Could Treating a Tooth Infection Help More Than Your Mouth?

Most people think of a root canal as a way to save a painful or infected tooth. But emerging research suggests that treating a dental infection may do more than protect your smile. It may also help reduce inflammation and improve markers linked to blood sugar and heart health. That matters because infections in the mouth do not always stay in the mouth. When a tooth infection develops deep inside the tooth and around the root, bacteria can enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation elsewhere in the body. Researchers found that after successful root canal treatment, patients showed improvements over time in glucose metabolism, cholesterol-related markers, and inflammation levels (Yuchen Zhang, Adrien Le Guennec, Pirkko Pussinen, Gordon Proctor, Sadia Ambreen Niazi. Successful endodontic treatment improves glucose and lipid metabolism: a longitudinal metabolomic study. Journal of Translational Medicine, 2025; 23 (1)). Why Oral … Read more

Awareness Campaign to Prevent Unnecessary Tooth Extractions

The Saving Teeth Awareness Campaign has been launched in the United Kingdom to provide information to those patients in need who have a tooth infection as this will lead to bone loss and potential loss of that tooth. http://www.savingteeth.co.uk/index.htm The campaign’s goal boils down to “If a tooth can be saved, it is the best choice.” The campaign wants to make those aware that root canal treatment is the first choice when a tooth is infected. Many will instead have the tooth extracted and replaced with a bridge or dental implant but they want to try to save as many teeth from extractions as possible. An endodontist is a specialist that will often perform root canal therapy The Root Canal Awareness Week will occur in the United States from March 27 to April 2, 2011. http://www.aae.org/rcaw/ The poster from The … Read more