Root Canals Treatment is UNSAFE Viewpoint

Based on a 25 year extensive study by respected researcher, Dr. Westin Price, scientific data suggests that root canal therapy is the cause of many systemic diseases and illnesses. Although root canal therapy is usually successful in eliminating pain and swelling associated with dead teeth, and in allowing those dead teeth to remain in the mouth to function, the side effects may be hazardous to overall health. It is estimated that only about 30% of the population has a healthy enough immune system to ward off the side effects.

The Problem is that root canal therapy cannot sterilize the inside of the tooth. As a result, the trapped bacteria mutate and migrate to infect the heart, kidneys, eyes, stomach, and countless other body tissues. This theory, called the focal infection theory, states that a person can have an infection someplace and that the bacteria involved can be transferred by way of the bloodstream to another gland or tissue and therein start a whole new infection. Dr. Price devised a testing method that showed root canal filled teeth that otherwise seemed healthy were actually still infected. This was done by implanting root canal filled teeth under the skin of laboratory animals. He found, in almost every case, that when the root canal filled tooth of a person with a disease was extracted and imbedded in an animal, the animal would develop that person's disease, or one similar to it. This involved diseases or conditions such as endocarditis and other heart diseases, kidney and bladder diseases, arthritis, rheumatism, mental diseases, lung problems, stomach ulcers, ovarian diseases, phlebitis, osteomyelitis, and pregnancy complications. Those infections proved so devastating that most animals died with 3-12 days. When these same teeth were sterilized with steam heat and embedded in animals, no adverse health effects were experienced. Furthermore, a large percentage of people recovered from their illnesses after extraction of the root canal filled teeth used in the experiments.

Modern experiences also support this theory. Dr. Issels, a German physician, recommends extraction of root canal teeth as part of his protocol for terminal cancer patients. Over the last 40 years with 16,000 patients, he has observed a 24% total remission rate. Also, some transplant surgeons require root canal filled teeth be extracted before performing transplant surgery, because of the risk of focal infection to the new organ from the teeth.

To summarize, Dr. Price did not say that root canal therapy should be abolished. Rather, he stated there are potential serious side effects and that the health of a person's immune system must be considered before performing a root canal procedure. Also, if a person has chronic health problems, existing root canal filled teeth or untreated dead teeth should not be ignored as a possible cause or influence.

Many thanks to Ron King, DDS, Minneapolis, MN

Additional Reading:

Root Canal Cover-Up