If a looming root canal treatment is putting a dampener on the week, take heart: having the procedure can drive health benefits that are felt throughout the body, according to research.
Patients who were successfully treated for root canal infections saw their blood sugar levels fall significantly over two years, suggesting that ridding the body of the problematic bacteria could help protect against type 2 diabetes.
Dentists also saw improvements in patients’ blood cholesterol and fatty acid levels, both of which are associated with heart health. Yet more benefits were seen around inflammation, a driver for cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions.
“Our oral health is connected to our general health,” said Dr Sadia Niazi, a senior clinical lecturer in endodontology at King’s College London. “We should never look at our teeth or dental disease as a separate entity.”
Root canal treatment is one of the most common – and perhaps most feared – dental procedures, though much of the anxiety derives from myths and misconceptions that hark back to the days of poor anaesthetics. The treatment is performed to treat infection or damage to the tooth’s pulp, the soft inner tissue of a tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue.
According to a public health survey in 2024, more than a third of adults in England had received a root canal treatment, rising to 50% in those aged 55 to 74. In the US, more than 15m root canal procedures are performed each year.
Researchers followed 65 patients from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust in London for two years after root canal treatment. Before the procedure and at four points later, they analysed the patients’ blood molecules to see how they processed sugar, fat and other substances.
Dentists know that long-standing tooth infections can lead to bacteria entering the bloodstream. Once circulating, the microbes can increase inflammation and impair the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels. It was unclear, however, whether root canal treatment had benefits beyond clearing up the tooth infection.
Writing in the Journal of Translational Medicine, the researchers describe seeing meaningful changes after root canal treatment in more than half of the blood molecules they analysed. The results point to short-term improvements in fat metabolism and long-term improvements in blood sugar levels. Markers for inflammation, a driver for a multitude of chronic diseases, dropped after the dental procedure.
“It’s not about treating the single tooth. This has long-term benefits on the general health of the patient, particularly the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes,” Niazi said.
“People must understand that your mouth is the main gateway to your general health, so looking after your oral health and doing regular checkups with your dentist and getting disease treated early is the best course of action.”
The findings are particularly important for global health, since chronic tooth infections often go untreated. According to the World Health Organization, 3.7 billion people globally live with untreated oral disease. Given the broader health impact of tooth infections, oral health should be integrated into a patient’s general healthcare, Niazi said.
The research was published a week after a clinical trial at University College London found treatment for severe gum disease could prevent arteries from becoming clogged, reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. The treatment reduced inflammation caused by the gum disease.
Dr Marco Orlandi, the trial’s co-principal investigator, said: “Oral conditions such as gum disease have been associated with a plethora of non-communicable disease such as cardiovascular, metabolic, rheumatic and neuro-degenerative conditions.” Gum disease should now be considered a “non-traditional risk factor” for clogged arteries, he added.
