In Vitro Enzymatic Inhibition Associated with Asymptomatic Root Canal Treated Teeth: Results from a Sample of 25 Extracted Root Fragments.

Author: Nunnally SM.

Source: Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine.

Year: 2012

Comment:

The author concludes, "Root canal therapy has proved to be an effective way of treating and retaining endodontically diseased teeth, yet research has demonstrated that root canal therapy does not render the tooth sterile. These preliminary results suggest that root canal treated teeth inhibit the action of critically important enzymes that generate cellular ATP."

Abstract / Excerpt:

“Background: For almost a century there has been debate over the toxicity associated with root canal treated teeth.
Objective: This study sought to determine the level of enzymatic inhibition associated with asymptomatic root canal treated teeth in which there was no radiographic evidence of pathology.
Design: In vitro study.
Setting: Private dental office (Marble Falls, Texas, USA).
Intervention: A photo-affinity labeling technique performed by Affinity Labeling Technologies (ALT) Bioscience Laboratory was used to determine the level of enzymatic inhibition of the extracted teeth.
Main outcome measures: Six commercially available enzymes that are critically important for human life were tested in order to determine their percent inhibition when exposed to root fragments of the 25 extracted root canal treated teeth.
Results: The enzymes averaged 65.6% inhibition, which reflected severe toxicity on the scale developed by ALT Bioscience Laboratory. Limitations of this study included the lack of a control group, the inability to ascertain if these in vitro results have significant clinical relevance, the inability to correlate these in vitro findings to a patient’s clinical health status, possible contamination of the root fragments with mercury or other substances, and the absence of culturing the root fragments.
Conclusion: Root canal therapy has proved to be an effective way of treating and retaining endodontically diseased teeth, but does not render the teeth sterile. These preliminary results suggest that root canal treated teeth inhibit the action of critically important enzymes that generate cellular adenosine triphosphate.”

Citation:

Nunnally SM. In Vitro Enzymatic Inhibition Associated with Asymptomatic Root Canal Treated Teeth: Results from a Sample of 25 Extracted Root Fragments. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine. 2012; 27(3).