Question:
My girlfriend's dentist has suggested she get a root canal to deal with
a deeply cracked tooth. I remember hearing that that procedure can do
more harm than good. Her dentist says it would be done "with the latest
developments in the procedure" and is not as risky as it used to be. I
still feel that it may be something to be avoided...comments???
Answer:
http://www.drshankland.com/rootcanal.html
http://melanie2.50megs.com/rootcanalstory.htm
http://www.uio.no/~gilbertd/abs1.html
http://www.intergate.net/zap/root.html
http://www.rheumatic.org/teeth.htm
http://www.zip.com.au/~rgammal/root_therapies.htm
Rather simplistic, don't you think? Kind of like "why do teeth have
nerves, anyway? "
Now I'm out of my specialty here, but as one who has had a number of
"root canal" surgeries..............
There are sometimes good reasons to do this and a competent dentist will
do it only if there is no other way to save the [remaining] tooth and
prevent further infection and bone loss. Leaving a cracked tooth
improperly repaired is certainly asking for far more serious disease
down the road.
The concern with the procedure is proceeding in a manner which prevents
the spread of infection and seals the damage----without sealing in the
bugs.
Personally, between myself, my wife and a half dozen friends who have
had a total of probably 20 procedures in total, there was not one
post-op problem. No pain, no further issues. Fixed.
Our dentist clearly knows how to do it. I do, however, know of docs who
have indeed failed to do a god a job with the result of sometimes
serious post-op infection and pain.
I had a tooth that had been hypersensitive since I was about 15. Not being
fond of needles, I avoided going to the dentist for years, and only went in
my early 30s when I could no longer stand the pain and sensitivity in that
molar. I'd waited so long that I needed a root canal on that tooth. By the
time I got the root canal they had to do a procedure that involved sticking
pieces of metal up where the roots had been and putting a crown on it. I've
had that same crown on those same funny metal posts (I think they were
called) for maybe 15 years, and I'm fine. The dentist did put in medicine
when he did the procedure and he put me on antibiotics. I am very thankful
to no longer have that sensitivity as it interrupted my daily life.
I'd recommend getting the root canal, just make sure you have a good
dentist. There are referral sites, phone or web, that can help you. If
you're really paranoid, check the public records for malpractice suits. Make
sure they are licensed, and get the names of a few of their previous root
canal patients for references.
Extracting teeth that *can* be saved many times leads to the other teeth
shifting improperly over time (& I'm not talking about a very long time
either), creating a misaligned bite, TMJ, & loss of other teeth.
Root canal, properly done by an experienced dentist, can be a wise choice to
save the patient further problems down the road. If a tooth *must* be
extracted (too far gone), the space left by the extraction should be taken
care of with some sort of "filler", be it a partial plate or better yet, an
implanted tooth.
Extraction of teeth should be a *last* resort, not the first choice. I've
worked with many people who suffered all sorts of problems from lacking
teeth -- chronic mouth pain, mouth ulcerations, poor nutrition, & of course
many spoke of embarassment because they had missing teeth.
Over the years I've had a lot of dough put into my teeth, from orthodontic
work to over 30 fillings (some amalgam, some composite -- no problems with
either) & I've never regretted investing the time or money. I plan on
having all my teeth & a nice smile the rest of my life.
