The Benefits and Dangers of Root Canals
By Arthur Kezian
There has been an increase in media attention to root canals lately, and this is partially due to a Netflix documentary entitled “Root Cause”. It features opinions from doctors and dentists to try and gain insight on root canal potential health impacts and safety. So what are the benefits and dangers of root canals?
In this documentary they claim that“The #1 cause of heart attack is root canal treated teeth.”This thought is that having a root canal can lead to further illness or to contracting a disease. One of the main debates on this is that there is no way to fully remove all of the bacteria from the tooth. The second is that although the dentists try to thoroughly clear out the dead tissue from the tooth, it is possible that some remains. The theory is that this bacteria and dead tissue will cause inflammation in other areas of the body. The last main cause of debate is that the material used to fill the tooth could cause potential problems in the rest of the body. Let’s look at these theories a little closer.
Can Bacteria from Root Canals Lead to Other Illnesses?
It is true that it is impossible to sterilize the tooth completely of bacteria. Your mouth always has ‘normal’ bacteria in it. This is the case whether there is an opening surgically created in your mouth or not. The idea is that that bacteria remains which leads to further diseases. This theory is based off of research done in the 1920’s by someone named Dr. Weston Price. His research focused on the idea that focal infection leads to systemic disease. However, this research was done almost a century ago. On re-evaluation, his experiments were found flawed which led to biases in the results.
The American Association of Endodontists claim that this theory is completely false. To clarify, there is no scientific data that links root canals to other diseases in the body. However, there has been a few small studies which concluded that some common dental procedures may contribute to inflammatory lesions in the jawbone itself.
Moreover, if you need a root canal, then your tooth is already infected with bacteria. If left untreated, this itself can lead to very serious health problems such as blood infections and sepsis.
Now let’s look at the first quote: “The #1 cause of heart attack is root canal treated teeth.”
It has been thought in the past that specific heart problems, such as infective endocarditis could be linked with tooth disease. However, in 2012 the American Heart Association showed that there was no evidence to support this, and that there were common risk factors such as smoking, age and diabetes that coincidentally link the two.
Dead Tissue Remains After a Root Canal
When having a root canal done, the dentist uses a tiny tool to extract the dead and infected tissue from the tooth. It is very time consuming and difficult to remove all of the tissue. As a result, bacteria can be present and cause an infection. Certainly, this plays into the previous theory.
Can the Metal in the Filling Poison You?
When researching the doctors interviewed for the film, there are two main players for this theory. Dr. Huggins is a dentist that has theories of mercury toxicity from root canal fillings. Unfortunately, in 1996 Dr. Huggins dental license was revoked due to negligence in preforming necessary and unproven procedures.
Dr. Haley is a professor with the theory that mercury from fillings could cause autism and Alzheimer’s. However, a judge ruled that he was unqualified to make such claims due to in-expertise in the area. Studies performed over the decades by scientists and dentists (and support by the FDA, World Health Organization and American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs) have shown that the small amount of metallic substances used in fillings are considered safe and have very low risk of adverse effects.
The American Association of Endodontists is the leader in root canals in America. Their webpage https://www.aae.org/specialty/clinical-resources/root-canal-safety/ has many links and information regarding root canal safety, truths and myths, and videos to help educate patients on root canals. Dr. Arthur A. Kezian is a member of this group and is a highly educated dentist in the Los Angeles area. We encourage you to come and talk to Dr. Kezian or one of his highly educated staff about root canal therapy and the risks and benefits in person.
In conclusion, root canals do involve risk as do all surgical procedures. However, they are sometimes very much necessary. Consequently, if you really need a root canal, it is better to get one. The pain and discomfort of skipping a root canal will be quite unpleasant and persistent.
Who to Contact:
If you need a root canal, it’s best to seek out someone who is highly qualified. In other words, you can be sure they’ll go about the procedure in a very professional and safe way. Further, you can rely on Dr. Kezian’s expertise to offer you safe and smooth overall experience. Contact us today to make an appointment!
Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS
443 N. Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 467-2777
Resources:
https://wellnessmama.com/139664/root-canal/
Johann Lechner and Volker von Baehr. RANTES and Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 in Jawbone Cavitations: Triggers for Systemic Disease? Int J Gen Med. 2013 Apr; 6: 277-290. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3636973/
https://www.todaysrdh.com/root-cause-netflix-documentary-lets-review-the-science/
https://www.aae.org/specialty/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/rootcanalsafety.pdf
Myths About Root Canals