# Are Root Canals Really Toxic?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 17, 2013, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576 "2013-02-17T04:29:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/281 "2013-07-12T05:26:58Z")
In 2011, I had to have a root canal done over 25 years after the first one (the filling had deteriorated) and when that failed, I had to have an apicoectomy. This is where they go in through the gumline (the jawbone is like an eggshell) to remove diseased tissue and trim off the end of the root. It sounds dreadful, and I had nightmares about it, but honestly, the procedure took about 15 minutes and was less traumatic than a filling. And for a while, the endodontist thought that procedure had failed too, but in time, everything healed up and I still have the tooth. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![StormyAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@StormyAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StormyAngel)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/282 "2013-10-02T11:14:59Z")
> [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > [Dr. Weston Price](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weston_Price) is dead. I’m not taking his advice on anything. > > BTW, how does one go about getting a root canal “removed?” OK. I’ve been following all this discussion on Root Canals… Just 7yrs after I had 3 root canals done my immune system went crazy That was in the late 80’s…fast forward to October 2011, I was diagnosed with non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, an immune system Cancer. Do I honestly believe those root canals caused it? No. Every day we are ALL exposed to toxins in the very air we breath…mercury levels in our seafood Have increased 10 fold. Pesticides in our foods…My sister passed from the same cancer As well as a brother. NEITHER of which had ever had a root canal. When in doubt? Have the tooth removed that had the root canal done on it…having Cancer? I’ve looked for something to blame…a reason and an answer to my WHY WHY WHY’s… At some point I surpassed all that and have arrived at: OK, let’s find a cure…yes I know…locate cause…find cure right? No. Each person is different as to cause… My Doctors have focused on appropriate treatment…not cause… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/283 "2013-10-02T12:05:09Z")
> [@StormyAngel](#): > > Each person is different as to cause… Nope. There are genetic causes of cancer shared by many people. And your advice on root canals is confusing - you say you don’t believe they cause cancer (or at least your own), but think that when in “doubt” people should yank such a tooth out. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![kthrynileen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/958977/32.png) [@kthrynileen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kthrynileen)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/284 "2013-10-24T19:39:37Z")
I just want to say thank you to everyone in this thread, but especially ineedthetruth, for providing a supremely entertaining read. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/285 "2013-10-24T19:44:06Z")
> [@kthrynileen](#): > > I just want to say thank you to everyone in this thread, but especially ineedthetruth, for providing a supremely entertaining read. Do you have an opinion on the matter? ---
**Author:** ![kthrynileen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/958977/32.png) [@kthrynileen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kthrynileen)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/286 "2013-10-24T20:04:02Z")
I’ve had several root canals dating back to the early 90’s… No cancer, no hair loss, no arthritis. I’ve had a few random pimples - shall I blame those on the procedures? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/287 "2013-10-24T20:16:29Z")
> [@kthrynileen](#): > > I’ve had several root canals dating back to the early 90’s… No cancer, no hair loss, no arthritis. I’ve had a few random pimples - shall I blame those on the procedures? Oh, definitely! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/288 "2013-10-24T20:25:56Z")
> [@kthrynileen](#): > > I’ve had several root canals dating back to the early 90’s… No cancer, no hair loss, no arthritis. I’ve had a few random pimples - shall I blame those on the procedures? What about a vaguely upset stomach? Slight unexplained pains? Dry skin? How do you know they weren’t caused by your procedures? ---
**Author:** ![kthrynileen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/958977/32.png) [@kthrynileen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kthrynileen)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/289 "2013-10-24T20:33:12Z")
Hmmm… dry skin… yes - but sometimes oily. Almost certainly a direct result of the root canal. I can’t believe I didn’t see the correlation before now. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/290 "2013-10-24T20:53:00Z")
Some blame root canals; some blame Obama. Anyone know the president’s dental history? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/291 "2013-10-24T20:57:21Z")
> [@kthrynileen](#): > > Hmmm… dry skin… yes - but sometimes oily. Almost certainly a direct result of the root canal. I can’t believe I didn’t see the correlation before now. Do find it hard to see things sometimes, and easy to see things at other times? When walking outside, do you sometimes feel warm, and at other times wet? Do you feel tired after running a marathon? All of these could be signs. ---
**Author:** ![DomesticRuby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@DomesticRuby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DomesticRuby)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/292 "2013-11-07T13:01:36Z")
This is for ineedthetruth…did you get that root canal done? I am in the same place you were in several months ago. I need to have a root canal re-done and I came across some websites talking about the root canal - cancer connection. It really made me stop and think about it. Three dentists have dismissed my concerns, but there seems to be evidence that there is a connection between focal infection and serious health issues. I’m curious to know what you decided to do. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/293 "2013-11-07T13:10:53Z")
Yeah - who’s gonna believe a bunch of dentists when some websites\* say otherwise? \*such as? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/294 "2013-11-07T13:15:54Z")
> [@DomesticRuby](#): > > This is for ineedthetruth…did you get that root canal done? I am in the same place you were in several months ago. I need to have a root canal re-done and I came across some websites talking about the root canal - cancer connection. It really made me stop and think about it. Three dentists have dismissed my concerns, but there seems to be evidence that there is a connection between focal infection and serious health issues. I’m curious to know what you decided to do. Yes. I found that most websites that go against trained professionals are almost certainly wrong and are merely trying to too their own horn with hysterics and hype. Just because you read something on the internet does not make it true. Or, to reference something I said earlier in the thread: “uhh…Bonjour!” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/295 "2013-11-07T15:33:18Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > “uhh…Bonjour!” Actually, I think that should be “uh. . . bon jur” (to ensure that no one mistakes the accent employed). ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/296 "2013-11-07T18:33:51Z")
> [@kthrynileen](#): > > I just want to say thank you to everyone in this thread, but especially ineedthetruth, for providing a supremely entertaining read. Amen. I’ve seen some weird stuff, but this? This is _hilarious_. > [@StormyAngel](#): > > OK. I’ve been following all this discussion on Root Canals… > Just 7yrs after I had 3 root canals done my immune system went crazy > That was in the late 80’s…fast forward to October 2011, I was diagnosed with non Hodgkin’s > Lymphoma, an immune system Cancer. Do I honestly believe those root canals caused it? No. > Every day we are ALL exposed to toxins in the very air we breath…mercury levels in our seafood > Have increased 10 fold. Pesticides in our foods…My sister passed from the same cancer > As well as a brother. NEITHER of which had ever had a root canal. When in doubt? Have the tooth removed that had the root canal done on it…having Cancer? I’ve looked for something to blame…a reason and an answer to my WHY WHY WHY’s… > At some point I surpassed all that and have arrived at: OK, let’s find a cure…yes I know…locate cause…find cure right? No. Each person is different as to cause… My Doctors have focused on appropriate treatment…not cause… A few things to say to this. You seem to be trying very hard to find someone or something to blame for your cancer. This is not uncommon behavior among those who are suffering from a serious illness - you’re lashing out. But it’s really easy when you have that kind of attitude to get it _wrong_ - to wildly point blame at anything and everything, regardless of whether or not they actually have anything to do with it. You talk about pesticides in our food and mercury in seafood… But have you ever looked at the toxicity data for those things? Ever looked into what level of mercury you can ingest with no noticeable effects, or how much you get just from everyday living? If not, you should, because simply freaking out when hearing about poisons is one of the really wrongheaded things vaccination detractors do - they hear “Vaccines have formaldehyde” and just focus on that, without realizing that formaldehyde is a natural product of the human metabolism, is easily metabolized in small doses, and present in far greater quantities naturally than any vaccine can provide. Before you blame anything, take some time to look at the actual scientific data and make sure you’re not just fooling yourself. Even arsenic is used in tiny quantities for some medicines. As for why your doctor didn’t focus on the cause of your cancer, well, that’s pretty easy: determining an individual cause for any cancer is damn near impossible in most cases, and it’s largely about luck - unless any individual risk factor is _extremely_ prevalent in your life, it’s very hard to determine any changes that would reduce the outcome of future outbreaks. It’s not like influenza, where exposure to the virus is the clear cause. However, an individual type of cancer, at a certain stage, usually has a certain regimen which will work well in most cases. Focusing on cause is just a non-starter for curing your disease. > [@DomesticRuby](#): > > This is for ineedthetruth…did you get that root canal done? I am in the same place you were in several months ago. I need to have a root canal re-done and I came across some websites talking about the root canal - cancer connection. It really made me stop and think about it. Three dentists have dismissed my concerns, but there seems to be evidence that there is a connection between focal infection and serious health issues. I’m curious to know what you decided to do. Okay, first off: “some websites”? Terrible source. You’re placing some by and large anonymous people on the internet with absolutely no legal responsibility to tell you the truth above trained professionals who can get sued and kicked out of their profession entirely if they provide misinformation from their certified position. Which websites, though? What were _their_ sources? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/297 "2013-11-07T18:49:39Z")
Did “some websites” include gems of info like this one?: [http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/how-to-heal-cavities-naturally.html](http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/how-to-heal-cavities-naturally.html) ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/298 "2013-11-07T23:10:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Some blame root canals; some blame Obama. Anyone know the president’s dental history? Don’t need to know that. All I need to know is that he blames Bush for everything, and all the teeth I’ve lost were during the Bush administration. I haven’t lost _any_ during Obama’s terms. Therefore, he’s right. It’s Bush’s fault. I’m convinced. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/299 "2013-11-07T23:13:15Z")
> [@DomesticRuby](#): > > This is for ineedthetruth…did you get that root canal done? I am in the same place you were in several months ago. I need to have a root canal re-done and I came across some websites talking about the root canal - cancer connection. It really made me stop and think about it. Three dentists have dismissed my concerns, but there seems to be evidence that there is a connection between focal infection and serious health issues. I’m curious to know what you decided to do. He decided to die, by having the root canal. To improve the gene-pool. Needless to say, he didn’t reply back with ‘cause of death’. Make your choice… ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/300 "2013-11-07T23:24:29Z")
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