Hi guidedbylights,

The problem is that a root canal cannot cure the infection residing inside of the tooth. The procedure can only remove the infected nerve tissue that is visible and/or felt with the instruments. Along with that the microscopic canals are not accessible and will continue to harbor infected nerve tissue irrelevant of what is done to the tooth.

The white spots above the tooth that kept reappearing may have been fistulas. These occur when the bacteria proliferates from the tooth into the jaw bone. There is no dental procedure that can cure this infection. The only way to remove the infection is to remove the source which is the tooth.

The cotton pellet that you wrote about the dentist leaving inside of the tooth to "absorb the infection"..... that cotton pellet was drenched in a chemical to kill off some of the bacteria. Most often that pellet is soaked in formocresol or something very similar. These chemicals are highly toxic and cannot be removed or washed away from the inside of the tooth. They are permanently there making the tooth not only infected but highly toxic.

The probability of the infection and toxicity of this tooth spreading beyond the tooth are highly likely. [QUOTE=guidedbylights;1065384]Hi,

The only option to cure problem is to remove the tooth. It would be wise to speak to your general dentist about your replacement options.

I'm sorry if you have not be informed of this information before now. Your dentist should have explained all of this to you and offered you the option of removing this tooth prior to doing the root canal.