Episode 4: When Root Canals Fail: What No One Told Her

Today’s story isn’t about someone who neglected their teeth... It’s about someone who loved to eat. Savory... Crunchy... Chewy... Lisa enjoyed food — all kinds of food. And she figured... as long as she brushed, she’d be okay. She brushed once a day... Flossed... sometimes... And she’d make it to the dentist about once a year... give or take. Not perfect — but not terrible either. Still... over the years... Lisa ended up with multiple root canals. One molar... then another... Then another. Each time, the dentist took care of it. Root canal... crown... done. Quick fixes. Problem solved. Lisa was told she just had weak enamel... Or deep grooves in her molars... Nothing to worry about. Just bad luck. But then... One of her root canal teeth cracked. Suddenly. Painfully. This time... there was no saving it. The tooth had fractured below the gumline. The root canal from years ago hadn’t failed... But the tooth had. It simply broke... under pressure. Lisa paused. Something felt... off. The dentist’s office felt different now. The explanations felt... thin. She wasn’t chewing metal. She wasn’t biting bones. She wasn’t doing anything crazy. So she got a second opinion. She came to us — Not looking for a miracle... Just wondering if there was a better way. And when we looked deeper... We saw it immediately. All of Lisa’s root canal teeth were under stress. They weren’t just restored... They were overloaded. The bite was off. Not dramatically — just enough. A little more pressure here... A little more force there... Year after year. That cracked tooth didn’t break out of nowhere. It had a crown placed over a large filling — which meant very little natural tooth structure was left. It couldn’t handle the pressure. One molar had been the only contact point on the left side. Everything she chewed — crackers... steak... almonds... Landed right there. Another was catching all the nighttime clenching. But the nerve was gone — so Lisa never felt a thing. Until it was too late. These weren’t isolated problems. They were part of a pattern. A mechanical one. Root canals don’t make teeth stronger. They make them more fragile. Because once the nerve is gone... That tooth is hollowed out. The blood supply is gone. The natural defenses are gone. It still functions — But only if pressure is managed. And in Lisa’s case... It never was. She didn’t fail. The system did. Lisa didn’t need another root canal... She needed to understand what was really going on. So we talked her through her options. The broken tooth had to go. But how we replaced it... That would make all the difference. Because if you just replace a tooth... Without changing the pressure pattern... You’re setting the next one up to fail too. In the next episode... We break down what to do when a tooth is gone. Implants. Bridges. What’s the difference? What are the risks? And how do you choose the option that actually lasts? Follow the show so you don’t miss it — especially if you’ve ever had a root canal… or know someone whose dental work keeps breaking. Because trusting your teeth... starts with knowing the truth.