Mr. Outsider,
I welcome your questions as they are very practical and I have been asked them thousands of times over the last 3 decades. So it's no problem at all for me to answer them.
With that said, perhaps it is important to keep in mind the real "logic" behind condoning something based on the reasoning that it must be okay if it's common or done all the time or that so many people are walking around with it, so it must be okay. If you take that same perspective and apply it to say smoking of cigarettes... or to the every day release of toxic chemicals in the air .... or to the chemicals put in processed food and drinking water of which millions of people consume everyday. Logically speaking all of these things are common, but then so is the enormous increase of cancer, diabetes... etc.
I will re post your questions and then reply in bold type. Just makes it a bit easier to follow.
<< My question would be, is there a situation where you would consider root canal to be the appropriate treatment, and if so, what would that be?>>
THE ANATOMY OF TOOTH, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER PART OF THE BODY, IS DESIGNED TO BE ALIVE AND HEALTHY. ANYTHING SHY OF THAT COMPROMISES THE HEALTH OF THE TOOTH, THE JAW BONE AND THE OVERALL SYSTEMIC HEALTH. TEETH ARE INTRICATELY CONNECTED TO BLOOD VESSELS WHICH ARE INTRICATELY CONNECTED TO EVERY ORGAN OF THE BODY. SO IF WE ARE SPEAKING IN TERMS OF HEALTH, THEN BASED ON BASIC BIOLOGY, IT IS NOT HEALTHY TO RETAIN A DEAD TOOTH. THIS IS JUST THE BASICS AS THE PATHOLOGY REGARDING DEAD INFECTED TEETH IS ON MULTIPLE LEVELS, QUITE COMPLICATED.
IF SOMEONE IS WITHOUT QUESTION OPTIMALLY HEALTHY AND THEY HAD AN ISOLATED INJURY TO A HEALTHY, NON INFECTED TOOTH THAT CAUSED THE PULP TO INFLAME AND THEY HAD AN IMMEDIATE ROOT CANAL TREATMENT, THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE TOOTH WILL NOT BECOME A SYSTEMIC BURDEN AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM. YES, THE TINY CANALS WILL STILL CONTAIN DEAD NERVE TISSUE BUT THE PROGRESSION OF THE BACTERIA THAT RESIDES IN THOSE TINY CANALS MAY MIGRATE VERY SLOWLY DUE TO THE OPTIMAL HEALTH OF THE PERSONS IMMUNE SYSTEM. THIS SCENARIO IS IS RARER THAN RARE AS MOST PEOPLE HAVE A COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.
<< Obviously this is a very common and widespread procedure - is it your opinion that it should be abandoned?>>
I AM ADAMANTLY AGAINST THE USE OF TOXIC CHEMICALS IN THE MOUTH. BUT WITHOUT THEM, THE PROCEDURE COULD NOT BE DONE. NO I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE BANNED. I DON'T THINK THE PROCEDURE IS DONE MALICIOUSLY AND I THINK EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHAT THEY FEEL IS BEST FOR THEM. I TAKE ISSUE WITH THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT PROPERLY INFORMED ABOUT THE TOXICITY OF THE CHEMICALS USED OR INFORMED ABOUT THE SYSTEMIC RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH RETAINING A NON VITALROOT CANALED TOOTH.
<<I understand what you say about the inability to adequately remove an infection from a tooth, though I've obviously not studied this, it makes a certain degree of logical sense to me. However, is there really such danger from having a root canal done to preserve a tooth, if only for an unspecified amount of time?>>
THE BIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH NON VITAL AND INFECTED TEETH IS VERY LOGICAL AS IS THE PATHOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROLIFERATION OF THE BACTERIA THAT SPREADS FROM THE TOOTH INTO THE BLOOD STREAM. WHEN YOU SAY PRESERVE A TOOTH IT IS THE SAME AS SAYING PRESERVE A DEAD BODY. EVERY LIVING ORGANISM THAT IS MEANT TO BE ALIVE, REQUIRES VITALITY TO BE HEALTHY. WITHOUT VITALITY, NECROSIS AND RIGOR MORTIS SETS IN. THIS IS WHY ROOT CANALED TEETH BECOME SO BRITTLE ... JUST AS THE BONES BECOME STIFF IN A CORPSE.
<<Is the infection liable in all cases to cause more complicated problems in the future? >>
YES IN THE MAJORITY OF CASES, OTHER THAN THE ONE I MENTIONED ABOVE, BECAUSE THE INFECTION IS NOT CONTAINED TO JUST THE TOOTH.
<<Ultimately, if it is a case of removal being the only fix, might it not be in some ways preferable to delay that procedure until it is absolutely neccessary and the tooth can no longer be 'preserved'?>>
HERE'S A QUESTION FOR YOU. DO YOU THINK IT'S HEALTHY TO PRESERVE A DEAD BODY PART WHILE IT IS STILL IN THE PERSONS BODY? WHAT WOULD MAKE THAT TOOTH NO LONGER ABLE TO BE PRESERVED? INFECTION... FROM WHERE? BACTERIA.... FROM WHERE?
AS THE BACTERIA TRAVELS FROM THE TOOTH INTO THE BONE, IT CARRIES A PATH OF INFECTION THAT MAY NOT BE LIMITED TO JUST WHAT IS ABLE TO BE SEEN VISIBLY OR PICKED UP ON AN XRAY. ESPECIALLY IF THE BACTERIA AFTER ENTERING THE BLOOD STREAM HAS SETTLED ELSEWHERE. THIS BY THE WAY IS REFERRED TO AS SYSTEMIC AND WHEN DISCOVERED IT IS OFTEN CALLED OSTEOMYELITIS.
<<I hope you don't take my questions in a bad way. I find your responses interesting and as I say do not doubt the informed platform you are speaking from.>>
NO OFFENSE TAKEN. I AM GLAD THAT YOU ARE INQUIRING ABOUT THIS TOPIC AS IT SHOWS YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT BECOMING INFORMED AND THAT IS A GOOD THING!
<<In my case I'm already down the line to a root canal procedure, having already paid the deposit etc. Not only that, and this relates to the thread about oral surgeon treatment in the UK, I'm not sure I could effectively 'reccommend' myself to have the tooth removed instead (without seeking treatment privately). And I'm also still unsure as to whether I would want to, or should do!>>
EVERY PERSON HAS THE RIGHT TO BE TRUTHFULLY INFORMED. YOU CAN TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND LOOK FURTHER INTO IT OR PUT IT ASIDE AND TAKE YOUR CHANCES. THE DECISION IS SOLELY UP TO YOU. AS FAR AS GETTING AN ORAL SURGEON TO REMOVE YOUR TOOTH, AGAIN EVERY PERSON HAS THE RIGHT TO MAKE THEIR OWN INFORMED DECISION. WITH THAT BEING SAID IT IS MY OPINION THAT NO PROFESSIONAL SHOULD WITHHOLD INFORMATION AND/OR MISINFORM A PATIENT SO THEY ARE COMPLIANT WITH WHAT THEY WANT THEM TO DO.
<<Thanks again for your time and thoughts>
YOU ARE VERY WELCOME!