After losing his vision as a teenager and enduring more than 50 failed surgeries, a Canadian man has regained sight thanks to a rare procedure called tooth-in-eye surgery. Officially known as osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis, the operation uses part of a patient’s own tooth as a base to secure an artificial lens, offering hope to those with severe corneal damage where transplants are no longer possible.
The process involves extracting a tooth usually a canine modifying it to hold a lens, allowing tissue to grow around it, and finally implanting the tooth-lens unit into the eye.
Brent Chapman, 33, from North Vancouver, lost his sight at 13 due to Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare reaction to ibuprofen that destroyed his corneas. After multiple failed corneal transplants, surgeons led by Dr Greg Moloney at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital restored his vision in June 2025 using one of his upper canine teeth, prepared earlier by oral surgeon Dr Ben Kang.
Chapman could see hand movements immediately after surgery and has since regained enough vision to read and walk unaided. “It’s indescribable,” he said.
Studies suggest the lens remains functional for decades, though Chapman’s long-term outlook is about a 50% chance of retaining current vision over 30 years. Experts hope success stories like his will raise awareness of this rare but life-changing procedure.
