Key Takeaways About Endodontics & the Importance of Oral Health From My Interview on The Ancient Health Podcast

Years ago, I set out on a mission to #GiveTeethAChance by giving dentists the tools they need to perform root canals confidently and successfully, improve their practice, and achieve the best possible outcomes for their patients. What I didn’t expect was how that modest goal would eventually transform into something far beyond what I ever envisioned!

As I began to educate dentists, I found that patients, too, were craving more information about their teeth and greater confidence in making dental decisions. It made me realize the value in trying to educate not just dentists, but as many people as possible about the tooth-saving power of root canals and the importance of oral health to our overall well-being.

That’s why I was thrilled when I was invited to The Ancient Health Podcast to talk about oral health and how everyone can become their own healer. Host Courtney Bursich’s insightful questions elicited a lot of empowering nuggets of information that every patient should know, and what better place to share them than right here on the blog?

While I highly encourage you to check out the full episode, here are five of the most valuable takeaways from the podcast that will make you a more confident and well-informed patient.

5 Takeaways on Endodontics and the Importance of Oral Health

1. When done the right way, root canals don’t just save teeth… they regenerate bone!

Due to common myths and some unfortunate past experiences, many people still believe that root canals are harmful or toxic. If that’s you, I’m glad you’ve found my blog, because I’m here to tell you that this couldn’t be further from the truth! Root canals are an important part of maintaining your oral health, because not only do they save your teeth, but they also help regenerate the bone around them. 

How? By removing the infection that’s causing the problem!

When bacteria enter a tooth and linger long enough, your body triggers an immune response that causes the bone around the tooth to pull back, which shows up as a dark shadow on an x-ray. While this might look alarming, it’s actually your body’s natural way of protecting itself from further infection—and the good news is, this process is completely reversible.

As I explain on the Ancient Health Podcast, the key to a successful root canal is following two important rules: finding every canal in the tooth and making sure to clean each one out thoroughly. As long as your provider does this, the body’s immune system can take over, eliminating the remaining bacteria and allowing the bone to regenerate. In the end, your body actually heals itself. How amazing is that?!?

2. Periodontal disease is linked to systemic health conditions—NOT root canals.

A common myth I often hear is that root canals are linked to serious health issues like heart disease. But let me reassure you—there’s no scientific evidence to support this claim. Instead, it’s gum disease (or periodontal disease) that has been shown to contribute to various health conditions. These include not only cardiovascular disease but also gastrointestinal problems, respiratory infections, complications during pregnancy, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even some cancers. This is a great example of why it’s so important to interpret health information correctly!

Your mouth is actually a window into your overall health and can sometimes signal when something is wrong elsewhere in your body. For instance, people with Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, may develop mouth ulcers, which can help doctors identify the condition.

So, while root canals don’t cause disease, maintaining your oral health is important to your overall well-being. That’s why procedures like root canals are so vital. They help save your teeth and protect your oral health—which is really taking care of you!

3. Endodontic technology makes a big difference in the outcome of your root canal.

One thing I like to share with patients to help ease their nerves about getting a root canal is how much modern technology has transformed treatment. Thanks to these advancements, today’s root canals are far more effective, comfortable, and efficient than ever before.

There are several cutting-edge tools that help make the process smoother and ensure the best possible outcomes for your teeth. Three tools, in particular, have a huge impact, so it’s a good idea to ask your provider whether they use them in their practice:

• A dental operating microscope, which lets the dentist see even the tiniest canals inside your tooth, ensuring nothing is missed.
• Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), a type of 3D imaging that allows for faster and more accurate diagnoses and helps the dentist understand the tooth’s structure before starting the procedure.
• Advanced tools like lasers or the GentleWave System, which use sound waves to clean out hard-to-reach areas, making the process more thorough and precise.

Thanks to these tools, root canals are not only highly successful but also far quicker and more comfortable than they were in the past, helping you care for your very important oral health.

4. Your ability to heal is directly impacted by your beliefs.

One of the most important ideas I discussed on the Ancient Health Podcast was the power of belief when it comes to healing, especially with root canals. If you don’t trust in your body’s amazing ability to heal itself after treatment, it can create unnecessary doubt and stress that negatively impact your body’s capacity to restore itself.

The human body is truly a miracle, guys! Simply trusting it to do what it’s designed to do can make a huge difference in your healing journey. I call this concept “bioflow,” and it works better than any supplement or biohack (lifestyle modifications aimed at optimizing your health) when it comes to recovering after a root canal. There’s nothing to hack when your body’s natural healing system isn’t broken in the first place!

Whenever I find myself doubting whether I can save a tooth, my patients remind me just how powerful the body is. They trust me to get the job done, and they trust their body to do what it’s made to do. And you know what? In the end, it WORKS.

5. Simple prevention is key to maintaining your oral health.

When it comes to taking care of your oral health—which is important to maintaining your overall well-being, as you now know—simple prevention is truly the foundation. I see so many patients obsessing over time-consuming health routines while simultaneously overlooking the very basic steps that are not only easy to do, but crucial to taking care of their teeth and mouths. It’s time we remedied that!

Brushing and flossing your teeth (especially flossing) twice a day can do wonders for your oral health, and it only takes five minutes to do. Seriously—spending $7 on floss and making sure you do this one thing every night before you go to sleep can quite literally keep you out of my chair. By maintaining that consistent routine, you help your mouth remain in homeostasis (a.k.a in balance), which is where it wants to be.

And don’t forget to keep your regular appointments with your dentist! Those cleanings may be easy to push off, but they’re absolutely essential to maintaining your basic health and preventing more serious issues down the road.

You Deserve to Feel Empowered as a Patient

I believe that knowledge is power. The more well-informed you are about your oral health, the more confident you’ll feel in making decisions about your dental care that impact your overall well-being!

That’s why I created Tooth Wisdom: The Empowered Patient’s Guide to Oral Health. Through engaging and easy-to-understand education, this self-paced online course is designed to help you rebuild trust in your body’s ability to heal, strengthen your relationship with your dental provider, and gain a clear understanding of your treatment options so you can make informed decisions that are right for you.

– Sonia