This Post May Be the Most Interesting Post
And the story begins with a little old root canal, done about 19 years ago
Have you had a root canal, or did someone close to you have one? If so, you’ll want to read this entire post. This article will have a little science…some anecdotal, and n of 1. Teeth are living organisms and are connected to the rest of the body through meridians. This is a main principle widely accepted by biological dentists. I just had an 18/19-year-old root canal and tooth removed, and I couldn’t be happier that it’s finally gone. This has been a well-thought-out process.
Please listen to my podcast Episode 160 here with Dr. Kelly Blodgett on biological dentistry, available on all podcasting platforms, but I’ll include Apple and Spotify links here:
Apple:
Spotify:
Here is some vital background first. I only ever had two cavities as a kid. I never had dental issues and healthy teeth until my second child's birth. If you know me, you know a lot of things went haywire after I had my second child.
A few months after her birth in 2005, a few (I think three? It’s been so long) of my bottom front teeth crumbled one day in my mouth. I freaked out. They were chiselled down to nubs and then bonded. Who knows what materials were used back then? I don’t know, but the bonding has held up all these years. Shortly after this incident, I developed intense pain in my bottom right molar. It was cracked, and I was told I had to have a root canal. I had my wisdom teeth removed at 16, so without wisdom teeth, this particular molar is second last, bottom right.
In hindsight, I can now say that I was severely nutrient-depleted after the pregnancy and birth of my daughter.
Here is what happened since then, after I underwent a root canal sometime in 2005:
I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse (heart murmur) with mild regurgitation.
I had my first migraine (and it was with aura) at age 41, approximately six years post root canal. Since then, I have had chronic neck and shoulder pain, mainly on the right side of my shoulder blade, traps and back of my neck.
I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2011 and had a total thyroidectomy.
Can I say definitively that this root canal caused these issues for me? No, I can’t. Was it a contributing factor? Probably, knowing what I know now about root canals, but we will never know for sure.
By the way, I should note that I had the two mercury fillings from my childhood removed and replaced in my 40s.
I never had overt issues with this old root canal, which was in my mouth for close to 19 years. Sometimes, the gums would get swollen around it, and there would be a little pain, but nothing significant or unusual about it, as this can happen with any tooth.
Intuitively, I knew it was time to get it out one year prior. I decided to wait, as I had to get a dental implant on my other tooth, which was more pressing due to a dentist removing all my enamel and then crowning it. I developed a condition called condensing osteitis from this. My friends, be careful who you let work in your mouth. I had to allow this new implant to heal before I would consider work done to remove this old root canal.
I also prepped my body before this extraction by lowering my toxic burden and working on balancing my gut microbiome. I also ensured I was healthy and balanced through hormones; my weight was healthy, and my sleep was good.
Here are some observations and symptoms of my old root canal.
I think the root canal is one main causative factor of the migraines I started having at 41.
I think the root canal exacerbated the endocrine imbalances I had and still have, but not the cause of thyroid cancer.
I think the root canal is a causative factor in my issues with my shoulder/neck pain, which always fed into the migraines. The stiffness and pain were gone when I woke from dental surgery. Yes, you heard me…gone. We will see if it lasts, as only time will tell.
I think the root canal is a causative factor of the mitral valve prolapse and heart murmur I was diagnosed with after the birth of my second child.
I always get this strange flushing on the right side of my face. Is this just a pattern of a hot flash, or is this inflammation from the root canal? We will see if this right-side flushing stops.
I always get extremely dry eye and blurry vision in my right eye. Again, time will tell if this is a symptom of this old root canal.
I am highly observant of symptoms that do not subside. If they persist, symptoms always mean something. I will write a follow-up to this article in a few months to let you know how I’m doing.
You’ll notice in the photo that the tooth roots and inside are black. I am still unsure if I will spend the money to have it tested.
“When a tooth has decayed or fractured, bacteria will “eat” their way through the enamel and dentin layers until they reach the pulp. Once bacteria have reached the pulp, they break down the pulp tissue, exposing the nerves and blood vessels. This starts an infectious process within the pulp and eventually causes the blood vessels and nerves to die.”
Causes of black in the roots and tooth of a root-canaled tooth:
the living tooth is dead, so the black is from tissue necrosis
bacterial infiltration
it is no longer a living organism
Note that there is also black because this crown likely used metals (since it was done in 2005).
I firmly believe in the principles Dr. Weston Price studied on the dangers of root canals. You can also watch the film Root Cause, which many conventional dentists highly criticize.
Link to watch the documentary (you may be able to watch it free somewhere):
Link on root canal dangers from Dr. Weston Price:
American Association of Endodontists Statement:
Here is MY stance:
I feel a root canal is a massive, money-making, unsafe procedure that I do not support. Maybe they had good intentions initially, but now, in my eyes, it’s just a profit-making procedure that isn’t safe for many. All teeth are living organisms, and I agree with the biological dentists that keeping a dead organism can cause systemic inflammation, which will always be individualized. Issues may arise when a person is in a weaker, unhealthier state. With time, we all experience weakened states, which leaves us vulnerable to problems with these root canals.
I’ll leave you with one thought…prevention will always be a key here. We must do what we can to ensure we have balanced minerals and nutrients in our bodies to support healthy teeth. I was not in that state when my teeth deteriorated after childbirth, and I have been in numerous unhealthy states since then. These are the ebbs and flows of life.
How do we maintain balance? A whole, real food diet that includes animal protein. No GMOs, avoid pesticides, avoid hormones and antibiotics, eat with the seasons, and eat foods and animals that are naturally grown and raised. Take targeted supplements that you know you need. Do some genetic testing to check for potential predispositions. Sleep. Address stress through mindfulness and meditation. Have joy in your life. Move your body. End of story.
Oh, and one last bit of advice: if you’re looking for more research on this, don’t use google, as you’ll only get what google wants you to see. Use a search engine like DuckDuckGo.
I’ll follow up in a few months to update you on my progress. For now, I am recovering well from this extraction and will allow it to heal for approximately a year before I consider an implant.