-BURNING Hack
Dear Living Well Daily Reader, There’s more weight-loss advice out there than there are stars in the sky. Much of it’s complicated, strenuous, or downright impossible to follow. With the promise of slimming down, people push everything from extreme exercise to gross drinks you must hold your nose to gulp down. But the MOST common...
Slash Your Risk for THIS Painful Diabetic Nerve Condition
Diabetes is HARD on seniors. Sure, younger people can also develop diabetes-linked kidney disease, heart disease, or even brain problems. But when you mix high blood sugar with advanced age, all those conditions tend to progress faster and become more severe. Case in point: peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy occurs when blood sugar levels rise and...
Surprising Walking Benefits REVEALED
We live in a fast-paced society. And we’re expected to keep the pedal to the metal at work and fill the little leisure time we allow ourselves with as many activities as possible… We demand a 24/7 news cycle, instant updates on our phones, and lightning-fast internet speeds… In a culture where most people judge...
Your Sleep Habits Can Damage THIS Organ [ALERT]
I’m a sleep evangelist. Because getting quality sleep is CRITICAL for good health. You simply can’t have one without the other. In fact, regularly missing out on a good night’s sleep raises your risks for heart issues, mood disorders, weight gain, blood sugar irregularities, and brain problems. Bur new research raises a red flag about...
MAILBAG: Ease Annoying Allergy Symptoms
“My allergies have been so terrible the last few weeks and my allergy medicine isn’t really doing anything. What can I do?” – Darlene from Chesapeake, Virginia Hi Darlene, There are two steps I typically recommend to tackle troublesome allergies. The first is to focus on nutrients. Begin by getting enough magnesium, folic acid, and carotenoids...
Drug Company FAILS to Respond to Heartburn Drug Risk
Type the word “Zantac” into any search engine, and the first thing likely to come up is “Zantac lawsuit.” And the reason WHY people are suing the drug’s maker, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), is a twisted tale that’ll turn your stomach… The drug company allegedly took a page straight out of big tobacco’s playbook. And as a...
"Splash Hack" DOUBLES the Benefits of Your Morning Brew
I love coffee. I roast my own beans. I have a fancy coffee maker. The WHOLE nine yards. Of course, I love the bright, bitter punch of flavor I get in every sip. And there’s nothing like the jump-start coffee gives my brain in the morning. But I also know that coffee has bunches of...
Ocean Organism KILLS Resistant Cancer Cells
Cancer treatments essentially come in two “flavors.” There are the sickening meds that poison the cancerous cells (and sometimes the healthy ones, too), like chemotherapy. Or there are the physical “slash and burn” options such as surgery and radiation. There are times that either or both might be necessary. But let’s face it, cancer treatments...
Nutrient Fix for Deadly "Orphan Condition"
Venous thromboembolism is what I call an “orphan condition.” The chances are high that you’ve never even heard of it before. But we should discuss it more often because it’s underdiagnosed, SERIOUS, and preventable. A (VTE) happens when a blood clot forms in a vein. When that clot is in a DEEP vein (usually in...
"Liquid Gold" Packs a Powerful Healing Punch
Bone broth has popped up on grocery store shelves nationwide in the last few years. And I couldn’t be happier about it! I love to drink bone broth. But I used to have to make my own “liquid gold.” And to be honest… it’s time-consuming. Now, you can pop down to your local supermarket and...