Anybody heard of or read the book "The Root Canal Cover Up"

[Ricobord]

I just learned about the idea that a tooth with a root canal can harbor bacteria in the channels of the tooth.  Since there's blood flow to a dead tooth with a root canal, the immune system can never eliminate the bacteria, which keep getting pumped back out into the body.  The article I read talks about various research and studies that found high levels of bacteria in the gums around root canaled teeth. The creepy story is of the guy 90 years ago who found that when he pulled a root canaled tooth of a person with chronic illness and implanted the tooth under the skin of a rabbit, the rabbit would develop the same symptoms as the human, and some even died.  And the human usually recovered.

I just learned a relative with heart disease had 3 root canal teeth pulled.  He insists he felt better afterwards than he had in a long time.  He recommended the book to me.

I've had a root canal since I was a teenager and smashed my front tooth on a pool slide. I'm struggling to get well and seriously wondering if this could be part of my problem.  Anybody out there feel better after pulling a root canaled tooth?

[cave76]

I think this has been a stimulating and very thought-provoking conversation so far.

[Claire_MHModerator]

Folks, it's important to remember that scientific inquiry is never-ending (remember Pluto?) and that it involves honestly challenging long-held conclusions based on what we know so far.  The goal is never to prove nor disprove what we think of as facts, but to know and understand more, at the risk of changing our minds.

There's still much that's unknown about the mechanisms of Lyme, so let's behave as scientists and not dismiss anything out of hand.  If anyone has experiences dealing with the issues Rico's mentioned, please share.  Thanks!

Claire

[JackieCalifornia]

I'm with you.  There is much not known about down-the-road effects of many previously common treatments.  

I still have some old mercury amalgam ('silver') fillings that my dentists have told me just to leave as they are, to avoid stirring things up and releasing mercury (which is poisonous) into my system, unless it is absolutely necessary due to failure of the filling and renewed decay.

I am glad there are dentists willing to look at such situations with new data derived over time and to speak up about the possible adverse effects of treatments previously thought harmless.  There was a time when amalgam fillings were state of the art, but no more, so we move on and try not to create more problems.  Same applies in all other aspects of medicine and dentistry.

I count myself as backed up by science and not just by friends.

[cave76]

That's the beauty of an open and public forum----- we can all express our opinions, some backed up by science and other backed up by friends.

Thanks to you for being a creative thinker!

My only knowledge/opinion as a Lyme patient vis a vis root canals is after having worked in the dental field for decades and seeing many people get root canals, I never heard of one of my patients getting sick because of the root canals. Or getting better, if they were ill, if the root canal tooth had to be pulled for some reason, like gum disease that loosened the tooth.

There are dentists and/or endodontists (regular dentists not biologic dentist) who aren't as good as they should be. And if the root canal or the crown that covers that tooth was shoddy work (I've seen them!) then of course bacteria will be in that area. A well done root canal/crown rarely causes any problems.

[Ricobord]

Please be careful what you label a "myth" before you know much about it.  Things that are true are true whether they've been proven by a multitude of scientific studies or not, and most theories are based on actual observations. There is still much we do not know. It is the creative thinkers who are intrigued by mysteries and who question established beliefs who find new things. Chronic Lyme is still called a "myth" by the most powerful people who  study and set policy for vector borne disease in our country.

There is plenty of scientific evidence that root canaled teeth harbor bacteria and that the gums around root canaled teeth have been found to contain high concentrations of bacteria, far more than living teeth in the same mouth.  The "establishment" of dentistry officially disagrees with Price's work, but some have done studies on it anyway.  There is an entire subset of dentists called Biologic Dentists who don't agree with the party line that mercury and root canals are perfectly safe. Kind of reminds me of the current state of Lyme Disease, and how a few forward thinking doctors look beyond the official denials.

There is a big difference between exploring options that make sense and desperation that leads one to try anything. In this case, I'm exploring a possibility and looking for information to see if it makes sense. I already have one testimonial on this topic from someone I trust, someone whose story is consistent with this theory on root canals. I am looking to see if any Lyme patients have any experience or knowledge of this.

[cave76]

That rabbit story is indeed creepy! And, in my opinion, belongs in Snopes.

"Rabbits died within 48 hours when a root filled tooth was implanted under the skin. Each rabbit implanted with a root filled tooth would die of the exact same disease as its human donor.

Each time a tooth, or fragment of a tooth, was passed from one rabbit to another, the death of the human donor was duplicated. In experimental lab cases, Dr. Price transferred the fragment from 30 to 100 rabbits in succession. If a small fragment was used, the rabbit would lose over 20% of it's body weight within two weeks."

http://www.biodentalstudios.com/FAQ/How-Root-Canals-Generate-Toxins.html

Don't pull any tooth out that has had a root canal in it just because of unproven theories about root canals!

I can understand how the longer we stay sick (or before we understand why we're sick) the more desperate we are to try unfounded myths.

I even bought a bottle of Tachyonized Water  in the beginning, fer cryin' out loud,! LOL

[cave76]

Weston Price, the guy behind all that stuff with the rabbit, also has this to say about antibiotics:

"There are other ways to get [...] microbes under control, and several are being tested at this time. It is advantageous to have intravenous vitamin C and occasionally a non-killing antibiotic is added to this solution. "

http://www.westonaprice.org/dentistry/root-canal-dangers

[mojogal]

Thanks for sharing. I know that Lyme disease had a negative effect on my gums but never thought of the root canal. Yuck. Are you going to pull yours?