Root Canal or Tooth Extraction and Health. Does any doctor have an opinion regarding chronic health problems?

I had a root canal in 1998. Retreatment one month ago The infection was prfound. I thought I would feel better after the root canl. Ringing in my ears for over six months and thought that the root canal would help alleviate the problem. I also have had muscular pain in right arm (which is the side of the molar in question. The MD prior to the root canal thought I had fibromyalgia. When the infection was released I immediately felt better. However, I did get worse healthwise since the infection was outside the tooth.. I have had dizzy spells and some cognitive problems. There is so much on the internet regarding controversies in root canals and its impact on your overall health. I do not know whether to finish the root canal procedure or have my tooth pulled. The endodontist indicated that a resdiual infection can take as long as two years to rid itself from the body. I have read about the mercury problem in root canals. Are their any professionals who can offer opinions?

Root Canal or Tooth Extraction and Health. Does any doctor have an opinion regarding chronic health problems?
I strongly disagree with the coment above. No one can say weather a RCT was done the right way or the wrong way based on a narrative description.





How does the answerer even know a Root Canal was Done. Patients often misunderstand treatment even when it is spoken in their own native tongue.





I can't count the number of time a patient has said "I had a root canal last year. yet on the X-ray there is no evidence of an root canal ever being done. Patients misidentify Pulpal Therapy (pulpectomy) with Root Canals. they go to the dentist. The dentist is busy talking in dental tongue and he or she nods and goes home. They go in with pain, go home out of pain, " oh , yeah must have been a root canal."


that said. Even the best Root canals even fail, done by the best Specialist. You can't say so %26amp; so did wrong based on the patients impression.





As far as this question is concerned. If you have had it retreated and you are still having problems with it. then yes you need to seek additional consultation with an MD.





A few years ago, I had a patient presented with a tooth infection in the upper jaw. We did the RCT. pain went away then came back. He ended up in the hospital 1 month later on IV Antibiotics. The pulled the tooth and symptoms seemed to subside. I'm think Oh **** what did I miss. Anyway, later he went back to us in pain again. After a third look by a specialist, it turned out he has brain cancer and survived. So, You never know what is going on, especially here, in this forum.
Reply:I would definitely see your physician and perhaps a neurologist about the pain you're feeling. If a tooth infection has been present for a long time, it will usually spread in between the muscles in your jaw and down your neck via fascial planes because these are the paths or least resistance. There are several fascial layers surrounding areas near your spine as well, and if the infection has gotten in there, swelling may irritate or impinge on the cervical spinal nerves going to your arm.





As for mercury and root canals, I'm not sure what issues there are since mercury isn't used in most root canal procedures. Normally, the pulp is removed, the canal is shaped/cleaned with files, irrigated with bleach, and then filled with a sealer and rubber (gutta percha). The sealer is made from eugenol(an alchohol that's reponsible for that clove smell you find at a dentist office) and zinc oxide.
Reply:The reason you had to go through a retreatment was because the dentist who did the first one did not do it the right way. An RCT must be done to perfection to ensure the survival of the tooth. Did the ringing in the ears and the pain in right arm might be due to the infection (abscess, most likely) pressing a nerve. If these symptoms have been released after the retreatment, you have nothing to worry about. Trust your dentist, but also know exactly what he is doing. Mercury is not used in root canal filling, either silver or, more commonly, GP points (made of inert wax substance) are used. Residual infections may take a long time to heal, since they are enclosed in a bone. They should not have flare ups if the RCT is done right.