At the moment there is a lot of controversy over the root canals, not just in the world, but most importantly even among the holistic dentists. There are a number of benefits that you stand to gain when you are using this procedure. At the same time, as you enjoy the benefits it is also important that you consider the risks that are involved in the process. Of course there are a number of acceptable alternatives that can be used in place of a root canal. At the same time, we must also admit that there are situations where the root canal would be the only best possible possibility, when compared against a number of alternatives that would be considered imperfect.

Dentist from San Diego, Paige Woods says the following:

In as far as the context of the holistic dentistry is concerned there are practitioners who believe that the risks of this procedure do outweigh the benefits that would be experienced by the patient. The biggest problem here comes in as a result of using infected teeth on a patient. When this is done, the patient pretty much develops the same infection that the infected tooth brings along. Other than that, this infection could thereon spread not only to the gums, but also to the other parts of the body, and in the process cause a lot of other problems.

In order to understand how the root canals would fit into this picture, perhaps we need a better understanding of the procedure. Teeth basically have a hollow space in the middle, where the root is housed. In this hollow space there are so many other tiny spaces where it is possible for bacteria to hide. If you get a root canal done, the dentist will then remove a nerve from the space, clean it out and thereafter fill it in. however, what we can clearly understand is that it is impossible to assert that the bacteria will have been effectively removed from the space in question.

Compounds like calcium hydroxide can easily penetrate into the tiny spaces where bacteria normally hides, more easily than any of the other substances that are used in the root canals. The fact that calcium hydroxide is a substance that is highly alkaline means that when we use it inside the teeth; it can penetrate all the way to the extreme surface of the teeth. Of course it is still possible to clean the teeth, but we have to assert the fact that it is impossible to clean all the bacteria out.

In as much as calcium hydroxide can be used to clean the tooth out properly, we must also understand that it will effectively dissolve any parts of the nerve that remain behind, and strengthen the rest of the tooth remaining.

The challenge here therefore lies in the fact that if the decay is too serious and a root canal is the only alternative, the procedure will be done to assist, but in the long run it will also come with risks. In some situations, extraction is seen as a better alternative to the root canal. However, we must also understand that once the tooth is out, we must also decide on what to do with the empty space.

Reference: http://paigewoods.com/holistic-dentist/