Expert: Dr. Kristina Conner - 7/15/2006

Question
I have had a root canal done on a tooth about 4 years ago. There is an infection in one leg of the tooth. I have been told that I need to see a specialist so that the canal can be redone. However, there is a possibility that this will not work successfully. I have been told that eventually the bone around the tooth will become rotten if I do nothing about this. Is there any treatment or remedy I can use/take to reverse this infection. I remember that my grandmother used to use cloves for toothache and I thought that there may be a natural treatment that science doesn't know about or refuses to admit that it exists. Thank you for your help
James

Answer
Mr Bowyer,  
After a root canal, a continued infection trapped in tha area can certainly spread if not treated.  One common recommendation is to avoid root canal or a renewal of a root canal by simply pulling the tooth, but this may also result in tooth loss of the surrounding teeth over time.
There are not natural treatments (as an aside, modern natural medicine is usually scientifically based, just not always accepted by conventional medicine) that can completely stop this process from happening, but there may be ways to slow it down and minimize damage.  First would be supplements to strengthen the soft tissue, such as bioflavonoids (grape seed extract, rutin, quercetin, hesperidin) taken with vitamin C, and the bone/ teeth, such as horsetail, calcium, boron, and other minerals for bone building like strontium.  Strong gums and teeth will be less likely to develop an infection.  A second approach would be to use anti-microbial herbs in mouth rinses or toothpastes.  This would include goldenseal, neem, myrrh, bloodroot, echinacea, clove oil and peppermint oil.  Some like echinacea could also be taken internally to fight infection.  Finally, high amounts of antioxidants through a whole foods diet or supplements like chorella, spirulina, vitamins E, C, zinc, etc may help decrease damage and prevent inflammation.  
If you can consult a holistic dentist, they also can give you more options and suggestions.  
Thanks for your question. Good luck in your search.  
Dr Conner