Root canals: Uncovering the myths, the facts and their impact on overall health

Holistic dentist Elmar Jung explains root canals, their procedure and discusses potential long-term, health risks

Dentists all over the world perform almost 60 million root canals each year. ‘You need a root canal’ is nearly as common as hearing you need a filling. Research shows that half of the world’s population has at least one root-treated tooth.

Root canal treatment is widely debated in traditional and holistic dentistry communities. I will explore this issue holistically, emphasising the interconnectedness of oral health and overall well-being. 

The American Association of Endo­dontists (AAE) claims that research overwhelmingly proves that root canal treatment is safe, effective and eliminates pain. While root canal treatment can alleviate discomfort and preserve the tooth, it is not without controversy, particularly over its potential long-term, adverse health effects.

What is a root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment, or endodontic therapy, is a non-surgical, dental procedure to prevent the tooth from being extracted. It is like a repair job for a damaged tooth’s insides. A dentist who specialises in this treatment, called an endodontist, works with high-magnifying devices such as loupes for better results.

Root canal treatment is performed to salvage a tooth extensively damaged by decay, disease or injury. When a tooth gets badly infected, decayed or injured, the soft tissue inside the tooth (the pulp) can become inflamed, infected or die. Teeth also get root canals if they constantly cause pain and the reason cannot be established or if the tooth is dead and the patient wants to keep it (Fig 1).

During my early years in practice, I came across a school of thought in Italy where root canal treatments are performed before any restorative treatment, such as a crown or bridge work, to prevent the tooth from causing any further problems because the Italians supposedly do not bear pain well.

Performing a root canal treatment

This procedure involves extracting the tooth’s pulp – a mixture of nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue – then cleaning and sealing the canal to prevent bacterial infiltration. 

First, the dentist drills a small hole in the tooth to access the pulp. Then they use special tools or a laser to remove the nerve, blood vessels and other tissues from the inside of the root canal. Next, they widen the space inside the canal to remove any further infected tissue and make filling the root canal easier. Finally, the root canal is rinsed and disinfected with different liquids to ensure that all infection and all tissue is removed.

If the infection is severe, they may apply a special antibiotic paste inside the canal for a few days to help clear it up. The most commonly used root canal filler is gutta-percha, which was discovered that it is a natural thermoplastic. A thermoplastic material becomes pliable above a specific temperature and solidifies when cooled.

The advantages of gutta-percha in endodontics are its supposed biocompatibility and inertness. However, there is more than just gutta-percha in the filler. Such root canal material consists of about 20% gutta-percha, 66% zinc oxide as filler, 11% heavy metal sulphates and 3% waxes or resins. The main disadvantages of gutta-percha, however, lie in its bacterial leakage.

Why treatments fail

A multitude of things can go wrong, such as failure to clean the canal effectively, instrument breakage, instrument swallowing, instruments perforating the apex of the tooth, sealant leakage, over- or under-extension of filling, poor access design to the cavity, or an untreated, overlooked canal.

Avoiding root canal treatment

If the tooth is still alive, the nerve pulp is only a little penetrated, with minor bleeding appearing and you do not suffer much pain, using ozone or a specific dental laser to reduce the bacterial load and homoeopathic remedies can support the recovery of the tooth. The recovery process lies in the tooth’s capacity to build a new layer of dentine (secondary dentine) where the penetration occurs.

When the decay is very deep, our approach is only to remove part of the decay, use ozone and homoeopathic remedies and hope that the pulp retracts from the area of deep decay and builds a layer of secondary dentine. The tooth is covered with a biocompatible temporary filling. After 3-6 months more decay is removed. Sometimes this process must be repeated 2-3 times until all decay is removed.

The prognosis of the tooth’s longevity directly correlates with the patient’s age and overall health. The younger, the better the chances of long-term success.

Complexity of root canal treatment

Knowledge of the tooth’s structure is essential to understanding what happens when a root canal treatment is performed. The tooth has two parts: one upper and one lower part. The upper part is the visible part; it reaches out of the gum into the mouth. This part is the crown and the other part stuck in the jawbone is the root. 

A tooth is also built in different layers. The outer layer is the enamel. It is the hardest part of the tooth and the hardest part of our body. The enamel forms the crown and as it moves towards the root it gets thinner and thinner; at the neck of the tooth, it becomes the root cement. Under the enamel and the root cement lies the dentine.

In the middle of the tooth lies the pulp in which we find nerves, blood vessels and lymph vessels. They reach into the pulp through the root canal from the tip of the root, where they connect with their main branches. Each tooth has miles of tiny canals running from pulp to dentine, enamel and cement.

Some teeth, such as front and canine teeth, usually have only one root with one central canal. Molar teeth, the ones used to chew, have two, three, four or sometimes even five roots. Around the root lies the periodontal ligament, which connects the tooth with the bone; it holds the tooth in the bone and acts as a buffer for it when chewing, grinding or clenching teeth.

Case study: from downward spiral to recovery

Peter’s experience is a poignant example of the systemic repercussions of root canal treatments. A 32-year-old professional trader, he was in perfect health before he opted for a root canal treatment. His downward spiral got so bad that he could not stand alone in the shower; he had to use a chair to sit on because he did not have the strength to stand for an extended period.

Following his root canal treatment, he endured a variety of debilitating symptoms, including severe joint pain, memory loss, weakened eyesight and allergies, significantly impacting his quality of life. At some point he was even unable to work. Sometimes, his symptoms were so bad that he could not even get out of bed in the morning.

He had numerous, extremely costly medical tests, but no doctor could help him. So, he started on a quest to get to the root of his problems, searched the internet, and asked ‘Dr Google’. After long days and nights of research, he was about to discover the culprit.

He remembered that just before all of his symptoms and suffering began, he had had another root canal treatment. Most likely this treatment was what pushed him over the edge.

More root-treated teeth and infected jawbone areas were found when his teeth were examined (Fig 2). Before his symptoms started, his immune system could compensate for these infections. With another attack on his system caused by the latest root treatment, his body could not handle this anymore and all the lingering symptoms flared up and manifested.

He was happy to receive confirmation that his teeth could trigger his symptoms and he agreed to have all root-treated teeth removed and his necrotic jawbone areas cleaned. During his three consecutive days of treatment, he received high-dose, vitamin C infusions and a supplementation protocol to support his system.

His big ‘Aha’ moment came a few days later. Already, waking up was different. He somehow felt newborn. He got up, went to the bathroom, had a shower – and no chair needed.

His eyesight and other symptoms improved over the next few days and weeks. He could feel that he was really on the healing path. All this suffering was just due to some root canals and infected jawbones. Numerous other patients have benefitted from removing their root-treated teeth to restore their health and lead a healthy everyday life.

Read the complete article in issue 112.

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