Holistic Dentistry | Dr. S. Nathan Berger

Nothing strikes as much terror in the hearts of people needing dental care as the recommendation of their dentist that they have a root canal treatment.

Everybody knows that there are nerves inside teeth. And like any other living tissue, these nerves can be injured, can become infected, and can die. A sharp blow to the front of the mouth, deep cavities, advanced gum disease, and several other things may cause the nerve inside a tooth to die.

Unfortunately, not much! Over the years, many different techniques, including electroaccupuncture, energy medicine, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal medicine and others have been tried.

In my experience, once the nerve dies, there are few options available to you, because the tissue will not regenerate or repair itself. Anyone who tells you they can reverse the process using this or that preparation or method might as well try to convince you they can turn lead into gold. It simply cannot be done!

There are only three options open to you once the nerve of a tooth starts to die (or has passed on):

You can take the tooth out. When this is done,
the diseased nerve tissue comes out with the tooth, so the problem is solved. It may be extreme treatment, but it definitely eliminates the problem.
You can do nothing at all. This means that you
have a disease process going on in your jaw, where there is active pus and infection. In addition to having the ability to cause a lot of pain, this pus and infection is a drain on your immune system.

If you let it go on long enough, your immune system may be weakened to the point that other diseases overwhelm you. Diseases your body would ordinarily be able to fight off now overpower you and make you sick.

Homeopathic remedies such as Echinacea can certainly help your body fight on, but NOTHING WILL REVERSE THE DISEASE.
You can begin root canal therapy. Usually, a
small access hole is made in the tooth so the dentist can go inside it and remove the dead (or dying) nerve. Yes, it sounds scary, but with modern anesthetics, it can be done fairly easily and completely painlessly.

Once all the nerve tissue is gone, the inside of the tooth is sterilized, then filled with some sort of non-reactive filling material. The pain and infection are gone, the tooth is no longer a source of disease, and you can get on with your life.

Dr. Reinhard Voll, the Father of Electroaccupuncture,
discovered that teeth are connected to distant body organs
through the acupuncture meridians. He felt that if you left a dead tooth in the mouth, it would prevent the normal flow of electrical energy along the meridian, and thus cause disease to whatever organ was on that meridian.

Besides that, many people are extremely sensitive to
chemicals and foreign materials in their bodies. Root canal therapy involves the use of materials which can set off allergic-type reactions in some people.

I have studied with Dr. Voll. He was a genius and his
thinking must be respected. But I think his recommendation that no one should have any root canal treatments- is
extreme. Not everyone ends up with allergic reactions or
disease along meridian pathways.

Given a choice, I prefer to try root canal therapy first. But I test my patients to be sure they are not allergic to whatever materials I am going to use.

If it turns out that a person really cannot tolerate a "dead tooth" on the acupuncture meridian, you can always remove the tooth later. And there are now even laboratory tests to determine whether a "dead tooth" is causing problems or not.

But if you start by removing the tooth first, then you have no options at all because the tooth will not grow back! There is no second chance.

There is a remedy, called Periodontal Pathogen Nosode which can be extremely useful in the short term for easing pain and helping neutralize the effects of a dying nerve. It is also one of the best remedies for acute pain and swelling from gum abscesses and disease. It is no longer available from regular commercial companies, but I make it available to my patients at my cost, about $20.00.

Want a Second Opinion? Mercury free fillings? Does the idea of natural therapy, relying more on herbs and homeopathy than drugs and surgery interest you?

If the idea of simple treatment and the concept that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" appeals to you, you've found a home! If you would like help with any dental problem, don't be bashful. No need to feel embarrassed or ashamed. I want to help you, so please call our office for an appointment now.