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Can ROOT CANAL and APICOECTOMY dental treatment adversely affect our health?
These treatment procedures allow us to keep our teeth, but we need to be aware
of
the side effects in order to make an informed choice, in conjunction with our
dentist.

QUOTING from Dr. David Williams' October 2003 monthly newsletter.

Should You Accept Root Canals at Face Value?

Dear Friend:

There are five painfully expensive words no one likes to hear from their
dentist or endodontist: "You need a root canal." It's bad enough to hear this
once, but some people have had three, four, or even ten root canals. In fact,
for most people, this procedure is just another routine and accepted solution
to tooth problems, just like a filling, but it shouldn't be.

One fellow I met went to his dentist with an achy tooth he'd had for several
months. The dentist took an x-ray, made an immediate diagnosis, and told him he
needed a root canal. The patient had decided years before—after reading about
potential negative consequences—that a root canal would be a last ditch
option, so he sought a second opinion. The second dentist told him, "You're
getting older, you have some minor cracks in your teeth, but you don't need a
root canal. It's not unusual to have some minor tooth pain; it's normal, and
will probably pass soon." The pain did pass, and after many years the problem
hasn't recurred. (I might add that this fellow added green tea to his
supplement regimen after that experience.)

The story isn't always going have a happy ending. Here are three things to keep
in mind about tooth problems:

Don't put off getting a diagnosis.
Maintain a healthy skepticism when you get a diagnosis that will have a serious
(and expensive) health consequence, such as a root canal.
Get a second, and possibly even a third, opinion.

What's at the Root of Root Canals?

Three parts of the tooth are of particular importance: the pulp chamber, the
dentin, and the enamel. The inner pulp chamber contains blood vessels, nerves,
and lymph fluid.

Nutrients and blood, which keep the tooth alive, enter the pulp through lateral
accessory canals and the main canal at the root of the tooth. From there, these
circulating fluids pass through the microscopic network of tubules called the
dentin and eventually reach the enamel. We tend to think of the enamel as a
hard, impenetrable substance, but it is actually living tissue much like the
skin. It presents a more formidable barrier than the skin, but fluids,
minerals, and nutrients from both the saliva and the dentin can still pass back
and forth through enamel.

The dentin makes up the majority of the tooth's structure. To the naked eye it
appears to be solid; however, when viewed through a microscope, millions of
small hollow tubules are visible. If all of the tubules in an average-size
front tooth were placed end to end they would form a hollow tube over three
miles long!

Problems can begin when the tooth is damaged from trauma, poor bite, or from
caries (Caries is Latin for rot or rotten. In this case, it means tooth decay,
or cavities.) Caries begin with the formation of plaque, a sticky film created
from saliva and food compounds. Plaque harbors large numbers of bacteria, which
rely on carbohydrates (sugars) to grow and multiply. These bacteria release
various acids and enzymes, which digest the protective protein and calcium
layers of the enamel, creating a cavity, or caries. Bacteria in deep, inflamed
pockets in the gum tissue of adjoining teeth can also enter the pulp through
one of the lateral canals and infect the tooth.

You Say "Root Canal," I Say Risky

When dental caries or infection has damaged the dentin and pulp, a simple
filling will not always arrest the decay. In an effort to save the tooth,
dentists perform a root canal; a process where the pulp material is
mechanically stripped from the tooth and the remaining cavity is temporarily
packed with medication in an attempt to sterilize the area. The pulp chamber
and root canals are then filled with a pliable, hopefully inert, material which
later dries and hardens. The problem, a curious doctor named Dr. Weston Price
found, was that the materials used to fill the pulp chamber and root canals
exhibited a significant degree of shrinkage as they cooled and hardened. The
shrinkage provided enough space for bacteria to flourish until an escape route
into the body's general circulation could be found. Unsatisfied with the
results of root canals Dr. Price spent 25 years in the early 1900s researching
the relationship between root canals and many of the degenerative diseases
(heart disease, arthritis, kidney and bladder problems, etc.) He found a direct
link.

Learning the dangers associated with root canals will change your thoughts
forever about this simple procedure, and quite possibly change the quality and
length of your life. To order the Alternatives back issue this Dispatch is
based on, and learn what you need to know in order to make an informed decision
about root canals, click here.

If You're Still Not Convinced

Much of the research was performed 80 to 100 years ago [a dentist who doesn't
use mercury amalgam and whom we respect for his dental work, said that Dr.
Meinig's work is 'old research'. He adds that if it is done well there
shouldn't be any problems. See my article below - TD], so if you are a little
skeptical about avoiding root canals I wouldn't be surprised. You would think
that changes in root canal procedures, along with the introduction of better
materials and more effective antibiotics, would have made the research
obsolete. But, strange as it may seem, that's not the case. Very little about
root canal procedures has changed. Today's antibiotics are still unable to
permeate and sterilize the three miles of dentin tubules, and the most popular
root canal filling material in Dr. Price's time, guttapercha, is still the most
widely used today. One possible bright spot concerning root canals is that
newer laser technology may help improve the ability to disinfect these areas of
the tooth. Initial research looks promising. Hopefully this will happen in the
near future.

Should you get a root canal? Knowing what I know right now, I would say no. I
won't have one done, and I wouldn't recommend the procedure until better
techniques have been developed and tested.

Millions of root canals are performed each year in the United States. It's long
past time to re-evaluate what's being done and develop procedures to guarantee
that the health of the patient isn't being placed in jeopardy. Until this
happens, I'd avoid root canals like the plague.

Till Next Time,
Dr. David Williams
UNQUOTE
http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/index.asp "Alternatives".