Hi CJ,
You are welcome
I am thrilled to read that you are interested in Functional Medicine! This area of medicine is perhaps the healthiest form of healthcare offered at this time. Thanks to Functional Medicine practitioners like Dr Mark Hyman, FM is making it's entry into the curriculum of some traditional medical schools!! Are you familiar with this physician at all? He does a lot with auto immune disorders. If you haven't done so already, please google him.
According to the radio graphs that you posted here..... you have 3 other root canaled teeth. Two in the upper left #'s 13 and 14 and one in the upper right #3. You are also missing a tooth #11 and have a multi unit bridge to replace #11. Looks like the bridge came out and was being re-cemented or is this a new bridge? When was tooth #11 extracted and had that tooth been root canaled previously? I ask about it because the bone has not filled in where #11 was removed.
Regarding your other root canaled teeth.... every root canaled tooth is toxic and has some degree of chronic disease going on. The infection is usually not visible clinically or radio graphically until the bacteria has proliferated beyond the tooth. Every root canaled tooth irritates the immune system and is a host of infectious bacteria that filters through your thyroid and blood stream. The more virulent the infection becomes the more systemic it can become.
Regarding teeth extractions in general... it is ideal to keep your teeth healthy simply because there is nothing like having your own natural teeth. Every extraction results in some degree of bone loss and shifting of the bite. So it is not ideal to leave spaces where teeth have been removed. There are exceptions to that rule and it depends on the individual case. The degree of bone loss and shifting also various from one person to another.
Regarding the extraction of #19, it is imperative that you be your own advocate and in a gentle but assertive manner tell the surgeon your concerns about not wanting a lingering infection and you want him to be thorough in removing the ligament and all diseased tissue and bone. When the tooth socket is not thoroughly debrided after the tooth is extracted, the infection will prevent the bone from healing properly and the bacteria will continue to deteriorate the bone. This can lead to all sorts of physical issues with your jaw bone, with the bundles of nerves that line the face and even systemically. It is not ideal to have to have a second surgery to reopen the wound and debride the bone. It should all be done at the time of the extraction.
Regarding nutritional supplementation for oral health.... the best and easiest way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need it to eat a healthy diet of organic, whole fresh foods, pasture raised chicken and meat, and drink plenty of filtered water. Avoid sugar and genetically modified foods, as well as processed, refined, and fortified food products. Supplementing with a probiotic every day is ideal for most people as it helps to keep the bacterial flora in the intestines in a healthy balance. Other supplementation really depends on the individual needs of that person.
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by cjuch
Hello Bryanna,
Thank you for your quick reply and I especially appreciate your honest advice and taking the time to read my post and look at the attached xray! Your opinion is greatly valued and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this forum.
Yes- all of the graphs on the screen are my teeth. I have two other root canals, both of them being in the upper jaw-one on the right side of my mouth which is the second tooth from the back and the other is on the left side of my mouth the third tooth from the back. I have a crown on my lower left side-second tooth from the back and some fillings on other teeth- can't remember which ones exactly. You mentioned you would focus on tooth 19 so I'm wondering what are your thoughts on those teeth that you saw with root canals?
Finding out about having thyroid disease was extremely life changing and I have been making great efforts to learn more about the disease and have found more answers from a holistic/alternative/functional medicine direction than from traditional medicine. I've read many articles about the negative effects of root canals and fillings on our bodies and have considered having the teeth that have had root canals removed if that is something that I should consider? If so, are there any negatives/cons to having teeth extraction? After having teeth extracted, especially some of the back teeth that are used to chew, are there any recommendations to make eating easier? Partial dentures?
I appreciate you letting me know about the various places where there is an infection in tooth 19- my general dentist did not share that with me and I'm disappointed that he was considering just leaving me on antibiotics-although I think he mentioned having the tooth pulled since I kept saying it to his other staff while they were talking with me prior to meeting with him.
I will be contacting an oral surgeon about extraction and will share with him/her what you shared with me. I'm nervous that not everything will be removed as you mentioned. Worse case scenario....let's say it is not (I'm used to something going wrong at this point so that's why I'm asking), can I have that taken care of after the original extraction procedure? I've become very weary of doctors and due to prior experience- especially with this tooth- i think I would like to get a second opinion from another oral surgeon or dentist after the extraction just to cover all bases.
I knew a bridge or implant was not the best choice and I'm disappointed that my dentist is being so pushy about it- but I would imagine that that is the route he has been taught to take or I'm sure he wants the money from me and my insurance company.
Thank you for your advice about oral care, I've tried oil pulling before and have read many articles about it so I will make it my regular routine. You didn't mention supplements since I have root canaled/infected teeth so it wouldn't be worth it but out of curiosity- what would be supplements you recommend?
Thank you for your advice on on gluten and dairy free products- I do try to stay away from them due to the reasons you've mentioned. Like I mentioned before, once I found out about my thyroid disease - I conducted a ton of research on my own via the internet and library (mainly holistic and alternative and functional medicine) and I've been amazed at the amount of information that is out there but is not being used by traditional doctors. My autoimmune/thyroid disease has been life changing and I'm continuously making efforts to better my health. I refuse to just let a doctor prescribe me a pill to take rather than researching other options while taking medicine.
Again- I am extremely grateful for the light you've shed on my personal situation! The fact that you have taken the time to read my post, examine my picture, and take time away from you day to write a response and offer advice is above and beyond what I expected. Words cannot express how thankful I am that you are offering your help/opinion here for free online without asking for anything in return! I'm glad to see that there people are so helpful and generous in sharing their knowledge with others.
Thank you,
~CJ
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