The Alternatives to Root Canals

We talk a lot about the alternatives to root canals typically the only alternative mentioned is extraction of the tooth. But is that really the only alternative? Surely there must be other options, right? This was the question posed by Sean after listening to recent podcasts (Root Canals, Infections, Formaldehyde, Oh My!).

The truth is, there are other alternatives depending on the situation. We’ll try to explain it all in detail, here.

First off, if you really need a root canal, then that means the damage has gone too far and you are having serious symptoms (toothache or swelling). At that point, the healthiest option is to extract the tooth and replace it.

Root canals, however, are often recommended for the wrong reasons (such as when a dentist has exhausted or ruled out other sources or causes for tooth pain). A common incident is when the bite is off and the problem tooth is sore and causing pain. Another common example is when the gums have receded and the tooth is painful because of exposed dentin. Of course, taking out the nerve will cut sensation or feeling to the tooth, but it by no means is the source of the problem is cured.

The reason root canals are so often recommended is because many dentists don’t spend enough time diagnosing the root cause of the problem. Diagnosis is time-consuming and inefficient. For every minute a dentist spends diagnosing the source of your dental pain, he or she loses money (because that time could have been spent seeing more patients). While many dentists will dedicate the time to properly diagnose problems, far too many take the easy route and make assumptions in order to quickly provide a solution. Root canals will most often remove the cause of the pain (again, because you’ve removed the nerve), therefore, root canal therapy is often recommended.

Now, if the dentist has properly diagnosed the cause of your problems and if you really have a true need for a root canal (infection or deep cavity), then the damage is too great to reverse. The healthiest alternative to a root canal is simply to take out the infection by removing the tooth.

Does this sound barbaric when you can “save” the tooth with root canal therapy? Probably at first. But what dentists are unaware of are the links between leaving an infected tooth in the body and other systemic illnesses (such as breast cancer). It’s called the focal infection theory. A better question would be, “Would you jeopardize your health to ‘save’ a tooth?”

If you have an infection or severe decay that has caused a deep cavity and a root canal is recommended, your only two options are extraction or root canal therapy. That’s why knowledge and prevention is of utmost importance: learn how to prevent decay and the spread of tooth decay and you’ll never have to deal with a root canal.

If a root canal is recommended to you, you should definitely get a second or third opinion to confirm the true need for the procedure. Unfortunately, too many dentists do root canals for the wrong reasons and you may have other, less “barbaric” solutions if you were misdiagnosed and don’t need to undergo the procedure.

If you already have a root canal and are wondering if there’s a link with that tooth and the rest of the body, view a tooth meridian chart (we have an interactive meridian chart here: Tooth Meridian Chart) or visit a natural or holistic dentist. A lot of times, extracting the problem tooth can help alleviate or eliminate problems (not always, so again, get a second or third opinion before taking action).

The short answer to the alternatives to a root canal question is… If you really, truly need a root canal, you have only two options: root canal therapy or extraction. However, there is always the chance that you have been misdiagnosed and have many, safer, more appealing options available to you.

Got A Gummy Smile?

Do you have a gummy smile?  You know, the smile where you show more gums than teeth… sometimes making your teeth look short or small.

If so, you’re not alone.  Most beauty pagent winners have gummy smiles.

But what about too gummy?

As a dentist I’ve been trained to evaluate smiles aesthetically and the gums are just as important as the teeth.

The following are the things we look at, other than color:

• Your gumline (the line where your tooth ends and the gums begin) is uneven.
• The height and width of your teeth.
• How many teeth are shown (ie. how many back teeth can I see when you smile.
• Are the edges or your upper teeth straight or parallel to your eye line?
• Do you have any “black” spaces between any of your teeth?
• When you’re not smiling, can I see any part of your teeth?
• Symmetry - is the right side a mirror image of your left.
• Is the color of the gums the same on both sides?

But today, let’s look at the gums.  How much gums can you show and still look acceptable?  The answer is a maximum of 2 mm.  Two millimeters of gum is acceptable as they don’t over power the teeth.

The other key element is that the 2mm be 2mm across the whole smile.  In other words, you can have 2 mm of gums shown in the front and 6 mm of gum shown in the back or 0 mm of gums showing in the back of the mouth.

If that happens, then your teeth will not look proportional because some teeth will look bigger and some smaller.  The reason being, your teeth start and end with the gums.

You Self-Diagnose a gummy smile… now what?

As a dentist in San Diego, I’ve seen how patients can be shocked when I mention their gummy smiles.  It’s because no other dentist mentioned it as most dentists look at teeth.  I like to say that I look at smiles and the whole body.  The teeth are a small component.

Anyway… what can you do if you have a gummy smile.  The real answer is….  as one of my mentors told me, “it depends!”

It depends on why you have a gummy smile.  As you know, treatment should be driven by a diagnosis.  All too often treatment is done without figuring out what really went wrong.

Now I know what you are thinking.  If it doesn’t hurt, then don’t fix it.  If that is true, then why do you put makeup on…. why do you put deodorant on… why do you take a bath?

A gummy smile to me is not pretty and if I point it out to you, then you may feel the same way.

So there are 4 main reason why you have a gummy smile and each requires a different treatment.  The treatments can range from full blown jaw surgery to orthodontics to minor gum surgery to restorative dentistry.

If you want to know more… I’ll be sharing more in my newsletters.  Just go to my site drmarvin.com and sign up.

Essentia Water Review: Great For You And Your Mouth

We all know the importance of hydrating our body with good old fashion water.  We know that our body is comprised of water.  We know that when our body runs out of water, we crave it.

However, with the multitude of waters out there, which one do you pick? And which are good for your mouth and gums?

Thousands of theories out there about what is best for your body.

Here’s my personal choice: Essentia.

I like water that is alkaline… A pH greater than 7.

Alkaline water helps you neutralize the acidity in your body.  Most professionals feel that an acidic body is less resistant to “bugs” that can cause you to get sick.  Drinking a certain water that balances out that acidic environment would be a plus.

Alkaline water is usually made by splitting the water molecules so that you have some H ions and some OH ions.  Water with more OH ions is alkaline.

There are in fact at home water ionizers that can do this process.

For right now, I’d rather purchase the alkaline bottled water even though there are some very legitimate reasons why you should not buy bottled water (waste and energy put into the manufacturing and deliver to name a few).

I’ve been drinking Essentia water (website) for a while and can feel some great results.  It is great tasting and the color of course is clear.  You can purchase these bottles at select food stores or you can get it from our website (buy Essentia Water).

What I like most about it is its taste and the results… it just makes me feel better.  My bowel movements are better and my teeth feel better.

Alkaline water is also believed to be a natural anti-oxidant… a point I firmly agree with.

Drinking and swishing your mouth can have some dental benefits, too.  Water has a cleansing effect inside the mouth.  It “washes” away debris, just like saliva. But because a lot of the germs in the mouth and the foods we eat are acidic, this Essentia water is great to counter act the acid and increase the pH inside the mouth.

I’ve always promoted staying away from as many acidic foods as possible and minimizing the frequency of meals.  For 20 minutes after you eat something (no matter how large the portion), you have an acid attack on your gums and enamel.

Want to know how to prevent cavities?  Keep the acidity low (or make the pH high) in your mouth.

So as I like alkaline water for its systemic effects, it is also good for the mouth… surely you’ll make your dentist and dental hygienist happy.

As far as negatives, the environmental problems is what really stands out. Bottled water takes a tremendous amount of energy and resources to produce and transport. It also can sit in plastic bottles for months before consumption. But despite the drawbacks, Essentia water is still preferable over almost all municipal water sources in the United States. The best alternative would be an ionizer installed in your home or place of work, but it requires a tremendous monetary investment. In the future, we will be installing an ionizer in our office for the benefit of our patients.

As a San Diego dentist, anything I can do to help my patients is definitely worth the investment.

To Your Health!
Dr. Marvin

PS: If you’d like to buy a bottle of Essentia water, many health food stores and some grocery stores carry it in multiple sizes. We carry the large size (about 1.5 Liters) on our website: Purchase Essentia Water.