As a dentist in the Holistic Family Dental Practice of National Integrated Health Associates I meet several patients every day with root canal or potential root canal issues. Most patients presenting with potential root canal issues have great misunderstandings of the issues surrounding root canals.
The Simple Truth About Root Canals
The nerve and blood vessels within all teeth are collectively referred to as the pulp and provides the vitality and immune resistance to the tooth in which they reside. Most people and even some dentists may mistakenly believe that a toothache necessarily means that the tooth requires a root canal but that is not necessarily the case.
If a tooth is decayed, traumatized or exposed to microbes the nerve will first become inflamed. This is called a pulpitis or inflammation of the pulp. The first stage of pulpitis is termed acute pulpitis and if left untreated will become a chronic pulpitis.
Both acute and chronic pulpitis can have symptoms (pain) or be asymptomatic (ie no pain). What most dentists may not understand or do not have the tools to accomplish is to reverse acute and chronic pulpitis. This reversal needs homeopathic anti-inflammatories plus healing lasers.
What You Need to Know Before Going to the Dentist
If a pulpitis is not treated it usually becomes a dead, necrotic tooth. The necrotic tooth may or may not have symptoms. Once a tooth becomes necrotic it will attract microbial infection. The ways to stop this infection within a necrotic tooth is either extractions or to perform a root canal.