There are a multitude of potential problems that may develop with the traditional root canal. For one thing, the entire nerve of an offending tooth may not be dead. It is infected, and causing pain, but much of it may still be viable or revivable with proper treatment. However, the standard root canal treatment that most dentists will resort to, destroys and removes the entire nerve (also called the pulp), effectively "killing" the involved tooth. As far as the body is concerned, the tooth is dead, and blood, oxygen and lymphatic circulation is destroyed and cut off from that tooth, which in turn weakens the immunity in that area. After the nerve/pulp has been removed, the dentist attempts to sterilize and disinfect the empty pulp/root chamber by using caustic, toxic chemicals that are extremely harmful to the body if ingested or absorbed into the blood stream.
To fill the empty pulp/root chamber, dentists will usually use a compound called "gutta percha." This compound is made up of a mixture of latex and heavy metal salts such as mercury, cadmium, or lead. These heavy metals are added to the filling material so the root canal will show up well on an X-Ray, and have no other practical use.
Gutta Percha may be toxic to those patients who have allergies or are sensitive to latex. Also, this compound has a propensity to shrink after it cures, pulling away from the nerve/root chamber walls and causing microscopic bubbles to form, where bacteria can breed causing eventual further decay. The chemicals that were used to try to sterilize the chamber are not very effective or foolproof, and there is no guarantee there will not be a re-infection.
Another problem with the traditional root canal is the need to drill away healthy tooth structure to the point where a crown must be placed. So-called "permanent" crown cement can crack and leak, allowing pathogens back into the treated tooth. This cement has low adhesion, requiring either large amounts of tooth structure to hang onto, or a metal post to be screwed into the tooth so the cement and crown will have something to attach to. Crowns, even so-called "gold crowns," are made of mixed metal alloys, and due to the faulty cement, can leak and allow the teeth underneath them to further decay and corrode.
The crown, if not properly seated, can trap food particles and plaque, causing chronic inflammation of the gums (periodontal inflammation). The gums and surrounding tissues may also be sensitive, or allergic to, the materials used in these restorations, and this may also cause chronic periodontal inflammation.
As a further complication, the root-canaled, crowned tooth can develop additional problems, including bone death around the tooth, and the patient may never know it because the nerve is dead and these problems cannot be felt or sensed.
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Traditional Teeth Cleaning/Hygiene
As a rule, a traditional teeth cleaning starts with using sharp instruments to cut and scrape around the teeth, gums and periodontal ligaments to remove plaque. Bacteria, viruses and toxins which may be nestling on or near the teeth and gums have a clear pathway to enter the bloodstream when these tissues are cut into, not to mention the pain and discomfort this kind of cleaning causes the patient. A patient who has this type of cleaning on a frequent basis may be repeatedly subjecting himself or herself to exposures of harmful pathogens, and may be another source of chronic periodontal inflammation.
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Mixed Metals in the Mouth and the Battery Effect
When mixed metals are placed in the mouth, either through fillings, crowns, or bridges, or a combination of these, the metals mix with saliva to create a galvanic, or battery effect. Measurable amounts of electrical current are produced from these metals mixing with the saliva, and create electromagnetic waves which are detectable on an EEG.
The brain is a generator that produces measurable voltages in a variety of frequency ranges, that control everything from our emotions to our motor skills. The galvanic effect of mixed metals in the mouth can cause voltages tens to hundreds of times greater than what the brain produces, and may cause currents and electromagnetism that interfere with the brain's electrical impulses--impulses which control the voluntary and involuntary actions of the body as well as the mind. Any electrical interference such as what is generated in the mouth with the galvanic effect, has the ability, under the right conditions, to cause a myriad of complications both physically and psychologically.
The galvanic effect in the mouth is a very real problem that is being researched and pursued by more and more health professionals and brain researchers.
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Chronic Inflammation and Infection of the Gums and Surrounding Tissue (Periodontal Disease)
Research is showing that chronic periodontal inflammation--swelling, bleeding and pain in the gum tissue--may be the source of several health problems. Bacteria and infection from the gums may easily spread throughout the bloodstream and the body and cause a myriad of health problems.
Many dentists are reluctant to admit that sometimes this inflammation may be caused by the the treatments they perform. But, it has been shown that sensitivity (allergies) to the materials in conventional crowns and other types of restorations, as well as the possibility of plaque, food particles, bacteria and other debris becoming trapped between the crowns and gums, may cause inflammation that is not only uncomfortable, but may be harmful to the oral immune system and the entire body.
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Research has also shown that mercury, even in minute amounts, can damage the heart, brain, liver, lungs, kidneys, thyroid gland, pituitary gland, adrenal gland, cells, enzymes and hormones, and suppress the body’s immune system. Mercury can also pass through the placental membrane in pregnant women and permanently damage the brain of the developing fetus.
The process of preparing the tooth for a mercury filling is very damaging to the tooth structure. Since a mercury filling has very little adhesion, a large, wedge-shaped opening must be drilled in the tooth so that the filling will be retained. Dr. Hansen has found through his practice and research, that the majority of dental procedures he performs on adults involves re-treating teeth that dentists drilled and treated early in the patients' lives, when they were children. These early treatments usually involved mercury amalgam fillings. 