toxic teeth?
 

I started reading The Toxic Tooth, which you recommended, Bryanna, in another post! I left the endodontist's office today, and I was told that the two options for an infection around a former root canal were to 1. surgically remove the infection through the gum or 2. do a 2nd root canal. Neither has 100 percent chance of taking care of the infection. My husband insisted I go back inside and ask about removing the tooth since the surgical option was said to affect the bone so that I may not be able to have an implant later on, and she told me she isn't into tooth removal, only saving teeth.Now, I am reading all of this about root canals and the infections that can come from them--she even told my my infection has been there for at least 6 months or more! I feel deceived! I need to decide if I should just have the tooth extracted and get an implant instead of this surgical procedure with MAY not work, will damage the possibility of an implant in the future, and will require extraction later on, anyway, if the infection doesn't go away! Help! Also, I am now concerned about the fact that I have developed symptoms from this infection and how it will possibly affect my overall health. I was told about 6 months ago that I tested positive for lupus/autoimmune, and I am wondering if it was because of this infection instead!

Hi Keggna,

Glad to hear that you are reading the book Toxic Teeth! What do you think of it so far? I feel it is loaded with pertinent information and the photos offer clear explanation on so many levels.

There are 3 treatment options pertaining to root canaled teeth.

One) Extract the tooth and surgically debride the tooth socket of all diseased tissue and bone. This eliminates the origin of the infection.

Two) Re root canal the tooth. This is an identical procedure to the original root canal. It is irrelevant how many times this is done as the procedure does nothing to alter the bacterial status of the infected nerve tissue inside of the dentin tubules.

Three) A surgical root canal called an Apicoectomy. This also has no affect on the dentin tubules.

The differences between a surgical and non surgical root canal procedure are:

1) The entry point. Surgical is through a hole made in the bone at the root of the tooth. Non surgical is through the biting surface of the tooth.

2) Surgical rc attempts to remove the cyst of infection that forms at the end of the root tip. Non surgical has no direct contact with the cyst.

3) The surgical hole made in the bone has to be plugged up with a filling material. Mercury or some toxic material is often used to fill up that hole.

Regarding a dental implant to replace a root canaled tooth.......

It is important to know that when a dental implant is placed in the bone of a previously root canaled tooth there is going to be an increase risk of failure and infection due to the longstanding infection from the root canaled tooth. For health, function and longevity purposes, implants are ideally placed in healthy bone. The chronic bacteria from rc teeth disrupt the integrity of the jaw bone often resulting in fragile or significant bone loss. The degree of bone loss depends on how long the rc tooth was present and how severely it was infected.

If you were to do some research on autoimmune disorders and how they correlate to systemic infection and inflammation, you would find a lot of reference correlating these things together.

Here's an informational piece written by Dr Mark Hyman, a Functional Medical Professional:
http://drhyman.com/blog/2015/07/24/1...mmune-disease/

Bryanna





QUOTE=keggna;1183150]I started reading The Toxic Tooth, which you recommended, Bryanna, in another post! I left the endodontist's office today, and I was told that the two options for an infection around a former root canal were to 1. surgically remove the infection through the gum or 2. do a 2nd root canal. Neither has 100 percent chance of taking care of the infection. My husband insisted I go back inside and ask about removing the tooth since the surgical option was said to affect the bone so that I may not be able to have an implant later on, and she told me she isn't into tooth removal, only saving teeth.Now, I am reading all of this about root canals and the infections that can come from them--she even told my my infection has been there for at least 6 months or more! I feel deceived! I need to decide if I should just have the tooth extracted and get an implant instead of this surgical procedure with MAY not work, will damage the possibility of an implant in the future, and will require extraction later on, anyway, if the infection doesn't go away! Help! Also, I am now concerned about the fact that I have developed symptoms from this infection and how it will possibly affect my overall health. I was told about 6 months ago that I tested positive for lupus/autoimmune, and I am wondering if it was because of this infection instead![/QUOTE]

tooth out
 

Hi, Bryanna! Had my tooth extracted on Wed. Today is Sat. I am so glad I did this instead of the root canal procedure on my old root canal!! The oral surgeon said no chance of infection returning with the tooth removed-- I have an appointment with the rheumatologist next month and am interested to see if I test positive for lupus again. AFter reading the book, I am thinking my test results will show improvement. I was told that the infection has been in my gums for over 6 months, which means it could have affected the tests for lupus.

I am on antibiotics and a little sore, but I can tell I am healing. I did have the bone graft, in case I want to have an implant later, but I read that they don't create an infection response like a dead tooth. Seriously thinking about a partial, though, since it is a molar. What are you thoughts about that?

My husband was supportive of the extraction--said he thought I would always wonder if I didn't have it removed. He is so right. I feel like the dentist who put a new crown on in February should have mentioned that the tooth underneath was in terrible shape (oral surgeon said very brittle and falling apart) and there were other options. Now, I have paid for the expensive crown AND had it removed just 6 months later. All in all, I am glad.

Do you happen to know, though, if it is normal to have headaches after an extraction? I have read on other sites that it can be possible, but I don't understand why.

Thanks for the info! I do like the Toxic Teeth book in that it gave me a whole new perspective on my health--it is so important to be educated and know all the options so that we can make the right decisions for ourselves! Even though my case may be related only to my particular situation, this book let me know that I wasn't completely crazy! I felt like I was making a logical connection; yet, no one in the dental field gave me any encouragement to "go against the grain".


[/QUOTE]

Hi keggna,

Very glad to hear that you are content with your decision to have the tooth extracted. I am also glad that you learned a lot from the book, Toxic Teeth.

Regarding the crown that was placed on this tooth in February 2015... due to the obvious condition of this tooth, as per the oral surgeon who removed it, you are ethically entitled to a partial or full reimbursement of the money that you paid for that crown. Dental crowns are not intended to be used to cover an infected, badly broken down tooth. Due to the limited age of the crown, it is quite obvious that the tooth was in poor condition at the time that procedure was done. I would recommend that you contact the dentist who did the crown either by phone (speak to him directly, not a staff member) or write him a letter to inform him of the events that have taken place and request a reimbursement of your money. Send the letter certified mail so he has to sign for it and you get a receipt of his signature. This way you are reassured that he is in possession of the letter and not just left hanging wondering if he got it or not. FYI... it is not uncommon for a patient to request a refund for dental work that had no longevity and/or in a short amount of time the tooth needed to be removed.

Regarding the replacement of this tooth.... you have some time to think about what you want to do. A dental implant is a risky replacement option for a root canaled tooth due to the longevity of the infection from the extracted tooth. In some cases, the implant works out well but it's important to know that the risk of failure is increased when replacing an rc tooth. A partial denture replacing one tooth can sometimes be made to snap in and out of that one spot between the adjacent teeth. That appliance is called a Nesbit. It is not meant to be worn when eating or sleeping as it could become a choking hazard. But it can be worn for aesthetic purposes and at the same time it will hold the space open which prevents the adjacent teeth from shifting.

Regarding the lupus retest ..... I don't know for certain, but 6 weeks post op may not be long enough to test. It's important to inform your doctor of the longevity of the tooth infection, the date of the extraction and that you have a bone graft in the site. He can then make an informed decision of how long to wait for the test.

Regarding the headache ..... it is not uncommon to have one or a lingering one post op a tooth extraction. It is usually a tension type headache and can even be associated with over stretching the facial muscles during the procedure. Try to relax as much as you can and stick to a soft food diet for about 2 weeks to avoid over using your jaw muscles. You can also apply a moist heat pack to the side of your face to help relax the muscles in that area.

Keep us posted on how you're doing. Thanks for sharing your positive and honest opinion on the book... I hope others following this thread will consider reading it too :)

Bryanna


[/QUOTE]

Thank you for this info! I was wondering about the possibility of a refund and will definitely make the effort. I will let you know the result!

Also, I ate foods that I had to chew before yesterday, so that may have been the cause of the headache. I have switched back to all soft foods for now, and the headache is gone. I have soreness in the jaw and at the site of the surgery but am sure this is to be expected. I go back in a week and a half.

Thank you so much for just offering information worth considering! It has really helped me a lot, Bryanna. When I first thought of pulling the tooth, I felt like it was completely crazy. Since your mention of the book, I have done tons of reading and researching, and I am even more certain that I made the right decision.