Question:
A routine x-ray shows decreased bone density(darkened area) under on of my
molars. I don't feel any pain or discomfort but the endodontist thinks I
should get root canal treatment.
I also read somewhere root canal treatment could cause problems elsewhere in
the body, when the bacteria somehow migrate to another part of the body.
My question is can I leave it alone and only treat it when there is an
obvious problem? Is it possible for it to remain status quo indefinitely, as
long as my immune system remains healthy?
If I finally do decide to treat it, can I get my regular dentist to do the
root canal or should it be done by the endodontist?
Answer:
You probably have a chronic abcess, which is usually painless, until it
shifts into an acute abcess, which is EXTREMELY painful. The problem you
may have is that leaving this alone, the bone degeration going on inside
your bone will expand, and gradually "eat away" more bone. Eventually, you
will have problems with adjacent teeth, as the infection shifts/expands. It
is impossible to say how long this will take without examining you. A root
canal treatment on a molar is a bit more difficult, as there are usually 3
to 4 canals, and the tooth is further back in your mouth, making access more
difficult. However, you general dentist might be able to take care of this,
depending on his/her skill. You really need to treat the source of this
infection, and antibiotics will not "cure" this -- only removing the source
will. You need to have this tooth have a root canal treatment or an
extraction, and the longer you wait, the worse it will become.
Eventually -- and I don't know how long it's been like this -- it will be
impossible to do root canal treatment and the the tooth will have to be
extracted. Talk this over with your dentist and work something out.
Don't expect to be told the truth here. The dangers of root canals are
denied by organized dentistry.
http://www.toothwisdom.net/r.root_canals.html
http://www.integratedhealthpractice.com/treatment.asp#Root
ll root cancel fillings have the potential to casue bad health. This is
because, althought the nerve has been removed, bacteria still colonise in
the minute tubules of a tooth. These bacteria produce toxins which enter the
body causing potential harm.
An area of residual infection which is left under the gum, usually
following, but sometimes a long time after an extraction can cause problems.
Symptoms can be coincided with the energetic links to the body as well as
localised problems.
http://www.zip.com.au/~rgammal/RCTframeset.htm
http://www.ericdavisdental.com/root_canals.htm
http://www.whale.to/d/root2.html
http://www.drshankland.com/rootcanal.html
http://webpages.charter.net/kyarbrough/rootcanals.htm
http://www.dentistry-toothtruth.com/faq.htm
http://www.cfsn.com/maz/
http://cnorman.best.vwh.net/blazing/dental.html
http://rheumatic.org/teeth.htm
http://www.zip.com.au/~rgammal/root_therapies.htm
http://zap.intergate.ca/root.html
http://www.dentistryholistic.com/education.html
http://www.hugnet.com/Root_Canals.html
http://www.karlloren.com/ultrasound/p25.htm
http://www.hallvtox.dircon.co.uk/hallvt.html
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.
