Question:
I am going in to have a crown prepared on back left molar. Dentist says I
still may need a root canal after seeing tooth after preparation for the
crown. He can't tell from x rays yet. I do have cold sensitivity and it
does hurt. Does this mean the tooth is still alive if I do have the
sensitivity?
Answer:
There may be live tissue in the pulp chamber, but it may already be at
a stage of irreversible pulpitis (IOW's the damage and inflamation is
greater than the tissue can repair). It can be difficult to diagnose
in person and it is impossible to do so over the internet. With your
description of symptoms, I wouldn't be surprised if a root canal was
necessary.
However, that shouldn't be a cause for terrible alarm. With adequate
anesthesia (and maybe a little nitrous or a mild sedative if you're
really nervous), the procedure should not be painful.
Just kidding about the subject line but its really hard to say for sure
even when we have you in the chair! The tooth may calm down, maybe not. It
sounds like your dentist is going a common route though. Prep a tooth for a
crown and wait to see how it does in the meantime. If the symptoms abate,
then great, you get a crown as planned. If the symptoms get worse
(spontaneous pain) the you get root canal therapy on an already sick tooth.
Modern day RCT is quick and painless.
(if it hurts, you are not numb enough, request more anesthetic)
Don't believe the horror stories you have heard.
On average a molar takes me ~30 min, and even a difficult
one rarely takes more than an hour. One visit.
I've had root canals done before things have flared up. I would have fallen
asleep during the procedure had I not felt my head getting jiggled back and
forth as they were getting into the bottom of the canals. Afterwards, I felt
the typical tenderness due to the anaesthetic and a little sensitivity
around the tooth they were working on. Nothing more than a Tylenol or two
would
take care of.
Root Canals. A tooth has miles of tiny canals running through the root. A dead
or root filled tooth will have bacteria in these canals. There is no way of
removing the bacteria once they are in there.
http://www.toothwisdom.net/
Toxicity from Root Canals
The next subject to be discussed are root canals and their possible source of
toxicity. Approximately twenty five million Americans undergo root canal
therapy every year in an effort to prevent the loss of teeth that have
abscessed. The root canal is the left portion of the tooth which houses the
vital organs such as the nerve and blood vessels. The dentist endeavors to
clean and sterilize this canal and fill it with a sterile, non toxic inert
material. This usually renders this tooth serviceable and non painful; however,
the entire inner hard core of the tooth is made of dentin which has several
million dentinal tubules. These tubules allow the circulation of lymphatic type
fluid to circulate from the vital organs of the root canal to the outside of
the tooth. This is a viable circulatory phenomenon which has a purpose. It
services the periodontal ligament as well as the sensory aspect of the nerve
and blood centers in the root canal. If the body chemistry is healthy, the flow
of lymphatic fluid is from the root canal to the outside of the tooth. This
creates an irrigation for the tooth and usually prevents the accumulation of
plaque to form. When the body chemistry is not healthy, then the circulation is
from the outside of the tooth to the inner root canal. This allows for no
irrigation, but rather an accumulation of plaque to form. There are many more
reasons for maintaining the integrity of the circulation in the dentinal
tubules. Root canal therapy completely destroys this integrity, and what
happens to the non-circulating fluid in these tubules? This fluid as it ages
becomes stagnant and becomes a toxic substance. This porous structure now
becomes a septic mass emanating poisons into the body. Is this what you want?
Mercury amalgams are said to be the caskets of the body. Root canals are said
to be the cadavers of the body.
I do not recommend root canals for anyone. Each individual has a right to their
decisions. Many people simply do not wish to lose a member of their body. I
respect this, and I always discuss the consequences.
The next area of discussion is whether the root canal filling actually
sterilizes the apical end of the tooth. There are so many lateral canals at the
root end of the tooth where bacteria can harbor that it is unlikely that a
complete aseptic condition exists. This, however, is a debateable subject.
Again, the complete acceptance of root canal therapy as a viable substitution
for extraction is completely and whole heartedly supported by organized
dentistry. You are in violation of the code of ethics if you speak out against
root canal therapy. When I was a practicing dentist, I always let the patient
make that decision after explaining all pros and cons.
