Are Root Canals Dangerous? The Holistic Concern and the Evidence, Both Sides

Holistic and biological dentists have raised concerns for decades that root-canal-treated teeth can harbor hidden infection and affect whole-body health. Here's where that idea comes from, what the research shows, and how to make an informed choice.

MK Wellness InsightsFounded by Danielle Cordova, Cypress, TX

Few dental topics divide people like root canals. Many holistic practitioners and biological dentists believe root-canal-treated teeth can harbor hidden bacteria that affect the rest of the body. Most dentists and endodontists consider root canals safe, routine procedures that save millions of teeth a year. If you care about root-cause health, you've probably heard both, and it's hard to know what to do when a dentist recommends one.

Here's both sides, as part of our controversial therapies series.

What a Root Canal Is

Inside every tooth is a soft core called the pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels. When deep decay, a crack, or an injury lets bacteria reach the pulp, it becomes infected or dies. A root canal removes the pulp, cleans and disinfects the canals inside the roots, and seals them, usually followed by a crown. The goal is to save the natural tooth instead of pulling it.

Why Holistic Dentists Are Concerned

Where the idea started. In the early 1900s, dentist Dr. Weston Price studied root-canal-treated teeth and proposed the "focal infection theory": that bacteria trapped in these teeth could spread and cause disease elsewhere in the body. The idea was revived for a new generation by books and by the 2018 documentary Root Cause.

What today's holistic and biological dentists point to:

• Hidden bacteria. A tooth contains miles of microscopic tubules branching off the main canals. Even with careful cleaning, it's hard to remove every bacterium from all of them, and some bacteria may survive.
• Persistent infections. Some root canals fail, and infection at the tip of the root, called apical periodontitis, can go on quietly for years without pain.
• The mouth-body connection. Research does link oral infection and gum disease to inflammation elsewhere in the body, including heart disease. Some studies have found associations between apical periodontitis and cardiovascular disease.
• The dead-tooth argument. A root-canal-treated tooth no longer has a blood supply, which some practitioners believe makes it harder for the immune system to reach any remaining bacteria.
• Personal experience. Many people with chronic illness report feeling better after having root-canal-treated teeth removed.

What Conventional Dentistry Says

• Price's research doesn't hold up to modern standards. His studies had no proper controls, and later researchers couldn't reproduce his results. The focal infection theory was largely abandoned in the mid-1900s for that reason.
• Modern studies don't show that root canals cause disease. One large study published in JAMA Otolaryngology in 2013 actually found people with more root canals had a lower risk of head and neck cancer, possibly because treating infection lowers inflammation.
• Infection is the real problem, not the treatment. The research linking oral and heart health is about untreated infection and gum disease. A successful root canal removes an infection. Leaving an infected tooth untreated is clearly harmful.
• Root Cause was removed from major streaming platforms after dental organizations criticized it as misleading.
• Extraction has trade-offs too. Pulling a tooth means bone loss in that area, shifting teeth, and needing a bridge or implant, each with its own cost and considerations.

Where Both Sides Actually Agree

• Hidden infection matters. Nobody wants a silent infection at the root of a tooth. It should be found and treated.
• Imaging helps. A 3D dental scan called a cone beam CT (CBCT) can reveal infections and failed root canals that regular 2D X-rays miss. Both holistic and conventional dentists use it.
• Oral health is whole-body health. Gum health, the oral microbiome, and chronic infections all connect to inflammation elsewhere.

Our Recommendation: Start With a Comprehensive Biological Dental Exam

If you're working through any kind of health condition, whether it's chronic fatigue, inflammation, autoimmunity, cancer, or symptoms no one has been able to explain, we always recommend a comprehensive exam with a biological dentist. The mouth is one of the most overlooked parts of the terrain, and hidden dental infections and materials can be an ongoing stressor on the whole body.

A comprehensive biological dental exam typically includes:

• A 3D cone beam CT (CBCT) scan to look for hidden infection at the roots, failed root canals, and cavitations (areas of jawbone where teeth were removed that didn't heal fully), which regular 2D X-rays often miss
• An evaluation of every root-canal-treated tooth
• A review of fillings and materials, including mercury amalgam and metals, with testing for material sensitivity if needed. See implant and dental material toxicity.
• Gum health and the oral microbiome
• Airway, jaw, and bite evaluation, since breathing and jaw alignment affect sleep and the nervous system. For children, this is especially worth exploring before braces or tonsil removal. See what many parents wish they'd known.

How to find a biological dentist: the Natural Health Network directory, which MK Wellness is a member of, lists holistic practitioners in Texas and beyond, and the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) and the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM) both list member dentists. Ask whether they offer CBCT imaging, safe mercury removal (the SMART protocol), and ceramic (zirconia) implant options.

Your Options if a Tooth Needs Treatment

1. Extraction by a biological dentist, with careful removal of the ligament and thorough cleaning of the socket to support healing and help prevent cavitations. Many biological dentists also use ozone and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), made from your own blood, to support healing.
2. Replacing the tooth: a ceramic zirconia implant (the metal-free option many holistic dentists prefer), a titanium implant, a bridge, or a removable option
3. A root canal, if that's the path you choose after weighing your options, ideally by an experienced endodontist using modern disinfection. Some biological dentists also use ozone during root canal treatment.
4. For existing root canals, a CBCT scan and evaluation, then retreatment or extraction if there's a problem

Questions to Ask

• Do you use CBCT imaging, and can you walk me through what it shows?
• How do you handle extractions to prevent cavitations?
• What materials do you use, and can you test for sensitivities?
• Do you follow the SMART protocol for mercury removal?
• What will each option involve long term, including cost and replacement?

Whichever path you choose, an active infection needs to be addressed, and the right dentist will help you do that in a way that fits your values.

Where MK Wellness Fits

We're not dentists, but we believe oral health is whole-body health. When clients come to us with a health condition, a comprehensive biological dental exam is one of the first things we suggest exploring, alongside the rest of the terrain covered in our Changing the Terrain checklist, Gut & Microbiome guide, and Detox & Immune Support guide.

MK Wellness services are non-medical and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. This article is general education presenting both perspectives, not dental or medical advice. Talk with a licensed biological dentist about your specific situation.

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