# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/21 "2013-02-17T06:01:31Z")
Oh for fuck’s sake! They don’t just deaden the nerve so you can’t feel it – they remove the infected part of the tooth and drain the infection.\* You also take antibiotics for the infection. Do you even know what a root canal involves? > [@ineedthetruth](#): > > BTW what does the link you posted have to do with root canals? I’m saying, the website is uncredible. Why would you believe a bunch of idiots? Ever HAD an abscess? I have. The pain is unbelievable! You feel like cutting your head off. (I did get some nice drugs out of the deal, though) \*Very, very basic description. It’s a wee more involved. ETA: if anything, I would think an actual dead body part would trigger gangrene, not cancer. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/22 "2013-02-17T06:06:59Z")
How do you get rid of a root canal? Pull the tooth. My parents invested a HELLUVA lot of money in my teeth. Fillings and braces–ugh. No dental insurance either, it all came out of Daddy’s paycheck, while Momma made the money stretch. Once I was on my own, I took care of my teeth. I’ve had fillings, crowns, and yup…eventually root canals. I DON’T want dentures. If you seriously don’t want root canals, don’t allow ANY decay in your teeth. Once the decay is drilled out, the tooth is weakened, and fillings have to be replaced over the years. This is what leads to an abscess, which is treated with…TA DAAAA! Root canal. So, once you get tooth decay, just have all your teeth pulled. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/23 "2013-02-17T06:11:10Z")
I’ve had root canals - I’m not dead yet. I have a full head of hair, am cancer free (so far as I know) and my immune system seems fine. I have had the flu a couple of times since I had the root canals. How can you ignore this evidence? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/24 "2013-02-17T06:13:47Z")
[“Dr.” Joseph Mercola is a quack.](http://www.skepdic.com/mercola.html) If this is the source of your citations, I _ **poop on** _ your citations. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/25 "2013-02-17T06:15:02Z")
root canals are dangerous I think. I have done tons and tons of research. I know exactly what a root canal is. The reason you don’t feel pain when a root canal is infected is because they remove the nerve or the nerve is dead. Bottomline is you do not feel the pain. The infection is still there you just do not feel it. You have a dead tooth in your mouth. It is dead and infected. Most people who extract root canals say it smells rotten or there is a abcess at the end of it. Looks up the pictures on google images you will seem them. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/26 "2013-02-17T06:33:02Z")
> [@simster](#): > > I’ve had root canals - I’m not dead yet. > > I have a full head of hair, am cancer free (so far as I know) and my immune system seems fine. > > I have had the flu a couple of times since I had the root canals. > > How can you ignore this evidence? when did you get your first one? Your immune system might still be fighting off the infection. It could only be a matter of time before you start seeing problems. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/27 "2013-02-17T06:35:38Z")
What part of THEY KILL AND DRAIN OFF THE INFECTION FIRST do you not understand? Of COURSE it’s gross looking. They’re doing surgery on an infected body part. There’s going to be blood and it’s going to be rotten looking. Do an image search on _any_ surgical procedure. They’re all gross. Doesn’t mean they cause cancer. Does an appendectomy cause cancer? And they don’t just leave the cavity empty – they fill it with a sediment type thing. Jesus. Any doctors want to weigh in? Do we have any dentists who post here? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/28 "2013-02-17T06:38:50Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > [“Dr.” Joseph Mercola is a quack.](http://www.skepdic.com/mercola.html) If this is the source of your citations, I _ **poop on** _ your citations. 😃 actually he is right about a lot in this link. Microwaves do alter the nutritional value of foods. Also EFT does work. The talk about the insulin is true too. This just further proves this guy is right about the root canals too in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/29 "2013-02-17T06:39:51Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > root canals are dangerous I think. I have done tons and tons of research. I know exactly what a root canal is. The reason you don’t feel pain when a root canal is infected is because they remove the nerve or the nerve is dead. Bottomline is you do not feel the pain. The infection is still there you just do not feel it. > > You have a dead tooth in your mouth. It is dead and infected. Most people who extract root canals say it smells rotten or there is a abcess at the end of it. Looks up the pictures on google images you will seem them. Could you link to a single study that supports your claim? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/30 "2013-02-17T06:41:08Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What part of THEY KILL AND DRAIN OFF THE INFECTION FIRST do you not understand? > > Of COURSE it’s gross looking. They’re doing surgery on an infected body part. There’s going to be blood and it’s going to be rotten looking. > > Do an image search on _any_ surgical procedure. They’re all gross. Doesn’t mean they cause cancer. Does an appendectomy cause cancer? > > And they don’t just leave the cavity empty – they fill it with a sediment type thing. Jesus. > > Any doctors want to weigh in? Do we have any dentists who post here? You cannot kill all of the bacteria. Do a google search. There are countless dentist who claim the root canal dangers are true. You will see this if you do some research. You act like I am an idiot. This is not some truth that only one dentist speaks about. It is well known to many now. I would say thousands of dentist know this now. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/31 "2013-02-17T06:46:44Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Could you link to a single study that supports your claim? You can look here: [http://www.westonaprice.org/dentistry/root-canal-dangers](http://www.westonaprice.org/dentistry/root-canal-dangers) ---
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/32 "2013-02-17T06:46:54Z")
No, according to: [http://www.northsidedentalcare.net/blog/2012/02/are-root-canals-toxic-by-dr-mcrory/](http://www.northsidedentalcare.net/blog/2012/02/are-root-canals-toxic-by-dr-mcrory/) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/33 "2013-02-17T06:47:33Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > You act like I am an idiot. So do I. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/34 "2013-02-17T06:48:37Z")
So what do you propose a person should do about an abscessed tooth? ---
**Author:** ![Astral\_Rejection](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Astral\_Rejection](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astral_Rejection)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/35 "2013-02-17T06:49:49Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > It could only be a matter of time before you start seeing problems. Isn’t this true of just about everything in life? Your hair will eventually recede. Is there a link between hair loss and heart disease? Your eyes will eventually weaken. Is there a link between macular degeneration and cancer? Your joints will eventually lose full function. Is there a link between arthritis and Alzheimer’s? It turns out, the answer is “yes!” There’s absolutely a link between all of those things! If we just pull our hair, eyes, and joints out early, we’ll never get cancer, heart disease, or Alzheimer’s! Of course, once you yank all of these things out and get the illnesses anyway, you’ll find that you’ve confused “correlation” with “causation.” Yes, cancer rates go up as eye functionality goes down, but it turns out both are a function of age, and there’s no actual connection between the two. You (and the doctor you link) are doing the same thing. Root canals are more common the older a section of population you look at. So are terrible diseases. It doesn’t mean the two are connected. Consider one further (silly) comparison: does wearing socks with sandals lead to cataracts? I saw a guy once wearing socks with his sandals, and and his eyes were just _terrible_! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/36 "2013-02-17T06:54:26Z")
> [@OneChance](#): > > No, according to: [http://www.northsidedentalcare.net/blog/2012/02/are-root-canals-toxic-by-dr-mcrory/](http://www.northsidedentalcare.net/blog/2012/02/are-root-canals-toxic-by-dr-mcrory/) Well there are always non believers. He has been a dentist who was taught this is not the case. Look at all of the evidence. Price implanted root canal tooths into rabbits and they got the same illness etc. He did this with thousands of rabbits. This is only the beginning of the proof. There must be someone here who agrees with me right? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/37 "2013-02-17T06:57:07Z")
> [@Astral\_Rejection](#): > > Of course, once you yank all of these things out and get the illnesses anyway, you’ll find that you’ve confused “correlation” with “causation.” Yes, cancer rates go up as eye functionality goes down, but it turns out both are a function of age, and there’s no actual connection between the two. > > You (and the doctor you link) are doing the same thing. Of course, gullible people like the OP aren’t blurring those lines _intentionally_. The doctor in his link absolutely _does_ blur correlation with causation intentionally, as it has the intended effect shown by the OP. They (“Drs” such as the one linked to) are nothing more than infomercial hucksters using medicine to sell product. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/38 "2013-02-17T06:59:59Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > You can look here: > > [http://www.westonaprice.org/dentistry/root-canal-dangers](http://www.westonaprice.org/dentistry/root-canal-dangers) And he got it wrong. The rate was 8,800/year from 1970-1975. As of Jan 1, 1976, there was a total of 123,000 cases in the US. Not new cases, total cases. [From here.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6975596) > [@](#): > > The pattern of the disease being more common among females, whites, persons aged 30-50 years, and individuals living above the 37th parallel was also demonstrated. Odd distibution of root canals, don’t you think? ---
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/39 "2013-02-17T07:00:53Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > Well there are always non believers. He has been a dentist who was taught this is not the case. Look at all of the evidence. Price implanted root canal tooths into rabbits and they got the same illness etc. He did this with thousands of rabbits. This is only the beginning of the proof. There must be someone here who agrees with me right? This is something I don’t understand. There are lots of people calling themselves doctors who say root canals are toxic. But there are also lots of other people calling themselves doctors who say they are not toxic. What makes you believe the “toxic” group over the other one? My closest friend had a root canal about ten years ago when he was in his early 30’s. He doesn’t have cancer, heart problems, or auto immune conditions, the things you mentioned in your OP. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/40 "2013-02-17T07:05:43Z")
Perhaps the fact that the teeth were implanted gave the rabbits cancer, not the root canals. Hmmmm? Ever think of THAT? :dubious: (What is “EFT”?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576.md?page=3)