Root canals are a fairly common process in this country. And by common, we imply that over 25 million root canals are performed each year. While it’s true that this process is done regularly (41,000 or so per day), and the American Dental Association asserts they are safe, they haven’t actually produced any data or research to support that claim.

Research

On the other hand, research that’s existed for decades is demonstrating that there’s indeed, cause to be concerned. A root canal efficiently kills the tooth that’s receiving the treatment. These dead teeth could possibly become incubators for some harmful, toxic anaerobic bacteria. If bacteria makes its way into your bloodstream, which is possible in certain conditions, it may result in some serious medical problems.

That all seems more or less obvious. We know that bacteria in the blood may result in problems, and we all know that dental issues have the potential of creating openings for that germs, so why can it look so controversial to state that bacterial infections can come from such a frequent process like a root canal?

The reason?

Most of these root-canaled teeth will look and feel good for several years, so it be tough to trace a systemic disorder back to something as seemingly “insignificant and small” as a root canal. Since the early 1900s, studies have indicated that root-canaled teeth consistently remained infected, regardless of what sort of treatments they received. This was when suspicions begin to grow that there may be a link between root canals and systemic, degenerative diseases, because experiments have been conducted that showed that eliminating the tooth from a individual who has a chronic illness and then implanting that tooth beneath the skin of a rabbit, the creature would develop the exact same chronic illness.

The roots of your teeth are held in place from the jawbone from the periodontal ligament and lots of accessory canals (scientists have identified as many as 75 in one central incisor). These tubules compose a maze of biological material where microscopic organisms often move in and around. However, if the tooth is hollowed out and filled with a chemical, the tooth is cut away from its normal blood supply, so fluids do not circulate throughout the tooth anymore.

Germs

It follows that any germs that have caught in that maze of tubules will hide out there, safe from any antibiotics along with your normal immune reactions. Some of the microorganisms around your teeth were natural and useful, but without the oxygen and nutrients they are used to, they could change to more virulent anaerobes that produce harmful toxins. And the moment they begin spreading into the rest of your body is the moment when things become problematic for you. Up to now, no quantity of sterilization has been effective in reaching the bacteria hiding out from the tubules.

More to the point, almost ever tooth which has received a root canal is finally colonized with these bacteria. The infections that grow under dead teeth may extend down into the jawbone where it may create areas of necrotic tissue. Unfortunately, it is possible for this to occur without you noticing it until it is too late. The fantastic news is that so long as you have a strong and healthy immune system, you are likely to take care of the germs that stray from the contaminated area. However, if your immune system is not quite up to the job, the bacteria can enter your blood stream and find their way to various parts of your body.

Be aware

There’s even a possibility that it could be linked to specific kinds of cancer. One doctor even claimed he found an extremely large correlation between root canals and breast cancer (he claimed that over 90% of women with breast cancer had root canals). Would you leave some other dead body part on your system? The simple reality is that a root-canalled tooth is currently a dead tooth. Why would want that in your mouth any more than you would a gangrenous toe in your foot. And there are different choices available to you. You don’t need to take that a root canal is the only way to take care of your current dental issues.