Question:
On 6/18 I had a root canal done on tooth #18 because the tooth was
diagnosed as being cracked. It first appeared that this root canal was
successful. And, subsequently my General Dentist did a core build-up
in preparation for the crown.
Now, a month and a half later that tooth is again bothersome
(uncomfortable to chew on and has non-stop dull ache). The Endodontist
took an X-ray and it looked great - but given the symtoms he want to
re-do the root canal.
Questions:
[1] What is the purpose of re-doing this procedure?
[2] What are the chances that the re-do will be successful given the
first procedure was not?
[3] Should this next procedure be successful and I move towards
getting the crown will I need another core build up?
[4] What other options do I have?
Answer:
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.toothwisdom.net/
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.
It is obvious that you perfer not to go with root canals. For a
cracked tooth with symtoms what are the other alternatives?
A truth’s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie
was believed…When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the
masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its
speaker, a raving lunatic.
As you can see, posts can run off topic pretty fast. One *major*
factor that should be considered is clenching. This may have lead to
the 'cracked tooth syndrome' in the first place and certainly could
be the reason that a good looking endo case starts being problematic again.
My recommendation would be to get an NTI stat, and watch things for a
while.
If it starts to feel fine, get it crowned and keep wearing the NTI. If
it does not, consider redoing the endo or extracting the tooth.
People who can clinch are valuable. When the deal is touch-and-go,
they can always come through .......
See what can happen when J** sticks her nose in where it doesn't belong?
This patient almost missed out on the likely cause of his difficulty
when the topic was diverted away from his original problem.
