In the vast majority of cases, root canals are caused by infections, and the bacteria that cause\u00a0root canal infections are difficult to remove completely once they get into the tooth and the bone around the tooth.<\/p>\n
When teeth get infected the tubules get filled with bacteria and traditional root canal therapy\u00a0doesn\u2019t have an effective way of dealing with the bacteria in the tubules of the root.<\/p>\n
Advanced Laser Endodontic Therapy<\/strong>\u00a0(ALET) successfully addresses the two major disadvantages of traditional root canal therapy: the inability to clean and sanitize anatomically complex root-canal systems and to deeply disinfect dentinal walls and tubules.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The problem is the tools dentists have had available to them are not efficient and don’t remove all of the bacteria and infected, necrotic tissue inside the tooth.\u00a0 You have all heard of the adage, ‘Use the right tool for the job.’\u00a0 Root canals traditionally have been done with small hand files (pictured below).\u00a0 Up till now, these have been the primary instruments available to do root canals and try to remove the necrotic tissue inside the tooth.\u00a0 Now there is another way, more on this later.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”27px|0px|0|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n How the Procedure is Usually Done<\/strong><\/p>\n In Weston Price’s groundbreaking research done a century ago and George Meinig’s book, ‘The Root Canal Cover-Up,’ it was postulated that the microtubules were actually filled with bacteria and contributing to the body\u00a0burden of toxicity in your body.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n To highlight the above points, I am going to quote what the Journal of Endodontics (printed by the American Association of Endodontists) has stated about root canals performed with four different nickel \/titanium file systems.\u00a0 \u00a0To quote the article’s\u00a0conclusion, ‘All instrumentation techniques left 35% or more of the canals’ surface area unchanged. Whilst there were significant differences between the three canal types investigated, very few differences were found with respect to instrument types.’ (1)<\/em><\/p>\n Possibly leaving 35% of the tooth surface untouched after root canal therapy is a staggering thought.\u00a0 Imagine doing a root canal at your local dentist because you have an infected tooth and being told you’re good to go even though that the dentist was only able to clean 65% of your tooth.\u00a0 Would you consider that a success?\u00a0 I wouldn’t.\u00a0 No wonder root canals fail as often as they do.\u00a0 It’s because there is still bacteria left behind to fester in your tooth!<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_direction=”360deg” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0%|rgba(0,0,0,0.05) 100%” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(0,0,0,0.12)” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(0,0,0,0.05)” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”30px||30px|” custom_padding=”27px|30px|27px|30px|true|true” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_blur=”80px” box_shadow_spread=”-7px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nWhy is ALET Superior to Classical Root Canal Therapy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Root](\"https:\/\/myholisticdentist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Microcomputed-tomography-images-of-canal-isthmuses-in-mesial-roots-of-mandibular-molars.-Courtesy-of-Dr.-L.-Gu..jpg\")
<\/a>There is no way classical root canal therapy can completely clean all the infection present in the root canals of a tooth.\u00a0 Dentists usually think that it is enough to fill the main canal of the tooth and their job is done.\u00a0 They can get a really good result for the main canal and miss the sometimes myriad of lateral, accessory and anastomoses (connectors) within the canal system of teeth.<\/p>\nHere is a picture of the files dentists use during root canal therapy.\u00a0 While hand files do a pretty good job of removing bacteria and infection from the main canal of the tooth, they do a poor job of removing the infected tissue in the other canals present in the root canal system.\u00a0 The simple reason for this is that these files cannot reach these canals.<\/p>\n<\/a>The third reason classical endodontics (root canal treatment) doesn’t always work is the microtubules of the roots.\u00a0 Here is an electron microscope image of the root surface of a tooth.\u00a0 See all the tiny holes?\u00a0 These are microtubules which usually carry micronutrients into the tooth and house immune cells and odontoblasts that can lay down more tooth structure when necessary.\u00a0 \u00a0When laid down side by side, the microtubules will span a distance of 1-2 miles.\u00a0 That is a lot of tubules!<\/p>\n<\/a>Here is another image of microtubules, now filled with bacteria after a tooth becomes infected.\u00a0 The reason this is important is that the metabolic byproducts of bacteria (essentially ‘bacteria poop’) is toxic to our bodies.\u00a0 Some people with immune compromised conditions shouldn’t have root canal procedures done because of the additional stress it will put on an already taxed and stressed immune condition.\u00a0 I have seen many patients with auto Immune conditions, fibromyalgia or Lyme disease who could not tolerate root canals.\u00a0 For more information on systemic inflammation and root canals go to this article I wrote on the importance of checking certain blood markers before major dental work:\u00a0Inflammation May Cause Failure in Extractions, Root Canals and Implants: A Case Study<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n