A root canal is a dental procedure that removes the infected pulp of a tooth. A root canal is a substitution for tooth removal and attempts to repair and save a tooth. It is a traditional way of saving a dead tooth by taking the nerves and blood supply out of the tooth and filling it with a material that occupies the space where nerves and blood vessels were previously present. In other words, a root canal is similar to embalming a dead and decaying tooth. Despite being very common and relatively safe, the procedure comes with its fair share of complications. 

When a tooth is alive, the blood supply and other fluids in the root canal can be easily flushed out, thereby keeping the area clean. However, by disrupting the standard mechanism and alternating the nerves with synthetic material, the possibility of the root canal being clean becomes dim. Hence, an environment conducive to bacteria and virus proliferation is created. Now that we have talked briefly about the nitty-gritty of root canals, let us try and answer the looming question of whether root canals can affect our eyesight or not.

Eyesight and Root Canal Complications
A root canal procedure is not typically related to eyesight complications. Nevertheless, an eye infection can have a dental origin in some cases. Dental infections, including a severely decayed tooth, can sometimes spread to the orbital. The neurotoxic bacteria that cause damage to the root canal can travel from the mouth to the eyes through the lymphatic system and then damage the optic nerve, consequently leading to vision loss. Moreover, it is noteworthy to mention that after a root canal treatment, the patient may suffer from pain in the back of the eye because of muscle spasms. 

Therefore, a root canal procedure can prevent eyesight complications by eliminating bacteria from the mouth. Simultaneously, postoperative pain and facial nerve damage, leading to visual problems, are two possible side effects that few unlucky patients might experience. 

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!