Vitamins are as essential for our teeth as they are for the rest of the body.
In boosting your oral health, think outside of brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits. Diet, nutrition, and some sun exposure can be just as valuable. Spending some time in nature can be invigorating not only for the mind and body but for your smile as well.
Let's talk more about vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, and how a lack of it can affect your dental health.
What Is Vitamin D?
Like vitamins A, E, and K, vitamin D is fat-soluble too. These vitamins don't dissolve in water. Instead, they're best absorbed by the body along with fatty foods.
Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, which is essential for keeping bones and teeth strong. Aside from supporting bone strength, vitamin D also aids the immune system and muscle movements.
Absorbing UV rays helps the body produce vitamin D. But we cannot rely completely on vitamin D from the sun. We must also ensure the regular intake of foods that are rich in them, such as salmon and tuna.
How Does Insufficient Vitamin D Affect Dental Health?
Here are some ways low vitamin D levels can impact oral health:
- Tooth Decay
Vitamin D plays a role in absorbing and retaining calcium and phosphorus. A lack of it can weaken teeth and increase the risk of developing cavities and decay. These dental problems can be inconvenient and painful and result in further infection if left untreated.
Vitamin absorption is crucial. And because vitamin D influences calcium levels in the body and immune system health, an inadequate supply can make you more susceptible to gum disease and tooth decay.
A carbohydrate-rich diet and poor oral hygiene are two environmental factors that contribute to dental caries. However, aside from these factors, low vitamin D levels are also associated with the high prevalence of caries in children and adults.
Optimal vitamin D levels in the human system, on the other hand, are linked to reduced risks of dental caries in children.
- Bleeding Gums
Bleeding gums are one of the early signs of gum disease. But apart from affecting the mouth, this condition can also suggest an issue in the immune system since the oral microbiome is constantly interacting with the immune cells.
Research suggests that vitamin D deficiency can make a person more susceptible to periodontal disease, or gum disease, whose early symptoms include bleeding gums. If your gums are often tender, swollen, or bleeding despite a solid dental care routine, it may help to look into your vitamin D intake.
Don't dismiss this potential factor because gum health has been linked to vitamin D levels. Pay more attention to your diet and nutrition to maintain a healthy microbiome balance and prevent gum disease.
- Orthodontic Treatment Recovery
Laboratory-based investigations suggest that vitamin D deficiency may slow down tooth movement. Furthermore, it can have adverse effects on normal bone mineralization, nerve conduction, and muscle contraction.
An adequate supply of it, meanwhile, may facilitate orthodontic treatments. The body must receive and maintain ideal vitamin D levels daily, which can be possible with sunlight exposure and a diet consisting of fatty fish, eggs, and other essential foods.
Researchers say further evidence is necessary to explore the safety of administering vitamin D treatments to orthodontic patients. Still, it’s worth noting that experts acknowledge the significance of vitamin D for oral health.
In another study, the authors concluded that lower incisor alignment therapy was shorter for those subjects with normal vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) levels. The alignment improvement rate was also significantly higher for this group.
Researchers also noted the role that vitamin D3 plays in minimizing pain linked to orthodontic tooth movement (OTM).
Learn More Ways to Boost Your Oral Health
Proper nutrition benefits both the mouth and the rest of the body. Vitamin D may not be discussed as often as other vitamins, but it does perform important functions. In terms of oral health, it can strengthen the teeth and gums, offer protection against gum disease, and facilitate recovery after receiving orthodontic treatments.
Here are some relevant blog posts you might want to check out:
- Foods That Can Prevent Cavities
- Best Foods for Your Teeth
- How to Prevent Tooth Decay
- Why Are My Gums Bleeding?
- What Can I Do if My Gums Are Receding?
To consult a dentist in Grand Prairie, Alberta, and receive personalized recommendations on boosting oral health, contact our team at Generations Dental.
Generations Dental has been providing general oral healthcare and cosmetic services for over three decades, and we're happy to be of help to more families in the Grand Prairie area.
References:
- Fat-Soluble Vitamin, National Library of Medicine
- What Are Fat-Soluble Vitamins?, Medical News Today
- Vitamin D Deficiency and Oral Health: A Comprehensive Review
- The Importance of Vitamin D for Periodontal Tissues
- The Relation Between Periodontal Disease and Vitamin D
- The Relationship Between Vitamin D and Periodontal Pathology
- Vitamin D and Orthodontics: An Insight Review
- The Effect of Vitamin D3 on the Alignment of Mandibular Anterior Teeth: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial