Has anyone got a root canal and is nervous of all the social media posts about how dangerous they are?

[RudsyFarmer]

I have a root canal at the front. A dentist kindly killed the healthy tooth for me 15 years ago whilst replacing a veneer (filed it down further to improve the look and exposed the pulp). So I then had a failed root canal and finally a successful root canal done my a specialist and a crown fitted.

I live with it pretty successfully. I do get some gum inflammation around it so have to be absolutely scrupulous about my hygiene and see the hygienist every three months, use a water irrigator daily etc.

I am due another set of X-rays so I can’t say categorically nothing bad is happening to the bone, but two years ago things looked okay.

Now to the point. I keep getting all these videos through that day how dangerous root canals are. That they are incredibly detrimental to your health and it should be pulled and an implant put in instead. I’m not against that but it’s going to be really hard to go without a front tooth for a year while all the work is done. Anyone else worrying like me or do you think it’s just nonsense and root canals are fine?

I've just remembered... the grandfather of root canal cavitation dangers is Joseph Mercola , a quack of the very highest order , he is also anti vax, claims cooking food in microwaves poisons you etc etc etc .

He makes a fortune selling fake cures on his internet site .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola

The best debunking of cavitation and root canal comes from the excellent website https://quackwatch.org/related/cavitation/

What do you think is dead in your mouth? The actual tooth (of which you have many) or what? When you have root canal treatment they strip the dead nerve out, clean and then pack the space. It's gone.

@RudsyFarmer I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am with it! My process has taken longer than normal as I have always had terrible teeth and took this opportunity to make quite a few changes including whitening and 2 veneers so we had to prolong the implant process so that the new tooth would match up with the rest.

It’s taken about 10 months in all (including a month just for the whitening) but it’s been 100% worth it and I haven’t had any pain at all throughout. I’m mid 40’s and for the first time in my life have a smile I am not embarrassed about.

I’m so pleased for you. Can I ask whether you sought out a specialist or went with someone local/convenient ? That’s my next dilemma. Who to trust to do a good job 🤦🏻‍♀️

The tooth is no longer a living thing as it has no blood supply. So it’s a dead thing no?

I went with my usual private dentist. I was previously dental phobic but when I had an issue that meant I couldn’t delay going any longer, this guy was very highly recommended locally and I 100% trust him now (he has completely cured my phobia) so wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to do it. Mine was a bit complicated apparently due to the layout of my teeth and bite so he did consult with an implant specialist associate just to double check they agreed with his plan (which they did).

Absolutely horse shite. I've had 4, the first one over 25 years ago, and no problems at all.

I can't contribute to the precise subject of this thread but discussion of bacterial infection of the teeth has got me a bit worried. I have had bleeding from my gums for a few weeks now. Quite a lot. I went to my dentist and they were kind enough to get someone to see me the same day. He wasn't my usual dentist though and he just said it was down to inadequate brushing.

So I take more care now but there is still a lot of blood. I've got a check up appointment with my regular dentist in February. I'm hoping she will do an X-ray to check if there is infection. About a year ago I told her about a blister on my gum. She did an X-ray and said there was an infection. She said I could have the tooth out or a root canal filling.

I don't know if I want to wait that long before I see her again though. I have discomfort on one side of my mouth as if one of the salivary glands is swollen. If it is infection I don't want it to spread for months until I see her. Can I ask to see her before February or will I just be labelled as a worrier?

I had one in a front tooth about 35 years ago and it’s never given me a problem. Had another one recently. I think it’s scaremongering tbh.

"it’s just nonsense and root canals are fine"

This

Sounds like you've gone down a social media rabbit hole and freaked yourself out in the process. It's likely that most of these posts and videos contain unverified information, spurious claims and are from unreliable sources. Ask yourself whether you would be so ready to believe what they're saying if they covered other topics.

Just fyi I had a root canal over a decade ago. My view at the time was that it needed to be done and if I didn't do it I would have a lot more problems down the road. I'm glad I did it. No regrets and I don't even think about it.

A root canal tooth is more inert, the process removes all the nerve and pulp that can be infected and cause issues

that said there are vanity reasons why an implant is better or a crown and the tooth can be more brittle

I had one about 5 years ago. Had heard the stories and was scared (I'd already had cancer). Of course the dentist said it was all nonsense and I had it done.
I was kind of relieved when it failed quickly and the tooth was removed.