On Root Canals

Many, many people come to the OraMedia site after hearing the words 'root canal' uttered by the dentist. At whatever age, this seems to be when quite a few folks start paying attention to the condition of their teeth and gums. It doesn't have to be 'root canal,' rather, perhaps 'gum surgery' or 'deep pocket scaling...' the point is many of us don't start taking dental issues seriously until something bad HAPPENS or shows up. Like the fellow who, after suffering a heart attack, suddenly decides to change his diet, start one of various exercise routines and so on. Hopefully, the damage was not too serious but it is certainly a wake up call and so it is with our dental health, most often. We start seeing some blood or begin experiencing some pain and then we get concerned - we knew all along we should've taken better care - but now we're really going to get serious, right?

Based on our site statistics and the email I get, I can safely say that information on 'root canal' is the most sought after. Following that is the request to locate a dentist who practices like Dr. Nara, since Dr. Nara retired from practice nearly a quarter of a century ago at age 47 and he is not available to us in that sense. Let's then discuss the subject of root canals and selecting dentists.

Dr. Jones has just told you that you need to have a root canal procedure because the decay in your tooth has got so bad that it has burrowed through the enamel of the tooth, into the dentin and right into the nerve chamber. The nerve is now supposedly dead and the bacteria are having a field day because they have located the right spot on your tooth which you never quite reach with your brush, you never floss or irrigate that area so all those food particles and sugars are feeding bacterial colonies which are indirectly destroying a portion of your body - and now it has got serious and it hurts like the devil too. If you are a modern day man or woman, you come home and jump onto the internet to find out just what this root canal thing is all about. What's involved? What are the options and alternatives? Do you really even need one in the first place? Maybe you go elsewhere for a second or third opinion. The news is the same. The dental professionals are all telling you the same thing... On the internet, though, you find varied opinions about root canals. The Profession's stance repeats - 'get 'er done!' Some alternative sites will say you should never have one done. They tell you to extract the tooth because the root canalled tooth will become infected, you won't know it and then the bacteria will get into the bloodstream and infect another part of the body - maybe even the heart and then you'll have a worse mess. The debate runs hot in the discussion groups, where you learn and begin worrying about other issues: your mercury fillings, tooth mobility, the cost of the procedures and on and on. Now you are really confused, right?

Let's break the whole thing down:

Nutrition: No matter which course you take, it is wise and of utmost important to see that you are eating correctly and getting the proper nutrients for your system, preferably from good food - at least from supplements. Good nutrition helps strengthen the immune system which, in turn, will help you with the infection causing the decay. It's a factor - not the total answer...

Frame of reference: If you are reading this, you are already aware that there may be valid alternatives to the views on oral health put forth not only by the profession, but also to the view put forth by the hundreds of popular books written on pop/fad nutrition, health in general, television advertising, the clerk at the health food store and your aunt Sadie.

Options: You need to take a look at what options are available to you; have the root canal procedure done, extract the tooth, leave it alone and see if it changes for the better, find out if you are a candidate for pulp capping instead or try treating it yourself somehow. Those are pretty much your options.

Knowledge: You need to understand what the procedures are and how your body may react. Is the procedure going to stop the problem permanently or temporarily? In your new frame of reference, you have, hopefully, decided that you are going to handle not only the issue with this tooth, but understand and take the necessary steps to prevent this from occurring in the future with any of your teeth. The more you learn and understand all aspects of the procedure(s), your oral health and so on, the greater your arsenal for preventing and fighting tooth and gum disease in the future.

Understanding the biological balance: What lead to the decay of the tooth in the first place? In large part, bacteria, which was introduced into your mouth and allowed to colonize, is the culprit. Once you understand that, in its simplicity, you can understand that you have to get the levels of bacteria down and not allow them to colonize. When you do that, you will arrest any further decay elsewhere and prevent the further progression of any tooth and gum diseases.

Taking Action: Armed with the information and knowledge you have gained from the first 5 factors, you can now begin on a course of action to deal with the current situation and prevent future similar situations.

Money: This would be the final factor in your decision-making process. There are a lot of attitudes about money and yours could range from, "I will pay for and get only the best treatment..." to "I cannot afford anything more than having the tooth pulled..." Maybe it goes against your grain to have any professional treatment at all or you simply do not have the funds... Whatever. This factor certainly plays in on your decision. You may decide to have it done, but go to Mexico to do it where it is less expensive and you can enjoy a vacation while there.

If you got this far and are thinking, "Wait a minute. I wanted an answer to my question! Should I get that root canal or have the tooth pulled or what?" Well, the answer is... you have just been presented with seven factors which you need to incorporate into your process of coming to your OWN conclusion. If you read Dr. Nara, you'll see a point of view which says' "Yes, have it done because if you opt for an extraction, you risk the shifting of the surrounding teeth and this isn't good." If you read Dr. Meinig you'll see a point of view which says, "Root canal procedures are dangerous because the filling material traps the bacteria and they keep on destroying your tooth, then the decay gets into the jaw bone and finds its way into the blood stream and then other major problems start!" Of course the same can happen if you don't do anything. And, yes, if your dentist does a lousy job on the root canal, certainly what Dr. Meinig is saying can happen.

Certainly it would be better that you didn't have to deal with this in the first place - so that takes us to the next question: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THE REST OF YOUR TEETH? Let's not focus SO much on this one bad apple that we forget about keeping our mouths clean so the rest don't go bad. This is part of TAKING ACTION.

Dr. Nara says that the root canal, when done properly, is safe and there is no real evidence to the contrary. The real question is... Do you really need the root canal in the first place? Dr. Nara says that probably 2/3 of all root canals done in the U.S. are unnecessary! For more on this, download and listen to our recent discussion on root canals from the link below. You may be very surprised at what you learn!