Ocean
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3496
posted
Hi, I have read of all the ill effects of root canals, of course after I already have 3!
Do the teeth HAVE to be removed? I had 2 root canals in my 2 front upper teeth when I was 16, because I had smashed my face into concrete when I was 12, breaking them badly.
I am 30 years old and do NOT want a partial or an implant. I did have a root canal in college, as I'd had a cavity, and told the dentist it really hurt. He just did a filling and it continued to hurt for months. Finally the pain was so bad I could hardly sleep.
This root canal was done by a different endodontist than my first 2. His secretary was also his assistant. Nowadays I would RUN from that type of situation. That is the only root canal I ever had that it hurt badly while he did it. I was not given antibiotics prophalactially like I was for the front teeth either.
This root canal still hurts. I was told in 2005 by a dentist that an abcess showed up on the x-ray for that tooth, he thought it needed to be redone.
Problem is, I had a bad experience with dental work in 2003 and I hardly ever go anymore. I found out later (another dentist told me) that what had probably happened was when the dentist injected the lidocaine (or Xylocaine or whatever they use now), it went directly into the artery/vein in the lower jaw and my heart got a dose of the epi.
I felt like I was dying. 2 months later the panic attacks started. I also had some dental work done and I'm worried this may have activated the Lyme...hence my hesitation of getting more dental work done... I have NO desire to worsen the Lyme!!
Although I am doing much better than I was in Oct of last year.
posted
Thanks for posting this Ocean I have the same questions. I have 3 root canals, and about 12 crowns! All related to old amalgams from youth falling out and tooth breakage around them. I had to do something. I think all of mine were done by a very good dentist/endodontist, and have had no complaints with any of my teeth since then. No pain either.
But without my teeth, I would be all gums! I'm too cute for that! don't think I can take them out! Or do not want to take them out, unless they are really going to make my health seriously decline. Need serious recommendations!
I'm in the process having my filling removed. The next step is having my two root canals tested with some type of machine to see if they need to be removed. I would rather not have them taken out BUT i will due what i have too.
The dentist i;m going to will be knocking me out or i would never be able to get it done. Still pretty scared but the filling just need to be taken out period...
This is the dentist i'm going to http://www.grotonwellness.com/ i have heard they are the best bio-logical dentists in north america..place is amazing
The harder you work the luckier you get! Posts: 965 | From Nebraska Cornhuskers fan in Massachusetts | Registered: Dec 2007
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GiGi
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 259
posted
If you do a search here, you will probably find a few hundred posts on root canals. It is my specialty, because I used to have twelve of them when I was still ill.
Search also for TOPAS test here and my name. A TOPAS test done in the dentist chair will tell you the health of the root canaled tooth, etc. And you will find a lot more important things to know about root canals.
One answer is certain: don't get any more of them!
Take care.
Posts: 9834 | From Washington State | Registered: Oct 2000
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
a close friend of mine and i have just had our amalgams and root canals removed. we felt better immediately. he still has some work to do and we both need the cavitation surgery. i am surprised a bio dentist would say it mihgt be ok to keep a root canal. i was told all our bad.
our dentist is incredible about doing work so fast. he is also a surgeon
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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I'm struggling with this decision now about my one root canal. I've been undecided about what to do for about 2 1/2 years.
I had all my amalgams replaced 5 years ago. I know for sure the root canal tooth contains a little mercury (I called my ex-dentist and asked them to check the records), but I don't know how much it might be circulating since it's contained.
The root canal tooth does not give me any trouble. I consulted with a biological dentist for the second time yesterday. Saw the son this time; 2 years ago I saw his father in the practice.
Both dentists said there was no overwhelmingly compelling reason to remove the tooth, dental-wise. The x-ray shows no evidence of bone loss or infection. But they both said if I and my doctor thought it was necessary for health reasons, or if it bothers me, then I shouldn't hesitate.
The tooth is very slightly tender around the roots, but I have a low tolerance to pain. It's also slightly sensitive to percussion, but so were some other teeth.
The TOPAS test on the root canal tooth was close to a 4 (scale of 0-5) for bacterial toxins and a high C (scale of A-D) for inflammatory proteins. I've had two other TOPAS tests on this tooth, and the results were about the same.
Interestingly, I had the same tooth on the other side (no root canal, but it has a restoration on it) tested. It was a 3 and a high C. I don't know what to think about that. They couldn't tell me if very mild periodontal disease like I have could cause the TOPAS test to be high.
The dentist said they have seen people headed for wheelchairs who got well as soon as they had their root canals removed. My lyme-friendly MD says I will *never* get well until I have that tooth extracted. He also says lyme bacteria hang out in root canaled teeth.
My question is, will I get well if I do have it removed? That's a lot of trauma and expense (implant and crown) to go through with no guarantee.
I know root canals are not good, so I would never have another one, but I just don't know how big a contributor it is to my current health problems and if I should have it out sooner or later.
I have gotten worse since I had the root canal (15+ years ago), but there could be many reasons for that (developing fibromyalgia and untreated Lyme). I was already sick when I had it done.
It's a really big decision, and I guess I'm not quite ready to make it yet. Leaning that way, but I still think I have other undiagnosed and untreated ailments that it might be better to address first.
Hope my rambling helps someone besides me!!
Nutmeg
[ 10. January 2009, 07:00 PM: Message edited by: Nutmeg ]
Posts: 386 | From WA state | Registered: May 2005
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NanaDubo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14794
posted
IMO root canals are a HUGE contributor if not the reason for many health problems.
Brussels
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13480
posted
For the ones that are still reluctant, I was too. I decided though to pull 2 of them off, and the dentist was quite surprised as x-ray showed nothing. He found awful stuff under (both were fully infected, both had cavitations).
He was not for pulling all canal rooted teeth too, he said one could wait (as well as my lyme doctor). But the ones I pulled off, were testing so bad (by both practioners I saw).
The one I lost on a shock doesn't seem to create much trouble, but the one I lost with infection (the tooth died from under, during lyme), still seems to cause some minor symptoms, so I'm trying to decide on what to do with it.
I can't say I got better immediatelly after removing the teeth, but I am in remission now, entering my 5th month without lyme treatment. I was just fighting active reinfection at the moment of operation, so I was really in bad shape (I had chronic lyme plus the new reinfected bite).
Posts: 6199 | From Brussels | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
Gee, based on the title of that book, it could have been written by any one of us!
-------------------- 3 Strains Mycoplasma and Chlymedia 2001. After treatment fine for all 2004. Major symptoms since 2005. Diag Aug 2008 Lyme. 400 mg/d doxy 500 2/d Ceftin Posts: 164 | From Texas | Registered: Jun 2008
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quote:Originally posted by lymeparfait: But without my teeth, I would be all gums! I'm too cute for that! don't think I can take them out! Or do not want to take them out, unless they are really going to make my health seriously decline. Need serious recommendations!
I decided to pull mine after reading it. I have a partial now, it looks fine and nobody can tell. It actually looks better than my original tooth, which had become discoloured due to the root canal.
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