We have another brave participant willing to share her story. Listen to Angie's story of how the removal of 1 root canal substantially improved her health in MANY ways.
The Link Between Root Canals and Chronic Fatigue
A special report by Dr. Sambataro
But in a world filled with ‘pick me ups’ why then are we still tired when we wake up, tired during the middle of our day and exhausted when work is over? Perhaps there is another, often missed or unexplained link between the fatigue we feel and its source. To that end, Dr. Sambataro has made it his mission to uncover potential reasons for Chronic Fatigue, and more importantly, to help his patients get back to their lives.
It seems as if there are really two kinds of tired for most of us. The first kind occurs after a hard day of work, a fun weekend or a rough night with a child. They all seem to have a source and they all seem to get better with a ‘good night’s sleep.’ The second, and seemingly more common type of fatigue, is the kind that weighs on you at all times, no matter how much sleep you have gotten. It’s like wearing a lead suit that drags on you all of the time. It saps your energy, your strength, and your life. So to combat this you try to sleep more. You work out more to increase your metabolism or you try energy drinks. And perhaps they all work to a degree, but all too soon that blanket of fatigue that just seems to smother you replaced the short spike in energy.
If this sounds like you then, perhaps, you need to read further for answers to the overriding question you might have at this point.
Why am I so tired all the time?
In Western Medicine, for all of our medical advances, we are really at the beginning stages of understanding the more natural remedies. Often referred to as Eastern medicine, in reference to China and the Far East, these ideas of acupuncture, massage and herbal remedies are only now gaining traction in the established medical community of this country. But, it is this more holistic, or complete approach, that Dr. Sambataro feels is necessary to combating Chronic Fatigue and its link to root canals.
If you say the words ‘root canal’ to many people you would get a wide variety of explanations as to what specifically this procedure is.
Essentially, a root canal is performed on an infected tooth by removing the central blood supply and nerve in the center of the tooth. At this point the space in the center of the tooth is filled and the surgery is complete. And, a good outcome is usually one that affords a patient less pain than they had prior to the root canal. But, what if all of the infection in the tooth was not removed? What would happen inside your mouth if you had an active infection that was still present despite the root canal? The answer is you would have toxins, a by-product of the bacteria that make up the infection, released into the mouth and blood stream.
To understand the chronic fatigue that can follow a root canal you first have to understand the design of the tooth and how nutrition and bacteria move through it. The tooth, despite many perceptions, is very open and porous. (Something akin to a hard sponge with an open center and small holes throughout). In the center of the tooth you have a blood supply that brings in fresh blood and takes out the old. You also have a nerve, for feeling, and it is pressure on the nerve that causes pain in an infected tooth. Now, the main blood supply is in the center, but just like the rest of the body, there are small passage that move throughout the tooth. And it is these small passages that allow for nutrition to move through the entire tooth. These passage are also hiding spaces for the bacteria when the center of the tooth is infected. It is the bacterium that is missed when a root canal is performed and it is this aggressive bacterium that survives and releases toxins that your white blood cells have to fight because it is an infection.
The problem with the standard approach to removing infected material from a tooth via a root canal is that is only addresses part of the problem. It does remove much of the infected material from the tooth but it is unable to get into the side passages where the more aggressive bacteria are hiding. And, despite sealing the tooth, this bacterium continue to thrive and survive. Why?? Because this type of bacteria does not require oxygen to live.
In the field of medicine it is well known that bacteria that do not require oxygen to live are more aggressive, more dangerous and more opportunistic. They produce the more unhealthy toxins and they do not mind the small place they have to live. Now, prior to a root canal these bacteria are present but they are held in check by ‘good’ bacteria. In fact, our bodies host many bacteria that mostly work for us by breaking down food or limiting more aggressive bacteria. But when that balance of power is changed, as is the case in a root canal then the body has to turn to its other defenses for help.
If you have ever been sick and felt tired then you have the beginnings of understanding what is happening when you have an infection or illness. Essentially, the body has white blood cells around to fight infection but this comes at a price. The price is that there is only so much space in the veins and arteries for blood so the body makes fewer red blood cells and more white blood cells. The red blood cells carry oxygen and nutrition around the body. If you are getting less oxygen around the body then you will be more tired. It is that simple. And, a chronic, or long lasting infection, keeps pumping out white blood cells and limiting red blood cells. The math is simple at this point. Too few red blood cells, whatever the reason, leads to fatigue. Of course, this is made worse if you are fighting an infection.
The medical professions, including dentists, are not normally aware of the link between the bacteria that remain in the tooth after a root canal and chronic fatigue. The link is actually very obvious if you just understand the impact being sick can have on the body. But many in the medical profession would never think to look at the teeth as a source of infection, especially after a root canal. So, what does a person do who is tired all of the time but can’t find answers? The answer is simple, you search until you find someone who will listen to you, consider all the possible sources for fatigue, including your teeth so you can get some answers.
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Thomas J. Lewis, Ph.D.