Yes that is definately alarming. I have been having pain in my lower right side where about my appendix would be since around the past week. I had this pain before but it seems kind of odd that it would happen right after the root canal treatment. I tried getting a hold of my endodontist today and he is on vaca for the next week until my appointment. I wanted to ask him about what you said about the toxic 'medicine'. This is concering to me and I have been having a couple random symptoms since the treatment that I had after the first root canal treatment. I dont really know what to do but I appreciate your insite.

It is a really tough decision and I will ultimately have to make it at my next appointment. (to keep the tooth or not)

I agree that he should have told me about what he was using to treat the tooth. I find it frustrating that they can't just be honest and tell you everything when your there. But basically what I'm gathering is that if I keep the tooth now then I will probably have more problems later and it is not localized to just my mouth. Anyways I appreciate your help. Thank you.

Hi qschultz,

If your dentist used formercresol, he is most likely not going to disclose that to you especially up front during the procedure. I have never in my 36 years in dentistry heard or known of a dentist who offered that information to their patient.

Even if he used bleach, it is still highly toxic and not able to be rinsed out. So it will continue to seep through your tooth.

Bryanna

My dentist recently informed me that my root canal and crown (tooth 19) has to be removed. The root has cracked. The crown felt quite loose, but wouldn't come off when the dentist tried removing. Apparently it's still attached well, but the fractured root is moving around. There's no pain at all.

My appointment is three weeks out for extraction. What do you think the risk of infection would be if I'm waiting that long? I've had the root canal/crown for probably 20 years. What can I expect during the removal process? I've only had top wisdom teeth removed, so this is a bit startling losing this tooth.

Thanks!

Hi Bryanna,

First off I just wanted to say thank you very much for your commitment to helping guide others in their journey to restore their dental health. I have a few questions regarding root canals that I was hoping you could answer.

I had a root canal done back in 2011 on my bottom-left second molar (tooth 18) after it cracked chewing on some candy. Last year I visited a holistic dentist in LA to begin the process of removing my amalgam fillings, at which time he informed me that he sees a small halo at the root of my root canal indicative of infection.

Naturally, I began a long process of reading into both sides of the story regarding RCs, even going so far as to bug my friends with access to medical journals such as PubMed.

My questions are as follows:

1. It is often claimed that because the RC is no longer vital, it no longer receives any nutrients via blood flow. However, those who're are anti-RC claim that it leaks bacteria and toxins into the rest of the body. This part confuses me. If there is an opening through which the RC's toxins can pour out, then naturally it could also serve as an entrance through which the immune system can come in and heal the site, no?

2. If I opt for an extraction, do I have to get the tooth replaced (btw I'm 28 years old)? I feel that the warnings that your "face will collapse" or that your teeth will hypererupt/shift if you leave a gap are overblown, which is a sentiment shared by many orthodontists who themselves commonly perform tooth extractions to help their patients with their bites. The only alternative I would be comfortable with is a zirconia implant, but I'm still not completely comfortable with the idea of an implant in general.

3. Is it necessary to go to an oral surgeon? I feel like it would be a difficult task to track down an oral surgeon completely versed in the holistic techniques that most of us are seeking. I found this great holistic dentist in Utah (Google: TMJ Dental) who performs extractions with all the trimmings so to speak (removal of periodontal ligament, ozone, debridement, platelet rich fibrin, etc.). Do you think this will be sufficient?

4. Lastly, in your experience, have you seen patients recover health complaints after root canal extraction? My main complaint is chronic fatigue and poor digestion, and am really hoping that the removal of my root canal will solve these woes.

Thank you so much for your time, Bryanna. You're really doing everyone a great favor and I'm sure everyone appreciates your help!

Hi JHDS,

Thank you so much for your kind words and for the recognition of my commitment here to help others. I really appreciate that

How did the amalgam removal go for you with your holistic dentist? Did he utilize the safety protocols during the removals? Perhaps in a separate thread you could share that experience with us...?

I will re post your questions about root canaled tooth #18 and answer them in bold type so it is easier to follow. BTW... excellent questions. You have been doing a lot of research

<<1. It is often claimed that because the RC is no longer vital, it no longer receives any nutrients via blood flow. However, those who're are anti-RC claim that it leaks bacteria and toxins into the rest of the body. This part confuses me. If there is an opening through which the RC's toxins can pour out, then naturally it could also serve as an entrance through which the immune system can come in and heal the site, no?>>

I WISH IT WERE THAT EASY. BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING. TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND, I WILL EXPLAIN WHAT THE RC PROCEDURE IS WHICH WILL DEMONSTRATE WHY THE TOOTH CANNOT BE SAVED BY THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.

TO START WITH WHAT INITIALLY RENDERS THE TOOTH NON VITAL IS THE REMOVAL OF THE PULP. THE PULP IS LOCATED DEEPLY IN THE CENTER OF THE CROWN PORTION OF THE TOOTH AND IT IS A PROTECTED POCKET OF LIVING TISSUE AND CELLS THAT EXTEND LIFE DOWN INTO THE LARGE AND SMALL CANALS AND CREVICES INSIDE OF THE TOOTH. THE APEX OF THE TOOTH IS SECURELY OPEN TO A BLOOD VESSEL THAT NOURISHES THE TOOTH, THE BONE, THE LIGAMENT, ETC. THESE CELLS AND TISSUE ALONG WITH THE BLOOD VESSEL ARE THE HEARTBEAT OF THE TOOTH JUST AS OUR HEART IS THE MAIN VESSEL THAT KEEPS OUR BODY ALIVE.

EXAMPLE: IF SOMEONES HEART STOPS AND THEY ARE PUT ON A VENTILATOR, TECHNICALLY THE BODY WOULD CONTINUE TO THRIVE SO LONG AS THE BRAIN CONTINUED TO FUNCTION. HOWEVER IN THE INTERIM, THE ORGANS SLOWLY SHUT DOWN, THE IMMUNE SYSTEM BECOMES EXHAUSTED, INFECTION AND INFLAMMATION SETS IN AND EVENTUALLY THE BRAIN GOES TO SLEEP. THIS IS WHY VITALITY IS SO IMPORTANT TO EVERY ORGANISM OF THE BODY.

DURING THE RC PROCEDURE THE PULP OF THE TOOTH IS DESTROYED AND THE BLOOD VESSEL AT THE APEX IS SEVERED FROM THE TOOTH. RENDERING THE TOOTH NON VITAL AND WITH NO NUTRITION.

THE VISIBLE LARGE CANALS ARE SOMEWHAT SCRAPED TO REMOVE NERVE TISSUE BUT THE MANY HUNDREDS OF TINY CANALS REMAIN UNTOUCHED LEAVING THEM FILLED WITH DEAD NECROTIC NERVE TISSUE AND CELLS. THE TOOTH IS "DISINFECTED" WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS IN AN ATTEMPT TO KILL OFF ANY REMAINING NERVE TISSUE INSIDE OF THE LARGE CANALS. THE CHEMICALS CANNOT PENETRATE THE MANY HUNDREDS OF MICROSCOPIC CURVY CANALS SO ALL THAT TISSUE BECOMES NECROTIC DUE TO THE SEVERING OF THE PULP AND BLOOD VESSEL.

THE PURPOSE OF USING THESE CHEMICALS IS TO EMBALM OR PRESERVE THE TOOTH FOR AS LONG AS THE TOOTH IS PRESENT IN THE MOUTH. THEREFORE THESE CHEMICALS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE AND CANNOT BE RINSED OFF OR OUT OF THE TOOTH. SO WHAT IS ACTUALLY LEFT IN THE JAW BONE IS A NON VITAL BODY PART THAT IS HARBORING NECROTIC NERVE TISSUE, BACTERIA, AND TOXIC CHEMICALS.

THE TOXINS FROM THE BACTERIA AND CHEMICALS EAT THEIR WAY THROUGH THE DENTIN AND ENAMEL OF THE TOOTH INTO THE PERIODONTAL LIGAMENT THAT SURROUNDS THE ROOT CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TOOTH, CONTINUES ON INTO THE BONE WHILE MAKING IT'S WAY TO THE VASCULAR SYSTEM.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH ALL OF THAT GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME THE IMMUNE SYSTEM NEVER HAS A CHANCE TO RESCUE THE SITUATION BECAUSE IT IS A CONTINUAL EPISODE OF NECROSIS, INFECTION AND INFLAMMATION AND FOR AS LONG AS THE TOOTH IS PRESENT. ANTIBIOTICS ARE OFTEN GIVEN, WHICH MOST PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE BUT ANTIBIOTICS ACTUALLY SUPPRESS A RESPONSE FROM THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. ONCE THE MEDS HAVE LEFT THE BODY, THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TRIES TO DEAL WITH THE MENAGERIE OF ILLS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITH THE TOOTH AND THE REST OF THE BODY. BUT IN MOST PEOPLE, THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IS ALREADY WORKING OVERTIME WITH WHATEVER ELSE IS GOING ON WITH THEM.

<<2. If I opt for an extraction, do I have to get the tooth replaced (btw I'm 28 years old)? I feel that the warnings that your "face will collapse" or that your teeth will hypererupt/shift if you leave a gap are overblown, which is a sentiment shared by many orthodontists who themselves commonly perform tooth extractions to help their patients with their bites. The only alternative I would be comfortable with is a zirconia implant, but I'm still not completely comfortable with the idea of an implant in general.>>

IF TOOTH #18 IS NOT REPLACED IT IS LIKELY THAT YOUR UPPER MOLARS, TEETH #15 AND POSSIBLY #14 DEPENDING ON YOUR BITE, WILL SLOWLY EVULSE FROM THEIR CURRENT POSITION BECAUSE ONE OR BOTH WILL NOT HAVE A LOWER TOOTH TO PREVENT THEM FROM DRIFTING DOWNWARD INTO THAT OPEN SPACE BELOW. IF YOU HAVE TOOTH #17 PRESENT AND ERUPTED, THEN IT WILL SLOWLY MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS THAT OPEN SPACE.

AS FAR AS YOUR FACE COLLAPSING.... NOT FROM THAT ONE TOOTH. THE MUSCLES OF THE FACE COLLAPSE WHEN MANY TEETH ARE REMOVED AND NOTHING IS PUT IN TO REPLACE THEM AND HOLD THE MUSCLES TIGHT.

REGARDING A DENTAL IMPLANT... IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE BONE WHERE THE IMPLANT IS TO BE PLACED IS HEALTHY, VERY ADEQUATE IN HEIGHT, WIDTH AND DEPTH AND WITHOUT ANY CONCERN OF RESIDUAL INFECTION. SO TO KEEP IN MIND... THE DISEASE PROCESS ASSOCIATED WITH ROOT CANALED TEETH AS I HAVE EXPLAINED ABOVE IS PROGRESSIVE FOR AS LONG AS THE TOOTH IS PRESENT.

<<3. Is it necessary to go to an oral surgeon? I feel like it would be a difficult task to track down an oral surgeon completely versed in the holistic techniques that most of us are seeking. I found this great holistic dentist in Utah (Google: TMJ Dental) who performs extractions with all the trimmings so to speak (removal of periodontal ligament, ozone, debridement, platelet rich fibrin, etc.). Do you think this will be sufficient?>>

I UNDERSTAND YOUR DILEMMA ABOUT BEING REASSURED THAT AN ORAL SURGEON WILL PERFORM THE IDEAL EXTRACTION PROTOCOL. IT IS IDEAL TO SEE A DENTIST WHO IS NOT ONLY WELL INFORMED ABOUT EXTRACTIONS AND "ALL OF THE TRIMMINGS", BUT VERY EXPERIENCED IN ORAL SURGERY. THERE ARE HOLISTIC DENTISTS, OR BIOLOGICAL DENTISTS, WHO HAVE EXTENSIVE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE IN TOOTH EXTRACTIONS. PERHAPS YOU COULD FIND ONE OF THOSE OR MAYBE THIS DENTIST IN UTAH IS SOMEONE LIKE THAT?

<<4. Lastly, in your experience, have you seen patients recover health complaints after root canal extraction? My main complaint is chronic fatigue and poor digestion, and am really hoping that the removal of my root canal will solve these woes. >>>

WITHOUT HESITATION, YES I HAVE WITNESSED PEOPLE RECOVER FROM THEIR HEALTH PROBLEMS. SOME RECOVER COMPLETELY AND QUICKLY, WHILE OTHERS TAKE LONGER OR FIND THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME PHYSICAL PROBLEMS. IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE LONGEVITY AND SEVERITY OF THE INFECTION... THE PERSONS OVERALL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH STATUS.... THE STERILITY, TECHNIQUE AND THOROUGHNESS OF THE ORAL SURGERY.... AND THE POST OPERATIVE CARE.

I ALWAYS TELL PATIENTS... DO NOT BE LOOKING FOR A MIRACLE BECAUSE THAT IS TAKING THE ONUS OFF OF YOURSELF AND TRUTHFULLY YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FIND ONE. INSTEAD, BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING, THINK POSITIVELY THAT YOU WILL FEEL BETTER AND MAKE PERMANENT HEALTHY CHANGES IN YOUR DIET AND LIFESTYLE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF YOUR OVERALL HEALTH. THIS IS WHEN THE OUTCOME IS BOUND TO BE POSITIVE. AT LEAST THAT HAS BEEN BOTH MY PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

I hope I have answered your questions. If you need some clarification or have other questions, feel free to post them here.

Thank you again for your kind words, they mean a lot to me.

Hi, Bryanna,

I would like your input on my situation as well, as I try to understand exactly what happens when a tooth decides to cause such a fuss.

Back when I was in college I had a terrible experience having my wisdom teeth removed. I was awake during the procedure and heard the surgeon stop the drilling and exclaim, "Oops!" Not something you want to hear... Anyway, he said he dug too deep and triggered a nerve and that I would most likely have to get a root canal back there someday.

Skip ahead 15 years and that's exactly what happened. A little over a year ago I had a root canal done on that last tooth in that spot. The tooth became extremely sensitive to cold, so I followed my dentist's recommendation and had the root canal done and a permanent crown put on.

I thought everything was fine, but then I had to go back in 6 weeks ago because I had pain again (heat sensitivity). The endodontist who had performed the root canal earlier didn't really even discuss options with me, he just went right into some sort of expensive procedure and sent me home with an antibiotic.

Well, now I have pain again. The pain is different this time... I don't have cold or heat sensitivity, but there is a consistent throbbing that travels into my head. Because it is the last tooth on the top, the pain doesn't radiate into my sinuses but rather into my right temple, resembling the onset of a migraine headache.

To further complicate matters, I have moved to a different state for a new job. I called the endodontist who performed the last two procedures on the tooth and made an appointment, but it will be a very long trip for me. I just want to make sure I understand what might be causing these tooth problems and what my options are so I don't walk into another appointment where things just happen before I'm presented with choices.

I appreciate your time and commitment you devote to others here. Thank you for caring!

Warmly,
Megan

Hi Megan,

What the fuss is about is basically when a tooth is root canaled it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria to thrive and proliferate. All of the canals inside of a tooth contain nerve tissue. The only canals that can be accessed during a root canal procedure are those that are large enough to find and big enough to fit an instrument into to scrap out the nerve tissue. Depending on the tooth, there may be one to four visible and accessible canals. However, every tooth has many many hundreds of tiny microscopic canals called dentin tubules which cannot be seen and are not accessible. Any nerve tissue that remains inside of a tooth is going to become necrotic, inflamed and infected. The reason for this is because during a root canal procedure, the blood vessel at the apex (root) of the tooth that provides the tooth with life and nutrients is severed rendering the tooth unhealthy and noon vital. To help you understand the magnitude of how much nerve tissue is actually still present in a root canaled tooth, I will attach a diagram for you to see just how many of these tiny canals are in every tooth.

Eventually, the rc tooth becomes overwhelmed with bacteria and inflammation. This can result in obvious symptoms such as swelling and pain or an abscess. Or the tooth can have intermittent and/or vague symptoms that go on for weeks, months, even years. Irrelevant of the symptoms, the rc tooth is always going to be unhealthy and starved of oxygen.

The procedure that the endodontist just did... was it a surgery? Called an apicoectomy? If so, that is nothing more than a surgical root canal and it serves the same purpose as a traditional root canal and will not alter the status of infection in the dentin tubules. The difference between the 2 procedures is the location of entry into the tooth. Irrelevant of what the endodontist did, he should have informed you of exactly what it was prior to doing it.

The current pain that you have is most likely from the inflammation and proliferation of bacteria that has spread beyond the tooth. It could even be inflaming and irritating a bundle of nerves in that area of your bone. All of which is not healthy and will become progressive.

The only options there are when the nerves in a tooth become infected is to have a root canal or extraction. The rc does not cure the infection but is done as a temporary measure to basically retain an unhealthy tooth for an uncertain amount of time. The rc procedure itself causes further trauma to the tooth and retains chemical toxicity from the disinfectants that are used during the procedure. The only other option is to remove the actual source of the infection.... which is the tooth. This tooth should only be removed by an oral surgeon and it would be wise to request that he remove the periodontal ligament and all diseased tissue and bone after he removes the tooth. Those steps are suppose to be taken with each tooth extraction, but unfortunately they are more likely to be done when the patient requests them. Skipping those steps could lead to a severe bacterial infection and long term problems.

If you want to learn more about root canaled teeth to help you become better informed as your dentist may try to talk you into another root canal procedure or apicoectomy, you can purchase the book The Toxic Tooth by Dr Robert Kulacz and Dr Tom Levy. It is written in layman's terms and gives factual information and great diagrams and photos.

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I've been reading through this thread & just had some questions for Bryanna as well. Also, thank you for all the information regarding root canals & infections.
I'm in my early 30's & I've already had 8 root canals & crowns. Wish I had read this information sooner!
I'm currently having a problem with tooth #14. I've already had root canal & crowns on #13-15. About 1 year ago, I had a root canal on #15, & not too long after getting the crown on that tooth, I started to have swelling & a small pus bump just above #14 on the inside gum. I went to my dentist, who saw that there was a lot of space between the gums & the crown. He said that my root canal on #14 was 10 years ago, & he decided to do another crown. He also saw an infected area of gum & cut it out. While the temporary crown was on, I was fine. Then the permanent crown went on & I started having the occasional pus bump again. It came & went for about 6 months. I went to the dentist atleast twice but the infection never showed up on x-ray. I took Penicillin & Amoxicillin. Finally I decided that there must be an infection since there's swelling, pain, & pus. So I was referred to my endodontist, who saw the redness & swelling, but said it was not clear on the x-ray if there was a crack in the tooth or what was the cause. Last Tuesday he took the filling out of the root canal, cleaned it, & put "calcium paste" inside the canals to encourage healing. He said that it must've been infected, because he had to clean it out several times. He told me that likely I would not have any problems, come back in 2 weeks & he'd refill the canals.
Well, 2 days after the procedure I was having dull pain & pressure above the tooth, & a large bump in my gum pretty high up, almost to my cheek. When I touch my face, the whole upper left side of my mouth hurts. This happened on the weekend, so I started taking Cipro that I had on hand & Ibuprofen. Now the pain has decreased, but I still feel pressure & the painful hard lump is still there.
My question is: Is the calcium paste likely to improve things any?
Should I go ahead & get the tooth extracted?
I guess I'd opt for a bridge if so. I am worried about jaw bone loss.

Thanks!

I ended up getting a crown. I recently began experiencing cold symptoms. Runny nose, congestion, slight cough, flem, soar throat (pretty much gone), pressure and pain in head. Could this be related to my root canal tooth? Maybe it is infected again? There is some slight pain in the area of the root canal tooth, but then it might just be in my head. Opinions?
I went to the doctor btw and he said it sounds like what is going around in terms of a cold virus. I asked him about the root canal thing and he said basically no.

gschultz,

Your physician has zero dental training. Therefore, he cannot comment on your root canal as he has no knowledge of what it is. So no surprise that he would tell you that you probably have whatever is going around.

I would suggest that you re read my original reply to you as I offered you a lengthy explanation of what the root canal procedure is and does and how the rc tooth affects the immune system. Other than that I personally do not have much else to offer at this time.

Bryanna