Montos,

Without any doubt whatsoever... do your own research... there is no way to rid the tooth of formocresol. Yes, the cotton pellet is dipped in the liquid and then gently tapped on a cotton gauze pad so it is not dripping wet. Ask yourself this... if the cotton pellet did not have a significant amount of formocresol left on it when she pakced it in your tooth... what would have been the purpose of using it in the first place?? Your "good guy" dentist did not want to speak ill of the emergency dentist. They cover each others back.

My background in dentistry to date is 35 yrs of four and six handed chair-side assisting, dental radiography and patient advocacy. I have not seen formocresol used in dentistry in over 15 yrs. Why? Because it is horrifically toxic to not only the patient, but to every one who breathes the vapors. Although it is still taught to dental students in some dental schools, so are mercury fillings. The dentists who concerned about the systemic affects of toxins like formocresol do not use it in their practices.

The formocresol literally leaches out of your tooth into your tissue, into your bloodstream, into your brain........ it knows no barrier. Can this make you ill? Yes.

You are wasting your time if you consult with an endodontist. They are the ones who advocate root canal therapy irrelevant of the systemic consequences. They do this for a living and a very lucrative living at that.

The longer the tooth is present... the more widespread and permanent the problem. In addition to this toxic issue, all root canaled teeth are infected because there is no access to the tiny canals which will continue to harbor infected nerve material. So ask yourself this...... am I comfortable living with a chronically infected, inflamed and toxic tooth that is only 4 inches from my brain?

Also, please be careful when bloggers on the net who have no educated background in dentistry give you their version of what is happening to you or what will happen to you. Please don't let anyone scare you from using your own intuition about what is best for you..... everyone is unique in that we all come away with a different response or different point of view to something that may or may not be similar. Unfortunately, people are horribly misinformed about dental treatment and without the proper knowledge their statements are sometimes a bit misconstrued.

Your best bet is to see an oral surgeon and explain your concerns about the formocresol. You are not looking for him to point blame or negligence in any direction... you just want to be informed about the systemic consequences of this being used. I have assisted on thousands of extractions of teeth and many in your condition .... I have no doubt that this tooth is black as coal and very sick.

I have no reason for posting anything here that is not factual. These are not my opinion, they are fact. Do your research on formocresol toxicity.

Let us know how you make out...
Bryanna