The idea that a root canal can cause health problems is not new. In the 1930s and 40s, Dr. Weston Price dealt with this subject in two classic books, Dental Infections-Oral and Systemic, Volume I, and Dental Infections and the Degenerative Diseases. The subject of root canals and their relation to general health is also thoroughly examined in Dr. George Meining’s book, Root Canal Cover-Up.

The idea is called the “focal infection theory.” It is based on the fact that traditional root canal therapy cannot guarantee that the inside of the tooth’s canal, and the thousands of dental tubules that radiate out from the canal, can always be effectively sterilized. The theory proposes that an infection (and related toxins produced) existing in one part of the body can be transferred, via the circulatory system, to other parts of the body where they can initiate an entirely new infection. Such an infection, resulting from an infected root canal, can migrate and infect the kidneys, the heart, intestines, and other sites. Some researchers claim that health problems resulting from root canals rank in severity right behind mercury/amalgam fillings.