In the coming weeks I will be discussing different situations involving infected root canal teeth and reviewing how we handled each one. What will become clear is that different situations call for different solutions. In one scenario the patient may choose to keep the tooth by doing a root canal. In another situation, the patient may opt to extract the tooth and replace it with a bridge or implant. A third patient may choose to do nothing and monitor the tooth with ongoing support. When we are dealing with infected or compromised teeth, the old adage ‘One size does not fit all’ applies. Our bodies, our teeth and every patient is indeed unique
When to Extract Old Root Canal Teeth
For those of you who were told that your root canal should last a lifetime, this has not been my experience. The fact is root canals fail and they usually fail more often than is realized by both doctor and patient. How do I know this? Because 3-D imaging called cone beams show more infection with old root canals than has been previously known.
This is because normal Xrays taken in dental offices don’t reveal the infection that’s sometimes there. After all, they are two dimensional and shot through the bone, so many times infection can go undetected, as it is hidden in the center of your jaw bone. Remember that during root canal treatment the nerve is removed from the tooth, so you will no longer feel that something is wrong, even if there is infection.
To the right is a normal Xray of a root canal tooth. The bone around the tooth looks fairly normal, certainly within normal limits for a root canal tooth, as shown with the arrow. Most dentists would say that this tooth looks to be healthy, as there is no evidence of infection and the canals look well filled. If there is no pain and no clear indication of an infection on the xray, as is the case with here, most dentists would say the tooth is fine and does not need any further treatment.
However, when we take a cone beam image, which is a three dimensional study similar to a cat scan, the true condition of this tooth is revealed. No longer can the infection hide because we can see deeper into the bone and with better resolution. The cone beam has little difficulty revealing that there is a problem.
How many previously treated root canals have similar problems that are being missed with normal Xrays? For me as a dentist, it is frightening to contemplate. The good news is that advances made in cone beam technology now make it possible to catch many infections in the jaws around these old root canal teeth that have previously gone undetected.
So What’s the Treatment for Infected Root Canal Teeth?
There are only 3 choices once an old root canal infection is diagnosed:
- Do nothing and just monitor or watch the progress of the infection
- Retreat or redo the root canal
- Extract the tooth and replace it
The first choice is not a very good one in my opinion, as you are leaving infection that drains endotoxins into your body. Endotoxins are byproducts of bacteria that cause inflammation locally and in your body as they affect your immune system. Keep in mind that these infections are 24/7 and cause stress on your immune system, sometime for years before they are discovered and treated.
The second choice of retreating the root canal can sometimes be done, although every time you redo a root canal the tooth becomes weaker and the root canal will fail faster the second time. I am of the opinion that when an existing root canal fails, the tooth should be extracted and replaced. However, Dr Val Kanter, a board certified endodontist in Beverly Hills, feels that a root canal can be retreated once with good results. Dr Kanter is an expert in biological and regenerative root canal therapies. She and I use ozone and a laser in our practice to treat root canal infections.
The third choice is to remove the infected tooth and replace it with a bridge, removable tooth or implant. In this case the patient chose the option of removing the infected root canal tooth and replacing it with a zirconia implant. The zirconia implant has the advantage of not having the conductive properties of a metal, as it acts more like a ceramic or porcelain material. It also is white instead of dark, and the soft tissue or gums really heal well around it.
In the case below you will see a zirconia implant placed two years ago. Notice how cosmetically pleasing it still is and how healthy the gums look around it. You will rarely see the gums look this good with a titanium implant. Patients in my practice always opt for zirconia, as it is generally understood that having metals in the body is less desirable due to issues of conductivity and appearance. We also support the integration of the implant with nutritional support to promote healing and healthy bone. An implant is never as good as a God-given tooth, but it comes very close!
Carey O’Rielly DDS has been a practicing dentist for 35 years. He went to USC Dental School and Duke University for his undergraduate degree. He grew up in Laguna Beach and now lives in La Costa with his wife Victoria, who runs his office.
He began his career by owning and operating a network of six offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. Presently he owns a private holistic practice in North County San Diego’s Encinitas.
Dr. O started looking for solutions to his health challenges that resulted from the stress and environmental toxicity that built up over a ten year period running his dental network. He has dedicated himself to learning about oral systemic problems and how dentistry can affect your health. He has applied what he has learned over the last twenty years to ensure he, his staff and his patients are protected from the chemicals and toxic materials found in most dental offices. He has produced an environmentally friendly office that is also peaceful and calm.
He is an expert on dental materials having looked at hundreds of biocompatibility lab tests over the years. He has identified the most bio-friendly materials to use in his practice and which dental materials can be used to replace metal fillings and crowns, including BPA free and fluoride free ‘white’ fillings. He also uses metal-free Zirconia or ceramic implants and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) grafting materials which come from the patient’s own blood.
Dr. O’Rielly teaches C.E. courses on the systemic effects of gum disease. He is an expert in using phase contrast microscopy for analyzing dental infections, where he shows patients what kind of microbes, i.e. bacteria, amoeba, and yeasts like candida are populating the mouth and affecting the body as a whole.
He has an educational blog and is writing a book on dental health called ‘Hidden Dental Infections: Healing Root Canals and Infected Teeth with the Erbium Laser’ where he discusses dental nutrition, toxic dental materials and the effects of old root canals on inflammation and overall health.
Thank you for your article. I am one of the unlucky people who had a root canal a few years ago, and now my dentist says there is infection around the root of the tooth and wants it extracted. It has shown up on an x-ray for about a year and a half and I have had no pain in it and use it to chew so hate to lose the tooth. After reading your article, I am feeling more confident that my dentist is correct. It is very hard for a person to accept that a tooth needs to be pulled when there is no discomfort at all and the x-rays haven’t changed much in 18 months.
Hello Carole, I empathize with you. Losing a tooth is difficult to accept, but sometimes it is for the best. Talk to your dentist about how to replace it and you should be fine.