Miracle eye surgery to bring patients sight back

How are eyes made with teeth? The tooth in eye prosthetic cornea is a tiny, cylinder-shaped optical device made of a clear synthetic polymer. It is housed in living tooth, jaw and cheek tissue so the body does not reject it. The medical term for the prosthetic is osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis (OOKP). Osteo means “bone,” odonto means “tooth” and kerato means “cornea.” The procedure involves extracting one tooth and some of its surrounding bone to create the OOKP, then preparing the OOKP to place it in the eye. But creating the OOKP is only one step of the procedure.

An upper or lower canine tooth is usually selected. This is because the canine teeth have the biggest and strongest root compared to other teeth. They also tend to have stronger bone holding them in place. First, the tooth and bone are extracted as one piece. It is then sliced lengthwise and polished to create a “lamina” (a plate). A hole is then drilled into the center of the lamina to create a space for the optical device. The device is cemented into the hole, and the combination (the OOKP) is then implanted into the patient’s cheek for around three months.

March 8, 2025 | 5:10 am