Jim,

Root canal therapy is done in an attempt to "retain" a tooth. It is not done to cure an infected tooth or to make an unhealthy tooth, healthy again. Once the nerves die in the tooth from decay or trauma or once a tooth is root canaled the tooth becomes non vital..... dead.... no longer able to receive nourishment from the blood vessel that was supplying it life before it died. Bacteria and inflammation set in and infection follows. This same process would occur with every other body part or organ of the body.... teeth are no exception, they require vitality to be healthy. This is not my opinion, this is basic biology. Every dentist and every doctor has learned this... but not every dentist or doctor is going to recommend extraction of the tooth unless the patient decides that is what they want to do.

As with any other part of the body, teeth do not have to show symptoms of a problem until the problem is severe and/or has spread beyond the original site. This is why people will often, but I had no "problem" with that root canaled tooth until all of a sudden it swelled up. Just like people will say.. I had no idea I had heart disease until I had a heart attack. Or I had no idea I had diabetes until I passed out. It is often the progression of disease or an illness that will eventually show itself.

The early onset of infection in a tooth does not usually appear on an xray. It appears when the infection has spread beyond the tooth. Just like in your case of this "other tooth" that you say is dead and infected.

You wrote: <<Now imagine if I had a root canal. As long as you removed the dead tissue inside the canal, my symptoms would likely disappear. But that doesnt mean the infection is gone.>>

I don't have to imagine what takes place during a root canal.... I've assisted on them countless times. It is not possible to remove all of the dead nerve tissue from the interior of the tooth, especially the hundreds of microscopic canals called dentin tubules. The reason some people have relief of their symptoms is due to the removal of the most inflamed nerves but that does not render the tooth healthy just because the symptoms subside. Other times the inflammation is increased after the procedure and the pain is worse. Either way, the end result of any rc procedure is a dead, diseased tooth. Again, this is not my opinion, it is basic biology.

The anatomy of tooth is what it is and there is no changing that. Any tooth that is non vital is not healthy simply because all body parts require vitality to be healthy .... and there is no changing that. Whether you believe it is systemically healthy to keep a dead tooth in your head or not... that is your opinion and your decision.

I have answered your questions and explained everything in great detail. I am not here to convince you of anything, I just provide the facts along with information that may not be disclosed to you by your dentist. I suggest that you decide what your priorities are and let those be the direction you go in.

Bryanna