What Are The Effects Of Vitamin D Deficiency On Dental Health?

Good oral hygiene and routine dental exams are excellent ways to maintain a healthy and functional mouth. However, diet also plays a major role in your dental health. Eating a healthy and balanced diet rich in essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals strengthens and improves the health of your teeth, gums, and jawbone and protects your mouth from diseases.

Numerous nutrients promote good dental health. These can include calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, and more. The body absorbs these nutrients and uses them to carry out essential functions. While all vitamins are beneficial, vitamin D is essential for oral health. Keep reading to learn more about vitamin D, how its deficiency can affect your teeth, and how you can get more of it.

Vitamin D and Your Dental Health

Calcium is one of the essential minerals for strong teeth, bones, and muscle movements. Without calcium, your body might not function well in many aspects. Vitamin D facilitates the absorption of calcium and phosphorous in the body. It facilitates the transport of these minerals in the blood to the rest of the body by vitamin C.

Unfortunately, about 10% of Americans have vitamin D deficiency, greatly endangering their oral and overall health. The body can absorb vitamin D in two ways: the sun and the food we eat. By absorbing the UV rays, the body makes vitamin D. Most people don’t make enough vitamin D from sunlight because they have little to no sunshine exposure.

However, you need other sources of vitamin D, which you can obtain through food such as dairy products and fatty fish like tuna and egg yolks. According to the Institute of Medicine, you should get about 200-600 International Units of vitamin D daily. A cup of milk contains about 100UI of vitamin D.

How vitamin D Deficiency Affect Your Oral Health

Lack of enough vitamin D can cause serious oral and overall complications like skeletal, cardiovascular, neurological, and muscle disorders. Vitamin D deficiency in the blood can also encourage certain cancers. Since enough vitamin D facilitates calcium absorption in the body, it’s essential for healthy teeth, gums, and bones. Researchers have linked vitamin D deficiency to the following:

• Tooth fractures. Vitamin D deficiency affects calcium absorption, which weakens the teeth, making them susceptible to chips, cracks, and breaks. If not treated, these damages can lead to infections and tooth loss. Enough calcium is essential to strengthen and remineralize the teeth, protecting them from fractures.
• Tooth decay. The outer layer of the tooth (enamel) protects the tooth’s nerves, blood vessels, and other tissues from bacterial infections. When your vitamin D intake is low, it reduces calcium absorption, weakening your tooth’s enamel. Once the enamel is compromised, the tooth is less resistant to bacterial and acidic attacks, which causes cavities and tooth decay.
• Periodontitis. According to the Journal of Periodontal Research, lower vitamin D levels have increased the risk of periodontitis. Periodontitis is a severe gum disease that damages your teeth’ gums and surrounding connective tissues, like the jawbone. Vitamin D has shown a positive impact on the health of these tissues.
  Do you have any of these symptoms? Visit our dental office near you for treatment.

How can you get More Vitamin D?

If your doctor or dentist has diagnosed you with insufficient vitamin D, you can increase your intake in several ways, including:

• Spend more time in the sun. Spending less in the sun or wearing clothes that cover most of your skin can prevent you from absorbing enough sunlight. The exact time and amount of sunlight you should get will depend on location, time of day, skin tone, and amount of exposed skin. Still, be cautious, as excess sunlight can burn the skin and cause skin and lip cancers.
• Eat foods rich in Vitamin D. Increase your intake of foods rich in vitamin D. Excellent sources of vitamin D in your diet include liver, salmon, red meat, trout, egg yolks, dairy products, and cereals. Consult our dentist in Ohio for food tips for dental care.
• Vitamin D supplements. If you can get enough vitamin D from sunlight and diet, you can consult our dentist near you about vitamin D dietary supplements.

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Do you need more information about how different minerals and vitamins affect your dental health? Contact daily DENTAL & bracesbar.