What Happened When My Root-Canal Teeth Were Pulled
When I had two root canal teeth extracted by my biological dentist, I paid a few hundred dollars for an analysis of what bacteria were found in these "dead" teeth. I want to tell you what I learned when got my results back from the lab in Colorado.
Weighing a Root Canal VS Extraction
In this article:
- Why My Root Canal Failed
- All Root Canals Fail Years Later
- Signs of Root Canal Infection
- What Happens to the Root Canaled Tooth?
- Bacteria Found in the Samples
- When Should You Worry About the Bacteria?
- After the Root Canal Tooth Extraction
Why My Root Canal Failed
My holistic dentist had told me previously that both of my root-canal teeth were failing.1 Since then, I’ve talked to half a dozen other dentists and people who have extensive experience with root canals about why root canals fail.
Dental Damage from Earlier Years
You would think that with all the good health habits I have, I would have better luck with my teeth. I confess to being more than a little disappointed that a bone graft and so much dental work would be required, notwithstanding my earlier years of eating lots of candy, ice cream, and diet soda.
All Root Canals Fail Years Later
But did you know that the EXPECTED time that a root canal lasts is a max of ten years? That’s right—endodontists KNOW that their procedure has a very limited life.
My brother Dave was in an ATV accident where his teeth planted in the steering wheel and killed ten of them. He had root canals on all of them, and guess what happened ten years later?
Yep, they were all failing.
Signs of Root Canal Infection
Sensitivity, blisters on the gum, pain, and even rashes can indicated a failed root canal.
But what about those first ten years? Are those pleomorphic organisms trapped in an anaerobic environment, in a dead organ, really contained during that time? Answer: no, they’re not! “Failing” just means that there are visible, discernible signs of rampant infection and decay. Teeth don't get that way overnight! When a root canal infection is obvious, you can be sure the problem has existed for quite some time.
Failed Root Canal Symptoms
In my case, the signs of infection were mild tooth sensitivity and a blister on the gums covering the tooth. I also had a raging, itchy rash on my trunk and arms that came and went for 2.5 months, until I realized it was related to my teeth.
What Happens to the Root Canaled Tooth?
Have you ever thought about the fact that the tooth is an organ? Biological dentists know this. Each tooth is part of an interconnected meridian in the body. When you decide to keep a dead tooth in your mouth through a root canal, you are truly fossilizing a dead organism in your living mouth. How can we think this won’t cause problems?!
Bacteria Found in the Samples
My test results came back saying that 10 bacteria were detected in the tooth sample. None of them were in the “active” concentration, where the microorganism is alive and well and not being effectively attacked by my immune system.
But two were in the “bright” concentration, which means “heavy concentration of the microorganism.”
The two most worrying bacteria were:
Getting your tooth tested with a bacteria sample can show if your root canal is infected.
Different Bacteria in the Body
I didn't panic about this. The fact is, everybody has candida (a parasitic fungi like yeast), everybody has cancer, most people probably have strep and even MRSA micro-organisms too. Everybody has many yeasts, molds, fungi, viruses, bacteria, and the toxic waste byproducts of those critters in their blood and guts and organs.
Believe it or not, candida can actually have valid functions in the human body. In proportion, when we're talking about tiny amounts in a teeming, healthy ecosystem, it’s not a problem.
When Should You Worry About the Bacteria?
The problem is when those baddies get out of hand, when the good guys in the body, like macrophages and healthy microorganisms, are overcome (by antibiotics! GMO-frankenfoods! sugar-feeding yeast and fungus!) and the baddies get out of control.
Killing tissues/organs such as your teeth, then trapping the bacteria in the teeth, deprived of oxygen, makes the baddies become super-psychos. That’s a gross oversimplification, but a google search on those two bacteria reveal that my own two breeds of baddies cause heart attacks, impaired immune response, and infections!2
Shudder.
After the Root Canal Tooth Extraction
It was weird to be missing two teeth for a while, but I was glad to be rid of the super-psychos.
The dentist offered me an antibiotic the day of my surgery, since he knew the baddies were out and running around. I said no thanks, that I wanted to help my body manage it. And it did. Every time I think of this, I send a gratitude message inward, thanking my body for heroic immune function during a rough patch!
What was the experience like if you’ve ever had a root canal? If you could choose, would you have a root canal or have the tooth extracted? Share your story in the comments section below.
Up Next: How To Find A Good Biological Dentist: 10 Questions To Ask
Robyn Openshaw, MSW, is the bestselling author of The Green Smoothies Diet, 12 Steps to Whole Foods, and 2017’s #1 Amazon Bestseller and USA Today Bestseller, Vibe. Learn more about how to make the journey painless, from the nutrient-scarce Standard American Diet, to a whole-foods diet, in her free video masterclass 12 Steps to Whole Foods.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that help support the GSG mission without costing you extra. I recommend only companies and products that I use myself.
Sources
- Zehnder, Matthias, and Georgios N Belibasakis. “On the Dynamics of Root Canal Infections-What We Understand and What We Don't.” Virulence, Taylor & Francis, 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4601489/.
- Georgalas, C., Kanagalingam, J., Zainal, A., Ahmed, H., Singh, A., & Patel, K. S. (2002). The Association between Periodontal Disease and Peritonsillar Infection: A Prospective Study. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 126(1), 91–94. https://doi.org/10.1067/mhn.2002.121318
Editor's note: This post was originally published on November 23, 2012 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Posted in: Dental Health, Detox, Health Concerns, Holistic Care
Hi Rose,
So I heard back for sure from my holistic DDS. He is researching it but has no idea where to send my teeth for pathology. I have Googled and cannot find it. The most important tooth comes out tomorrow, so if you find any dentist or testing facility I can call for a kit (sounds like Robyn used a place in Colorado, via her DDS), please let me know. Thank you.
p.s. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so something local is preferred if it exists, but at this point I am Googling for anywhere at all.
Thus far, I have found the following:
Oral Pathology Laboratories (out of New York). Gladys was very helpful. They send out kits to the dentist. Testing costs anywhere from 245 to 600 (depending upon complexity). They have a fax number where the dentist sends over his or her info in order to obtain the kits.
If a kit is not already in hand at the time of extraction, the tooth may be placed in a bottle of alcohol (counter-intuitive, I know) to preserve it until the kit arrives.
https://www.oralpathlab.com/lab.htm
We are also trying to get in touch with UCSF for a local option.
WHERE & HOW TO GET EXTRACTED ROOT-CANALED TEETH TESTED:
I wanted to be sure to post the answer (to my own question) in this thread so that anyone searching in the future may more readily find the information.
I have located the best solution (as of 15 April 2019) for extracted tooth testing, and any patient, doctor, or dentist may use this resource.
The company is called DNA Connexions (located in Colorado), and there are two ordering options available: one, the patient may order a single kit, which is $400 and tests for 88 different aerobic and anaerobic bacteria; two, the dentist or doctor may order bulk kits (6, 12, 24, or 36), which likely knocks the cost of the test down considerably (of course it would be amazing if this savings could be passed down to the patient, but the practitioner would need to see what the testing demand is first – perhaps the demand will be higher if patients know that this test exists).
If there is no kit on hand at the time of extraction, the tooth (or teeth) must be placed in a tube and stored in the freezer until a kit is procured, at which point you transfer the tooth into the kit as per the instructions from DNA Connexions.
I have linked the website here below. There are several oral panels which may be ordered but the "extracted tooth sample" is the one you are after in the case of root-canaled teeth. If you click on that one, it will give you all of the information.
I hope this information will be helpful to those who manage to stumble upon it. Be sure to share your stories and experiences here if you can, as it will greatly help others while struggling through the often frustrating path to figuring out some of the more challenging "roots" of chronic illness symptoms.
https://dnaconnexions.com/product/oral-panel-extracted-tooth-sample/
p.s. I DO NOT recommend using the Oral Pathology Lab (out of New York), as their recommended protocol for placing the sample in alcohol is absolutely incorrect. Do not ever place a tissue sample in alcohol (I was right about it being counter-intuitive), as this will destroy much (if not all) of the bacteria you are aiming to test for.
Today I saw my dentist, who is fairly new to me – 18 months. I had one dentist all my life until his retirement (I’m 60). This new dentist has performed a couple of fillings during those 18 months. The very first tooth he filled (a back upper molar) has been hurting with any pressure from chewing, so much so that I only chew on the opposite side now. The dentist xrayed it today & said I had an infection & need a root canal. Never having experience with root canals, I asked what caused this & he said trauma. From what – the filling? I did not say that, but wish now I had.
A foremost concern is I have severe psoriasis & rheumatoid arthritis & have to take biologic injections & have been on many Dmards. Nothing, even a simple scratch, takes forever to heal. I am scared that a root canal would turn into a nightmare. Would an extraction & bridge ( no implants plz) be a safer option? Advice & comments much appreciated!
Hi Marie, we would recommend a second opinion especially with a holistic dentist in your area. Sounds like the extraction may be the best viable option based on your medical history.
I read through all the research articles I could find on pubmed that had root canal in the search and they only covered materials, methods, how long they last compared to the alternatives, how long the pain lasted after treatment. I didn’t find any research about the long or short term health effects or killing off the bacterial in the surrounding tissue. I don’t think this has been looked in to or if it has, nothing has been published that doesn’t promote the practice.
I have read that Ozone therapy kills off the bacteria
I have an infection in a 25 year old root canal tooth that has a crown. I have been pit on antibiotics and just finished a 7 day course. The pain has not left which means I think the infection is still there. Do you think they will pull the tooth or do I have to wait till this infection is gone? Any answers to how this infection started 25 years later? Has this been brewing in my body all this time!!?? TIA
Hello, I had a re treated root canal back in December2018 since then I have suffered with Sinus, Ear Headaches issues. I went to the Oral Surgeon Last week and I was told I needed a 3rd opinion on what to do. I am not the type of person to suffer from Dental work so its very frustrating to me that I am not getting the help that I need. I know its my tooth causing pain. I am at the point that I dk if I need to go get an MRI or Cat Scan. But I need to get this tooth pulled its been 6 months of hell and no sort of Help. any one please help what Can i do. I need a doctor willing to pull it.
Hi Greensmoothiegirl, just left the dentist – a specialist. Have 3 root canals for over 10 years. One has already had an infection and is giving me trouble again. It has a broken piece of instrument in one of the canals that has calcified probably causing pain as well.
The worst is it is all attached to a bridge so once out I will be missing 2 teeth – molars. The only ones I have on that side.
Lately I’ve been having severe itching on my torso and scalp, piercing headaches, not sleeping, extreme hotness waking me up, and high blood pressure. It will be interesting to find out if this all disappears.
After removal he said he will disinfect with peroxide and something else. Nothing I’ve heard of in holistic medicine. And then a round of antibiotics. Wondering now if I should take them.
I live in Canada where could I send the tooth to check bacteria? This would be interesting as it may make me decide to remove the other 2 root canals. Thanks for your article. Unfortunately we don’t have any holistic dentists near by.
dont "wonder" about the 2 others.
you already know.
get them all out of your head.
hey there.
many of the same problems.
I was fortunate enough to have seen the documentary Root Cause on Netflix. BEFORE the ADA had it forcibly removed. ( fact. ) at 49, i am the USA’s poster child for this documentary.
3 badly infected root canals have had 10 to 12 years to reach a state that has me in constant pain. slowly but surely taking my health in all ways conceivable. I sought out a bio dentist. 3d cone scan xray revealed this truth. scheduled removal of 3, 30 & 33 tomorrow. I am very disappointed in our modern Dental professionals not fully realizing the implications of their disservice to the general population. I KNOW this will solve many…if not all of my current issues. fight the good fight friends.
j. buckner.
just returned home from extraction procedure. 2 bone grafts and a sinus lift. – bone grafting preparation for 2 implants in the near future: 5 months. 6 thousand dollars lighter – thus far. embarrassingly enough for me to admit. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT KEPT ME FROM doing this in the first place… I traded the least expensive way – for my health. awful decision. I will NEVER get another root canal EVER. and neither should ANYONE else. if the choice of extraction / implant is too costly.
you can always have the implant done at a later time. please…dont do what I did. Get it removed. if it hadn’t been for that documentary. NO ONE would’ve EVER made the connection. and I’m positive that the outcome would have been a Dyer conclusion.
I will try to remember and post my recovery findings as they progress.
here are SOME of my symptoms over the past 10- 12 years. I am 5′ 8" 145 lbs. athletic build. type A.
insomnia.
panic attacks.
fainting. 4 or 5 very bad spells. once leaving the dentist office.!
lack of appetite.
bad headaches once month.
sex drive – gone…
irritability.
zero motivation.
depression. constant fatigue.
arthritic feelings in almost ALL of my joints from my neck to my toes.
mostly in my left hip. was told by orthopedic surgeon I need a hip replacement.
numbness in my fingers & toes.
dizziness- lightheaded – alot.
basically where it had gotten was a "feeling" that my body was a toxic dump. broken down and riddled with cancer. I was often unsure how I could possibly continue…
foot note. the oral surgeon had me on ANTIBIOTICS for the past 8 days.
I feel quite a lot better…
WHAT DOES THAT SAY…?-!-? exactly.
stay posted.
love & peace.
john
1 week later!
I FEEL SÒOOOOOOOO
MUCH BETTER! UNBELIEVABLE!
My body no longer hurts EVERYWHERE! in just 1 WEEK!!!!!
we really all need to be a voice for this problem. ROOT CANALS ARE NOT OK. I am living proof.
THE END.
Greensmoothiegirl, I wanted to update yous. I had the root canaled tooth extracted. Because it was part of a bridge I lost the tooth attached so I woke up to 3 missing teeth. The specialist said he could still do the 2 implants and bridge them. So essentially just the cost of another tooth inbetween. I have to go back in 6 weeks for the bone graft, sinus lift and removal of the broken tooth. This whole ordeal has been extremely traumatic as my biggest fear is losing teeth. And I had to be put out. The flipper they made looks good but is impossible to eat with other than drinks. It fits well but food still gets underneath. We have a trip coming up that makes this worse. With a missing eye tooth it’s hard to hide. Men can get away with it but women seem to be judged.
I’m waiting for the results now from DNA Connections with the root canal tooth. As far as the other 2 teeth in my mouth that have root canals I’m not sure I can give them up yet. I first can’t afford it and second I need to be able to chew and eat and being all molars and only left with 21 teeth in my mouth it will be a slow process. I’m looking for high grade chlorophyll drops that will help with bacteria, but we will see how I feel after this all heals. I’m proud I was able to come this far.
My far back bottom left molar has a crown and root canal. The tooth is vertically cracked to the bone and must be extracted. Should I go to my dentist or an oral surgeon? Should I have it prepped for an implant, or just leave it? I really need advice please.
The best advice would be to find a holistic or biologic dentist near you for their evaluation.
Hi guys . so i got 3rd rct in a tooth front tooth and fell and broke as a child . Now dentist did not find a problem in xray but same rct tooth was hurting and immediately after brushing or listerine it would subside . So i knew something is wrong . Plus two teeth surrounding the rct teeth got cavity . And no other cavity since 10 years .And now dentist says i might need rct in that cavity too . i got scared to death . Here i am trying to get rid of them .. i searched all my health conditons ad found a link . while writing this comment i have chronic knee pain and gerd which developed last year when the rct teeth got bad i assume. H pylori detected in my blood at age 22 . Linked to root canals .neck pain and knee pain are worse Than before . Insulin resistance. pre diabetic. chronic fatigue which is worse now . with so much work i end up in tears at times . I need help guys . I feel so stupid going in for 3rd rct on same tooth . i was not able to find bio dentist in my country and teeth pain needed to be addressed
. At this point i get head aches neck pains gerd and knee pain alomg with teeth pain . What are my options ? These are my front teeth .
I am not crazy as dentists here think I am Linking rct to diseased . I was healthy child. immediately after first rct around age 12, i got chronic throat infection for years . second rct on same tooth . so see rct fails. and i have chronic knee pain in just left leg . h pylori . neck pain since i am around 19-20. and its worse now with new conditions cropping up . and teeth being bad around same time . My head hurts . I want this thing out . please help with dentist or if i can check . Thinking of going to a very good ayurvedic doctor I got to know of , to restore good health . But what do i do with these failed rct teeth . i dont believe i actually got 3 rd re-rct today on same teeth. I was desperate and wanted to protect other teeths which surely had some impact due to failed rct . No other cavities in years 10 to be precise , just two surrounding rct teeth .With good oral hygeine I am not able to place what went wrong other than the failed rct … Plus why adjacent two and no others . And new health issues i never had in this last one year . Where can I find a bio dentist . What is best option to restore teeth post extraction . I am willing to travel a little. I want my health back .
Just extract them and get a zirconia implant.
Bridge is good if you are above 50.
This happened to me and I had an oral surgeon removed the crown and root canal for me. Due to financial issues I wont get an implant but I will get a bridge. I hope this helps.
Please go to YouTube and run a search for lectures and interviews by Dr. Thomas Levy. He explains in a number of videos why root canal-treated teeth are toxic and also explains that implants are also problematic in many cases.
Some argue that implants can be useful if enough time is left after the extraction to allow the bone to heal fully. Unfortunately most implants are done way too early.
Another issue is that it is difficult for the implants to be fully sterile, so implants can also harbor bacteria and so on (though not to the degree of root-canal-treated teeth, which harbor the bacteria, etc. inside the tubules, which no longer have access to the body’s natural immunity system).
Anyway, don’t listen to me, listen to Dr. Thomas Levy. You’ll have a much better idea what to do after you watch 10 of his videos.
I had a root canal year 2011, and now 2019 it hurts and got infected, idecided for extraction!!! I also had itchy skin prior to the infection specially on my tummy and ankle
Deborah, I’m in the same boat as you. I have a bottom right molar (second from back) that had a root canal done in 2008. In 2017, it was retreated. I suffered from pain on and off for years with it. The retreatment was horrible and I will never do that again. Now 2 years later, I’m back to having sensitivity and I will have it removed but A) do I go to my normal dentist or the endodontist? and B) do I go for an implant? I am so confused and frustrated…
It definitely needs a big heart to say no to the antibiotics that the doctor has offered, cause the pain after the wisdom tooth removal is humongous. And yeah thanks for sharing your story among us, it definitely help people who are looking for wisdom tooth removal.
Hi Rose, I found the link to order the kit for the bacterial testing. They will send it to Canada. Does anyone have a promo code for it. At $400 USA that works out to over $500 Canadian. Thanks
That’s great Carol, which company did you find that will ship to Canada?
Rose, I spoke to DNA Connections. They were great!! My chiropractor actually uses them for Lymes disease testing.
Now I have to go to the dentist who is pulling the root canaled tooth and hoping he will agree to the testing. My daughter is a dental assistant and says all teeth now are disposed of by the dentist and does not give them to patient’s.
I did find a dentist who uses ozone therapy. But I have a huge fear of dentist’s and it doesn’t make sense to go to 3 different dentists for this. The one who is pulling will do the implants if I get brave enough and come up with the money.
As a note my daughter told me when they do root canals they use Formaldehyde in the tooth which can’t be good for you.
1 week later!
I FEEL SÒOOOOOOOO
MUCH BETTER! UNBELIEVABLE!
My body no longer hurts EVERYWHERE! in just 1 WEEK!!!!!
we really all need to be a voice for this problem. ROOT CANALS ARE NOT OK. I am living proof.
THE END.
wow!! I am really starting to look into this as a possible cause for many health problems I’ve been having. I’ve had 2 surgeries on root canal tooth and it still hurts and moves around in my head.
Thank you, as I am having an old ‘2008’ rct extraction tomorrow and am do feared that it may be a bad decision (meaning years of pain) like the tct has caused me. I was young when I had the rct and was lead to believe that it was the best decision for me, when it fact I had rxtreme pain 6 months after and now 11 yrs since!!
how did your extraction go? did you get sedation?i am thinking about getting my root canal with amalgam and a gold crown removed very soon i have told it has been infected although i cannot feel any pain. I really hope it went well for you x
Hey John just curious what you had done to fix your problem? I had a root canal done 20 years ago and want to get it taken care of.