Root Canals Could Support Better Blood Sugar Control — Here’s How

For years, dentists have talked about the connection between oral health and general health — but new research is making that link clearer than ever. A recent study following patients for two years after successful root canal treatment found that fixing a long-standing dental infection didn’t just save the tooth… it improved overall health in ways that genuinely surprised researchers.

Not only did patients see significant improvements in blood sugar control, but many also experienced healthier cholesterol levels, better fat metabolism, and reduced inflammation. In other words: treating a single infected tooth supported the body far beyond the mouth.

And the implications for long-term health — especially for people at risk of diabetes, heart disease, or chronic inflammation — are huge.

Let’s break it down.

Why a Tooth Infection Affects the Rest of Your Body

A root canal is usually performed when the soft inner part of a tooth (the pulp) becomes infected or inflamed. This can happen due to deep decay, cracks, trauma, or long-standing untreated cavities.

What many people don’t realise is that:

A chronic tooth infection doesn’t stay neatly inside the tooth. Bacteria can enter the bloodstream and travel elsewhere in the body.

Once circulating, these bacteria and the inflammation they trigger can:

• Make it harder for the body to control blood sugar

• Increase cholesterol and fatty acids

• Disrupt the way the body processes fats

• Raise systemic inflammation, one of the major drivers of chronic illness

This is why dental infections are never “just dental infections.”

The study followed 65 patients over two years, analysing how their bodies processed sugar, fat, and various biological markers both before and after root canal treatment. The changes were remarkable: more than half of all blood markers improved, particularly those linked to inflammation and metabolic health.

In simple terms, treating the tooth helped treat the body.

Why This Matters for People at Risk of Diabetes or Heart Disease

Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and chronic inflammatory conditions all share one thing in common: your body becomes less efficient at regulating sugar, fats, and inflammatory responses.

The research showed:

• Short-term improvements in fat metabolism

• Long-term improvements in blood sugar control

• Meaningful reductions in inflammation

These aren’t small wins — they’re the foundations of preventing metabolic disease.

As Dr Sadia Niazi, one of the study’s lead clinicians, put it:

“Your mouth is the main gateway to your general health.”

Ignoring a dental infection doesn’t just risk losing a tooth. It puts pressure on the rest of the body, too.

Root Canal Myths Hold People Back — But They Don’t Need To

Root canals have a reputation that belongs in the 1980s. Modern dentistry uses far better anaesthetics, technology, and techniques — meaning treatment is comfortable, predictable, and usually completed in one appointment.

What actually hurts is the untreated infection, not the treatment that removes it.

And as this study shows, getting the infection sorted earlier does far more than relieve pain — it may help protect your long-term health.

Dental infections often go untreated — and that’s the real problem

Globally, billions of people live with untreated tooth decay or infection. In the UK, limited NHS access means more people are waiting longer, enduring pain, or hoping symptoms “settle down” on their own.

But infections don’t resolve themselves.
And now we know the consequences aren’t just local — they’re systemic.

Ignoring signs like:

• Persistent toothache

• Sensitivity that lingers

• Swelling or a bad taste

• Pain on biting

• Darkening of a tooth

…means inflammation has more time to spread.

The takeaway

Root canal treatment doesn’t just treat a tooth — it may help protect blood sugar control, cholesterol levels, and inflammation across the whole body.

This research is a powerful reminder that your mouth and your body aren’t separate systems.
When one is inflamed, the other has to work harder.

If you’re concerned about a possible infection or have symptoms you’ve been ignoring, you don’t have to wait in pain or uncertainty. Nova’s dentists are here to guide you and help you get ahead of problems early — from the comfort of your home.