Four years ago (age 53) I was diagnosed with another (!) autoimmune disorder (Grave’s Disease). Everything for me has been “chronic, progressive”. My medical doctor recommended removal of silver amalgam fillings because a high percentage of hyperthyroidism is caused by mercury toxicity. This was accomplished about 2 years ago. At the time, one root canal was also removed because of an overfill (one of the filaments put in by a former endodontist was lodged in my left maxillary sinus requiring oral surgery to remove it). With all mercury removed and a foreign object removed from my upper jaw and sinus, I began to crawl slowly out of the Grave’s Disease symptoms, but I hit a plateau and stopped. My medical doctor recommended removal of all root canals. He believed teeth with root canals were as toxic as mercury in fillings, if not more so. That was a difficult decision. I was always taught to keep my teeth. I would be having two teeth (#19 and #30) removed – on the chance I would not experience any change to my health – and the expense nearly took my breath away. Somehow, I chose to do it. Upon removal of the second root canal, I remember saying, while still in the dentist’s chair, “I feel better”. Then I thought, “Well, that’s probably due to the laughing gas”. But as my sockets healed over the weeks, I truly did notice I was feeling better. This was most unusual, since even recovering health for me has always been “chronic, progressive”. At the moment of this writing, about eight weeks since the first root canal was pulled, I still have two large holes in my mouth (the bridge work is yet to be done). Nonetheless, without a doubt, I truly do feel good. Since I have not felt good for a year, that’s really saying something.