Hi cvcman,

And here's my answers to your questions.....

1) Is there a time when a root canal is a good idea and you would opt for one or is extraction always better ??
<<Root canaled teeth irrelevant of how well the procedure is done will always harbor infectious bacteria in the microscopic canals. There is no instrument, laser beam, irrigant or antibiotic that can access these tiny canals to remove the bacteria. Any chronic infection/inflammation anyplace in the body burdens the immune system. Everyone has their own unique immune system and some people can withstand a chronic infection longer than someone else. But their resistance does not diminish the burden and over time that burden starts to show symptoms of distress. An example......Root canal teeth are like coronary artery disease in that the symptoms of the inflammation can be silent for many years leaving the person to think that everything is ok. Then one day, there is a swelling in the jaw...... or a pain in the chest which indicate that the immune system is no longer dealing with the burden.

I personally would never opt to do a root canal irrelevant of what tooth was involved because I believe my body is dealing with enough stress and burdens from various sources (some out of my control) so why add another one. I would rather eliminate the problem before it spreads to other areas. I am mindlful of what I have to do to be healthy so I live a preventative lifestyle as much as possible.

2) you say " a fractured tooth is not salvagable " I thought a fractured tooth could be crowned IF it was not fractured into the root true or false ?? My wifes dentist told her she had a crack, root canaled and crowned it and its been fine for a few years, is this something different ?
<<A fractured tooth has many scenerios, too many to get into here. A tooth can be fractured slightly to severely. If is in not fractured into the dentin portion of the tooth then a filling or crown may be the remedy. If it is fractured into the dentin, depending on where the fracture is determines the remedy. A fracture below the gum line presents other anatomical issues that can make it difficult to properly restore the tooth. Anytime a tooth is root canaled, irrelevant of the reason, the tooth remains infected. So to root canal a fractured tooth leaves the tooth in the same condition as does a root canal on an infected tooth. Same anatomy... same end result.


3) Upper teeth, how many times are upper teeth into the sinus cavity ?? Is it fairly rare ??
<<Posterior upper molars and sometimes other upper teeth can have roots near or in the sinuses. This is not rare but it is not the norm either. It differs from one person to another. Depends on the anatomy of the teeth and the size, shape and location of the sinuses.

have you ever had extractions or root canals or cracked teeth ? Just curious or are you the lucky one with perfect chicklets
<<I do not have perfect chicklets.... wish I did! I have had braces twice, I've had extractions and cracked teeth..... no root canals. I had several silver/mercury fillings in my posterior teeth from when I was a child that have sinced been refilled with composite fillings or porcelain crowns or onlays.

I'll be around if you have more you'd like to talk about :-))

Bryanna