Why I’ll Never Get a Root Canal

(One of my 12 rules for life)

If you’ve read my memoir From Wham to Woo – A Life on the mic, you will know that after the blast through the 80’s and 90’s music scene and the fun and shenanigans at BBC Radio 2 with Steve Wright in the afternoon, I share my 12 Rules for Life.

(Thanks to Kier Adair for the pic)

I’m not trying to go all Jordan Petersen on you, but there are a few things that my (ahem) age, experience and the impact of being immersed in the world of holistic health for over 30 years has taught me. I won’t go into all 12, but I hope you will find them insightful.

But here is one to ponder: Never have a root canal.

If there’s one piece of advice I could shout from the rooftops of the holistic health world, it’s this: Never get a root canal – and if you already have one (possibly without even knowing) consider its safe removal.

It might sound extreme, especially if you’re new to the idea that dental health is deeply connected to full-body health, but stick with me. This isn’t fear-mongering; it’s based on what I’ve learned the hard way, and what many others in the holistic world are now waking up to.

Root canals, for those who don’t know, are essentially a way of keeping a “dead” tooth in the mouth. The nerve is removed, the canals are cleaned (sort of), and then it’s sealed up. But the reality is… you can’t truly sterilize those tiny tubules within the tooth. What’s left is a perfect breeding ground for anaerobic bacteria - pathogenic little troublemakers that can quietly wreak havoc in the body for years.

Even after extraction, it’s not always smooth sailing. Many dentists (especially conventional ones) don’t remove the periodontal ligament, fully clean the site or use ozone therapy to promote healing. The result? Potential Cavitations. You can be forgiven for not knowing what that means (many UK dentists don’t seem to either!) Cavitation’s are hidden infections in the jawbone that often don’t show up on regular X-rays, but can drain your energy, mess with your immune system, and contribute to a long list of chronic symptoms.

I know this because I’ve lived it. I had my own dental nightmare, a root canal many years ago that breached the sinus ‘wall’ (unbeknown to me and the dentists who kept x-raying me and finding nothing even though I was convinced something was off), the removal of mercury fillings (costing over 3k but in fact several mercury sites were left, hidden under crowns) the original root canal removed, but leaving chaos in its wake due to a huge sinus infection remaining and several cavitation sites.

As the oral surgeon who finally supported me said:

‘This isn’t natural, its 100 per cent due to bad dentistry’

I wondered if I’d just been unlucky, perhaps most people have no issues with root canals?, but then we discovered that without our knowledge, two of our children had been given root canal procedures when we’d checked them in for a routine filling at the age of 13 and 14 – (surely illegal without parental consent?). Our son ended up with years of pain, inflamed lymph nodes and after removal of the tooth once we realised, (again done by ‘allegedly’ a great holistic dentist) a huge cavitation site. Our daughter had no obvious symptoms, but we decided on removal anyway. It transpired there was infection under the root canal (there always is) caused by the dentist accidentally, we assume, breaching the apex of the tooth and the toxic filling material had spilled over and was right on the nerve. It was literally a ticking time bomb in her mouth!

I won’t share the whole saga today (that’s coming), but let’s just say the journey led me deep into the world of holistic and biological dentistry, where the mouth isn’t treated in isolation, but as a living map of the entire body.

There’s a fascinating field of study called dental meridian theory. In short, each tooth is connected to an organ system via energetic pathways, the same way acupuncture points relate to organs. That infected molar? It might be draining your pancreas or affecting your breast tissue. That dead front tooth? It could be sending signals to your bladder or reproductive system. This isn’t woo - there’s actual science, and plenty of anecdotal case studies, behind it.

If you’d like an experts’ view listen to the interview I did with leading cardiologist Dr Thomas Levy, on his paper. ‘Root Canals cause breast cancer’ Yep, that’s the actual title, hard hitting isn’t it!

For me, one thing that made it all worse was avoiding getting any kind of dental check, when I was drinking it seemed easier just to put it off, then despite being sober there was lockdown to contend with (don’t get me started!) so whatever problems I had escalated over time.

I’ve seen this pattern again and again in people who quit alcohol. Once the fog lifts and the body starts to recalibrate, many people finally go to the dentist—and realize how much is lurking beneath the surface. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

While I am not quite ready to share every aspect of my story yet, a friend of mine, Jenny, is going through her own intense dental healing right now. She’s having major cavitation surgery - an extensive and expensive process that runs to well over £20,000. But she’s doing it because she knows how essential it is to fully heal, not just her teeth, but her whole system.

Once she’s recovered, she’s not stopping there. Jenny is determined to create a healing space here in the UK—somewhere people can come for true, holistic restoration that includes dental detox, emotional work, trauma healing, and more. I honestly get goose-bumps thinking about it.

If you’re called to support her in any way, or even just read her story, here’s her GoFundMe link.

Its a huge amount for one normal person to find, but if lots of people contribute a bit I feel sure that karma will bring it back in some way, because we all want to know there is somewhere we can turn for proper biological dental care. Jenny has the determination, and the drive to make it happen.

It’s not just about teeth -it’s about changing the way we think about healing altogether.

I’ll be sharing more in the future about what I’ve learned (and am still learning) through my own dental detox journey.

Until then -please, treat your teeth like the sacred little energy centres they are.

Please pop a few quid in Jenny’s fund, or subscribe here and I will donate it.

……and to the beat of Baz Lurhmann’s Sunscreen…

Trust me on the root canal!

Just to be clear I am not offering medical or ‘dentristy’ advice. I am merely conveying my own experiences and opinions and encourage you to do your own research.