If you’ve been putting off a root canal, you may want to schedule that appointment. That’s because new evidence suggests it could have protective health effects that go way beyond your mouth.
“Our research shows that treating an infected tooth does far more than relieve pain. It can improve your overall health,” says lead author Sadia Niazi, PhD, a clinical lecturer in endodontology (the study of what’s inside of teeth) at King’s College London.
Why Oral Health Matters for Heart and Metabolic Health
The mouth is home to a rich community of bacteria. While some are helpful in keeping you healthy, others can cause tooth decay, gum disease, and infection. When an infection develops inside a tooth, the bacteria responsible can sometimes enter the bloodstream.
Study Looked at Blood Samples Drawn Before and After Root Canals
The study included 65 adults treated at a dental hospital in England. At the start of the trial, no one had diabetes, heart disease, or metabolic syndrome (a group of risk factors like obesity and high blood pressure that raise the risk of heart attack and stroke).
Participants had blood drawn before the root canal and again at three months, six months, one year, and two years afterward. Researchers analyzed these blood samples using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a highly precise method for studying blood metabolites — molecules that reflect how the body processes sugar, fat, and other nutrients.
Researchers focused on more than 40 biomarkers tied to cardiometabolic risk, including:
- Blood sugar levels and blood sugar control
- Cholesterol and fatty acids
- Inflammatory markers linked to heart disease and chronic illness
The study compared each person to themselves over a two year period using what’s called a “self-controlled” study design. This allows each participant to serve as their own comparison over time, rather than comparing one group of people with another. This helps reduce the impact of differences between individuals, like age, health status, or lifestyle.
Root Canals Led to Improvements in Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, and Inflammation
Blood samples revealed significant metabolic improvements following successful root canal treatment during the follow-up period, including:
- Better Blood Sugar Control Participants had significantly lower glucose levels two years after treatment, which translates to a lower diabetes risk.
- Healthier Cholesterol Short-term improvements were reported in cholesterol and fatty acids, which impact heart health.
- Lower Inflammation Markers associated with heart disease and other chronic conditions dropped over time.
Combined, this is proof of a body-wide effect, says Dr. Niazi.
“Oral bacteria from infected teeth can disrupt metabolism, showing how oral health impacts the whole body. This is a major shift in thinking. Root canal treatment isn’t just about saving teeth; it’s about protecting long-term health,” she says.
These findings are consistent with the existing evidence that poor oral health is tied to a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, says Eleanor Levin, MD, a clinical professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford Medicine in California.
“The common link is inflammation and this adds evidence that reducing inflammation improves metabolic disease,” says Dr. Levin, who wasn’t involved in the study.
“The root canal reduces the inflammation by removing the site of the dental infection,” she says.
Dental Care Is So Much More Than a Cosmetic Concern
“Timely diagnosis and treatment of root canal infections — symptomatic or not — are essential for reducing [chronic] disease risks,” Niazi says.
It’s a two way street, says Levin. Chronic gum disease can increase metabolic syndrome risk. At the same time, an impaired immune response due to metabolic syndrome can reduce oral health, she says.
“Both problems share risk factors such as a high sugar diet, [being] overweight, smoking, and sedentary lifestyle,” says Levin.
Levin’s advice for reducing your risk of dental inflammation and chronic disease: