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NEW JERSEY (WTXF) - A routine visit to the dentist turned into a life-altering event for one woman. Now, she's moving forward in a positive way.
From her South Jersey office, Jenn Morrone sees things a lot differently these days.
"I trusted my dentist and I loved my dentist and I had no idea this was even a danger," she told FOX 29.
In July of 2013, the mother of two went to her dentist for a root canal. It was a visit that changed her life forever.
"The dentist dropped a needle in my eye-- leaving me permanently blind in my right eye," Marrone explained.
She documented what happened to her. The bacteria from the novocaine needle began eating away at her retina. After several surgeries doctors at Wills Eye Hospital told her her vision loss was permanent. She now wears a prosthetic eye.
Instead of feeling sorry for herself, Marrone turned her devastating diagnosis into a positive. She started Jenn's Vision, which is an organization now fighting to require eye protection for dental patients.
"It was 100% percent preventable if I had eye protection on this would have never happened," she said.
Under CDC guidelines, dentists are required to protect their eyes but patients are not. Marrone is hoping her campaign can help change that. She's asking people to take selfies in the dental chair wearing protective eye wear.
"You are laying in that chair and everybody else in that office has to be protected by flying debris and germs and infection. Why not you?"
Jenn's Vision is now raising money to provide free eye protection to dentists who serve low income patients. The hope is to change laws to require every patient to be protected.
"If you don't wear eye protection this is what could happen to you. And I don't want it to. So please, please listen to what I'm saying," she pleaded.
A settlement prevents her from talking about the dentist involved. However, since the incident her campaign of eye protection has reached dentists from around the world. Many of them pledging to change their ways and provide eye protection to their patients.
For more information on her organization, please click here.