L's story -

Marianne's story, 1985

Marianne went to a general dentist for a toothache. Her dentist used the highly toxic material, known as Sargenti Paste in a root canal performed on one of her lower right molars. Marianne was nauseous and feverish that same night. She returned to the dentist the next day reporting of numbness. Her nausea and fever continued for a couple more days before she again returned to the dentist. On this visit, the dentist completed the root canal using Sargenti Paste and extruded paste beyond the apex (bottom) of the tooth. Marianne was not told of the extrusion. The next morning, Marianne again returned to the dentist complaining of numbness and burning pain in her lip and chin. Her dentist did not tell her about the overfill but instead that the probable cause of her symptoms were from "nicking" the nerve with the novacain injection. Over the next two weeks, the pain worsened as did the nausea. On yet another visit to the dentist she was told about the novacain inject again and to take more pain pills. Again Marianne went back to the dentist seeking relief from her pain and other symptoms but her dentist was not in the office. She saw the partner who told her that he was not going to touch the work that the other dentist had done. Marianne then went to an oral surgeon who called the dentist and was told that Sargenti Paste was used. The oral surgeon, in an immediate course of action, performed surgery to remove the overfilled material. This surgery occurred approximately 2 weeks after the initial treatment by her dentist. Her dentist testified that he did not think that the paste was close enough to the alveolar nerve to cause problems and that he thought he might have inadvertently "nicked" the alveolar nerve in giving patient her injection. He failed to disclose a serious root canal problem as seen in other cases where Sargenti Paste is used. Marianne, today, some 20 years later, reports that her pain went away after the surgery but remains completely numb in the lip and chin area.

Brenda's story

My nightmare began in a general dentist's chair following a root canal procedure. A Texas dentist injected some "medicine" into my tooth canal and severe pain and infection immediately followed. I lost my voice, and my news anchoring job. The pain almost drove me to take my life. I was turned away from many doctors and the emergency room. Finally after seeing 25-30 specialists I was diagnosed with possible TN or more likely, atypical facial pain. A story on Prime Time Live in the early 90s told of a bunch of Texas dentists that performed the "Sargenti Method"--a seminar procedure where they injected a substance, I believe it was formaldehyde, into the canal. Years before that, though, I had already had three upper teeth on my right side root canalled, roots clipped and finally those teeth pulled. My endodontist told me when he clipped the roots he saw "a lot of granulated tissue”, whatever that means. I assume horrific damage. It's been 15 years and I'm now on Neurontin and one .05 xanax a day. I just came off a 10-day attack and my face is still throbbing. The pain is right above where the problem tooth was. The other teeth didn't need to be pulled; none of them did. I also wore braces in my 30s which did little. I had four sinus surgeries, including a maxilla antrostomy, something like that, and a septaplasty (sic). Has anyone ever heard of the Sargenti Method causing this syndrome, or had dental procedures linked to their TN? Surgery is not an option for me at this time. In my case, onset was the same day as the original root canal, which, as I've said, was not a typical procedure where the root is removed. I found years ago that no dentist would implicate another in his dental brotherhood, and to this day, I have no resolution. I never saw my MRI, but in 1989 my otorhinolaryncologist told me he thought I might have had damage done to my sinus wall. Please write back if you have any information on this.

Ann's Story

I had a Sargenti root canal treatment done in the 80's on tooth #13 and ever since I have had this my health has deteriorated.
I have had a sinus infection that has been treated and treated and will not go away. I have had it for several years and none of the antibiotics will help and it has gotten really bad. The pressure around my tooth and in my sinuses makes me so sick I feel like I am dying at times. The stuff that is leaking from around the tooth hurts my stomach and is very nasty tasting. My vision changes so much I have several different Rx of reading glasses and even then there are times I can't see with them. My new dentist finally told me that the Sargenti method I had done in the 80's was outlawed because the material that was used to fill the canal is very caustic but would not say anymore except to be sure to tell the oral surgeon he did not do it. I can't find any information on this treatment or the problems that the filling can cause. My new dentist is sending me to an oral surgeon but I still want to know what damage this caustic material has caused and is it permanent or will things return to normal after the tooth and the cyst is removed?

T's story

In 1983 I went to a dentist for the first time and was told that I needed a root canal. The procedure was done and the immediate symptoms went away. Within a few months my health began to deteriorate in rather vague ways until I finally was diagnosed with MS. I went on disability in 1984. In the years that followed I had regular visits with the same dentist and experienced a rocky road as far as my overall health was concerned.

Seven years ago I began experiencing symptoms of sinus-like infections. CBCs and other blood work were normal. I was treated with antihistamines and occasional antibiotics. (I always responded to the antibiotics). More often than not however I was not given antibiotics because I never developed fever nor did my blood levels ever change. In one seven month period, thinking that I was having symptoms of MS, the doctor placed me on repeated courses of prednisone.

Finally, in February of 97, I was referred to an ENT specialist. On the initial appointment this doctor told me she felt that my problem was dental and sent me back for a review by my dentist. Their review came up negative and I went back to the ENT. By this time I had been on antibiotics for months. I was sent to an infectious disease specialist who ran a battery of tests. The only abnormal results was an elevation in one of the IMGs. Gradually I began feeling better on the antibiotics and my strength slowly returned. Until September of 1997. At that time I went back to the dentist for my six month cleaning. Everything was said to be good except for a small amount of bleeding around an upper molar on the right side. It was noted and was going to be re-examined in March of 98. Within three days of the dental appointment I began getting sick again. Again it felt like I was getting the flu with associated sinus involvement. I developed a cough and treated the problem symptomatically for about two weeks. I was slowly deteriorating when on a friday evening the second molar on the top right fractured at the gum line without any pain at all. On the following Monday I went to the dentist and the tooth was extracted. At that time I insisted that the relationship to the cleaning, illness, and tooth fracture was more than coincidental. (I was put on penicillin at this time.) I asked the dentist to again look at my case and to write an update for the benefit of my ENT. The report read in part that there was an old root canal with a partially under filled root next to the tooth that fractured. The dentist wrote that she was aware of the focal theory of infection and would treat the tooth with extraction once the infection resolved. A week later I was back with a dry socket. It was packed. A week after that I returned for treatment of the old root canal. At that time the dentist offered me the chose of trying to save the tooth. She proposed sending me to an endodontist. I agreed. The appointment was made and before I left her office she told me to be sure and tell the endo that the root canal was done using the "sargenti technique". I went to the endo having done some research on Sargenti and was not surprised when he said that the paste had to be removed. However I felt that there was too close a link between him and my dentist and told him that I needed to get another opinion. The next person I saw was a dentist close to my hometown. His comment to me after xrays and exam was that if I got infections following cleanings I should consider skipping cleanings. At that point I had done more research and had contacted a lawyer. He sent me to his dentist and at that appointment more xrays were taken. The dentist came in to the exam room with the xrays and said that the sargenti tooth "looked" alright but that I had an abscess on the tooth behind it that had eroded through the sinus bone and was draing into my sinuses. He sent me directly to another endo. Within weeks I had another root canal on the infected tooth. It failed and I was sent to an oral surgeon. The tooth was extracted and a fistula was surgically closed. I have been on antibiotics almost constantly since September 1997. I have been told that the MS diagnosis was probably incorrect. I am awaiting treatment on the sargenti tooth which my endo won't touch until the oral surgeon can be around (April). My family doctor won't start a detox program until the sargenti is removed. And I now have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia with another sinus fistula probable around the sargenti tooth.

mdelmatt's story (6/24/05) -

http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ab-dentistry&tid=2011

I recently has a front tooth break off at the gumline. My (realtively new to me) dentist performed a root canal, then days later installed a post and temp crown, then later a crown.When the crown was installed I felt pressure on the whole row of top teeth. Like a crowding of the teeth. And there was a a sore/swollen area way above the repaired tooth, inside the mouth at highest point of of the gum. (Put your finger just under your right nose hole and press on the gum; that's where the sore, swollen area was.

Two days later I visited the dentist and he exaplained that some of the paste he used in the root canal obviously espcaped from the top of the tooth -- and that my body would absorb it in about two weeks and all would be fine.

I was curious about the paste and he said it was Sargenti Paste. I havew since read up on Sargenti Paste and am somewhat alarmed by what I read. (It has not been approived by the FDA, for example).

Now, 12 days later, the swelling has subsided a lot (though not entirely) and the pressure on the top row of teeth is gone. The treated tooth feels "dead." As to a lesser degree, so does the front tooth next to it. And I can feel a little swelling/infection on both sides of my face, just below the ears, which may or may not be related.

My question: How dangerous is that Sargenti Paste? Is my future health in general in any danger because of all this? And what precautiuon/action should I take now, if any?