Hi caroline,

I completely understand your concern about adding further trauma to your system and appreciate your hesitation about dealing with this root canaled tooth as that could include decisions about other teeth related to this bridge. However at the very same time I think you realize that a chronic infection anyplace in your body can not only jeopardize the integrity of your hip replacement but it can also cause other systemic health problems.

Root canaled teeth are a chronic source of bacterial infection and inflammation. The oral cavity and the jaw bone are highly vascular which means that both good and bad bacteria living in our mouths and jaw bone continuously travels throughout our bodily systems and organs. You have managed to reduce the obvious physical symptoms of your infected tooth for 10 years, but that does not in any way mean that the infection is not present all of the time.

I am not trying to convince you to seek dental care as that is your personal decision. I am just here to inform you and others reading these posts that once a tooth is root canaled it is a constant source of infection and an absence or decrease in physical symptoms of that infection should not be misunderstood as a resolution of the infection.

I hope you know that I am here to help, not hinder
Bryanna