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Understanding Root Canal Care
By Dr. Ben Kim on November 25, 2007
Do you know exactly what it means to need a root canal? This article will help you understand what needing and having a root canal entails, and what you can do on a daily basis to take good care of your teeth, including your root canals.
The roots of your teeth make up approximately two-thirds of your teeth, and are imbedded into your facial bones to keep your teeth securely in place.
Your root canals are the canals that exist within the roots of your teeth. Your root canals travel up the roots of each tooth to meet the main chamber that lies in the center of each tooth, called the pulp chamber. Together, the root canals and pulp chamber of each tooth house soft tissue called pulp, which contains blood vessels and the nerve that supplies each tooth.
If you develop a dental cavity or a small fracture in a tooth, microorganisms in your oral flora can gain access to the pulp chamber and root canals in the affected tooth. Once inside a tooth, these microorganisms can cause infection and inflammation.
Root Canal Procedure - By Jeremy KempThe first block in the picture to your right shows a tooth that has an infection below one of its root canals. The second block shows drilling of the crown of the affected tooth to gain access to the pulp chamber and root canals. The third block shows the tooth being cleaned. And the last block shows the tooth after it has been filled, and then fitted with a crown. These are the basic steps that make up a root canal procedure.
This root canal procedure typically removes the pulp -- including the nerve -- within the affected tooth. Removing the nerve isn't a problem because the nerve is mainly there to allow your tooth to differentiate between hot and cold, and is not needed for chewing and breaking down food.
Ultimately, the goals of a root canal procedure are:
- To address an infection that is causing pain.
- To protect the affected tooth so that it can continue to function.
Common Signs and Symptoms that Indicate the Need for a Root Canal Procedure
- Severe pain in a tooth while chewing
- A persistent or recurring canker-like sore or pimple on the gum region above a tooth
- Swelling and tenderness in gums above and around affected tooth
- Darkening (discoloration) of affected tooth
- Prolonged sensitivity to hot and cold (discomfort is still there even after source of hot or cold sensation has been removed)
Generally speaking, a conventional root canal procedure has a high success rate, and treated teeth can last a lifetime if they are taken care of.
Personal Observations on Troublesome Teeth that Have Already Received a Root Canal Procedure
If your initial symptom is gum swelling and tenderness or a canker-like sore on your gums around a tooth that has already been treated with a root canal procedure, your dentist may attempt to address your situation by draining the sore and having you take a course of antibiotics. The goal in this scenario is to clear out the infection without having to drill your tooth or cut into your gums. Generally speaking, I think that this is a good first-line approach. You can take a high quality probiotic after your course of antibiotics to help replenish healthy bacterial flora in your body.
If a canker-like sore persists or returns after drainage and a course of antibiotics, your dentist may refer you to an endodontist, a specialist in addressing root canal issues. While x-rays can provide beneficial information to an endodontist, he or she will have to rely upon observation, palpation, and experience to determine the best course of action.
Often times, the endodontist will elect to cut into your gum to gain access to the infected area for extensive draining and cleaning. If the tooth is not fractured, then this procedure, coupled with a course of antibiotics, can result in a full recovery.
If a fracture is discovered in one of your roots, then you are likely to experience recurring problems with that tooth, and in such cases, the best approach may be to simply pull the tooth. Root fractures are sometimes not visible on x-ray; they are usually discovered after your gums have been cut into for draining and cleaning.
An important point on root fractures: while they are readily discovered if they are on the front surface of the roots of your teeth, if they are on the back surface of one of your roots, it's quite possible that the fracture will not be detected by the endodontist. This is why it is important that your endodontist carefully observes and palpates your gums in front of and behind your teeth before he or she elects to cut, drain, and clean. If your gums are swollen and tender in front of and behind the affected tooth, there is a fairly good chance that one of the roots of the tooth has a fracture, in which case it may be best to pull the tooth rather than pay several hundred dollars cutting, draining, cleaning, and hoping. Please remember: all of this applies to a tooth that has already gone through a root canal procedure.
Ways to Keep Your Teeth and Gums Healthy
Here are some simple steps that you can take on a daily basis to keep your teeth and gums healthy, and reduce your chances of developing an infection that may necessitate a root canal procedure:
1. Give your mouth a good rinse after each meal. If possible, brush your teeth as well, paying careful attention to the back corners of your back molars. Keeping your mouth free of bits of food and their juices is essential to preventing tooth decay.
2. Each evening before going to bed, give your mouth a good rinse and gargle with salt water. About 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of water is enough for most people. Salt water can act as a mild disinfectant, and is an effective cleansing solution for the oral cavity.
3. Be sure to floss at least once a day.
4. Eat plenty of green vegetables and chew them well. Consider including mineral-rich broths in your diet on a regular basis. Green vegetables and mineral-rich broths can help to build and maintain healthy teeth from the inside-out.
5. Be sure to ensure adequate vitamin D status; vitamin D is needed to maintain healthy teeth and bones.
For cleaning, I recommend a combination of Tooth Soap and any brand of natural tooth paste that agrees with you.
Please rate this article:
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root canals
I had my last root canal after the dentist messed up a regular filling! Oh, I changed dentists right away, she wasn't even willing to admit any fault.
Flossing is impossible for me, as there is no room for the thread to get between my teeth, even the thinnest of the special brushes that are made to go between the teeth won't get it at the base of my teeth, so I use a water pik, for what it's worth.
Gargling ... sure :( if I want to gag and throw up!
Regular brushing and check-ups have always worked well for me, as well as very limited use of sugars.
root canals
Root canal is much more endangering to anyone health than mercury amalgam. It is not humanely possible to perfectly clean porous root and the most dangerous anaerobic bacteria will thrive and cause endless diseases.
Avoid the root canal at any cost because it will make your life shorter! It is well known fact since the research by Dr. Weston Price. More in "Root Canal Cover-Up Exposed" by Dr. Karen Shrimplin.
Best regards,
Stan
Root Canals
I enjoyed your article. I have had 2 root canals, and though the constant pain is gone, I still have trouble when I bite into something even semi-hard. It is an ache that shoots through my entire jaw. I have asked several dentists about it, even an endodontist, and they just say I must be more 'sensitive' than others. If I had it to do over, I would have saved the enourmous, ridiculous expense and just had the 2 teeth pulled. It is not just the expense of the root canal, but also the expense of a cap put on after! The 2 I have had done are molars that are up and down from each other and so constantly hit each other when chewing.
I have done all the things listed in the article to protect my teeth. I think much of it is genetics, not just daily care. I even soak my Sonicare brush in peroxide once a week, and rinse with a dilution of peroxide once a week. I brush, rinse when I can't get to brushing right away, floss, and use a water pic and still get periodic cavities. Tooth soap (I just use bar soap, the expensive tooth soap is really unnecessary) absolutely helped with gum sensitivity!
Read The Root Canal Cover-up. It is a good read, basically take care of your teeth by the above-mentioned ways. Diet is a MAJOR factor.
Teeth Cleaning
A year or so ago, due to concerns about flouride, I stopped using any toothpaste, and began brushing my teeth every day with an aspirin solution. You might be surprised how clean your teeth feel after just rinsing you mouth with water in which a couple of aspirin have been dissolved. I rinse, then brush, and my teeth always feel as if I've just had them cleaned by the dentist, and I have no plaque or tartar at all.
Try it, you'll like it.
Root Canal
My experience with root canals have not been very good. Undetected low grade infections in the two treated teeth slowly poisened my system and I ended up with my right shoulder and arm in constant pain (the toxins were deposited in the muscles in this area). After about 15 months of fruitless physiotherapy, anti-inflammitories, etc., an ex dental nurse turned homeopathic practioner zoned in on the "root" cause. As she explained, once the root canal is done on the tooth, the tooth is dead, and the body will try to get rid of it just as if it was a wood splinter or some other foreign object.
After extraction of the teeth, my condition dramatically improved and cleared up completely within a month.
I had implants done to replace the teeth, and I am very happy with the results. I certainly would not consider another root canal but would rather go straight for extraction followed by a bridge or implant.
Root Canal..RE: low-grade infections?
Louis, I read your reply with great interest. How were the infections detected? My root canals are on the right side of my mouth, and ever since I have had them, I have had left shoulder/neck pain that will not go away. Maybe related? I don't know, but would like to find out. I would love to get these extracted, but have no dental ins. right now to follow-up and get a bridge. Where did you find this ex-dental nurse?
Blessings,
Lori
Dr.Kim: Why no mention of the Danger of root canals?
via Google search:
Results 1 - 100 of about 953,000 for root canals+dangers.
Dr. James Howenstine -- What You Need to Know About Root Canals ...Price found out that established root canal bacterial organisms became more virulent and their toxins became more dangerous. A German oncologist named Josef ...
www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james34.htm
Root Canal DangersHe observed angina pectoris, phlebitis, hypertension, heart block, anemia, and inflammation of the heart muscle often to be side effects of root canal ...
www.whale.to/d/root.html
Surely all Your loyal readers should be made aware of this.
cheers,
dar d
root canals/healthy teeth and gums
I went to the dentist last week for the first time in 21 years (I am 42 now) I must be doing something right (or just lucky) because the dentist was amazed at how healthy my mouth is, I did have 2 cavities in teeth way in the back, but no root canals or extreme issues. I floss everytime I eat more or less 3-4 times a day, floss sticks are great to keep w/you. Also I brush about twice a week with a mixture of baking soda, salt and peroxide (do not swallow) it cleans gums, teeth and whitens. I also eat a LOT of veggies and an apple a day. I use the "cheapest" toothpaste..ultra brite...w/ peroxide and baking soda!
teeth care
Everyone else comments on their own mouth and history, and I am largely the same. When I was a teenager, I took terrible care of my teeth. I just figured that a dentist would fix the problems, as he always did. Then a dentist told me that I needed to take better care of my teeth, or eventually lose them. That woke me up, and every since then my teeth have been well-cared-for, brushing and flossing daily, before sleeping at night. I figured that with clean teeth for the hours I sleep was better than having dirty teeth and brushing in the morning, even if I end up with mild morning breath. But, my years of bad care of my teeth eventually led to a root canal. I had a lot of pain drinking anything cold - the nerve became exposed. This happened when I was in Mexico. I also got a mini-denture to replace another tooth that I lost that trip. About a year after the root canal, I saw a video describing how dangerous root canals can be to one's health. Basically you have an empty hole under your tooth where bacteria get trapped and fester, and can eventually infect other areas of your body. (The video was for sale at hugnet.com). So, on a trip to Panama, I had that tooth drilled out, along with other teeth pulled or drilled out. I also removed all my old silver amalgamide fillings on that trip. At the end of that trip, I ended up with 3 more mini-dentures. I took some supplements to help me remove the heavy metals that flooded into my body. Now, every night I take out the mini-dentures and brush them thoroughly with my electric toothbrush. I scrape off some plaque buildup too. Then I brush the rest of my teeth well, and floss very well, scraping the surfaces of both sides of my teeth. I haven't been to the dentist now for several years, even though a couple of years ago I had a small crack in a tooth. (I clean well inside the crack now). Someday I will take another trip to Panama and get the dentist to check my teeth good, and repair the cracked tooth. My only concern now is if I am brushing too good, and removing some of the coating from my teeth.