That treatment your dentist recommended but you've been putting off? It could benefit more than just your teeth.
If you’ve heard the words “root canal” during a dentist appointment, it’s normal to feel a bit of anxiety. However, rest assured—not only does this particular treatment occur at least 15 million times a year in the U.S., according to estimates from the American Association of Endodontists, but it also could provide a serious boost to your heart and metabolic health.
A recently published two-year-long longitudinal study, noted as being “first of its kind research,” is offering new insight into how getting a root canal to address apical periodontitis—a common dental condition caused by infection and inflammation around the root tip of a tooth—may help reverse some of systemic effects related to blood sugar, cholesterol, and overall inflammation in the body. The results were published in the November 2025 issue of the Journal of Translational Medicine.
For this study, 65 patients with apical periodontitis underwent a root canal, a procedure in which a dentist removes infected pulp from inside a tooth, then cleans and seals it to prevent further damage. Scientists then assessed “molecules in the blood of patients to reveal how the body processes sugar, fat, other key substances, and responds to disease and treatment” at five intervals over two years. This approach allowed the researchers to track changes in dozens of circulating metabolites—small molecules that reflect metabolic and inflammatory activity in the body.
In reviewing the data, researchers found that more than half of the measured metabolites shifted significantly after a root canal treatment. Early improvements appeared within just three months, when levels of branched-chain amino acids—compounds associated with insulin resistance and chronic inflammation—began to fall.
By the two-year mark, patients showed notable reductions in glucose and pyruvate—an important molecule used in glucose metabolism—suggesting better blood sugar and energy metabolism. Short-term drops in cholesterol, choline, and fatty acids, paired with a steady rise in the essential amino acid tryptophan, further pointed to healthier lipid processing and reduced inflammatory stress.
The “oral-gut axis” is what connects your oral and cardiometabolic health, the researchers say. While these systems may seem unrelated, bacteria can travel from tooth infections and circulate throughout the rest of the body, creating far reaching health problems.
As summarized by lead study author Sadia Niazi, PhD, in a news release: “Our findings show that root canal treatment doesn’t just improve oral health. … It’s a powerful reminder that oral health is deeply connected to overall health.”
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