Vitamins That Help Periodontal Disease

Periodontitis is a serious gum infection, caused by plaque and bacteria

accumulating below the gum line. Left untreated, it can destroy gum and bone tissue,
resulting in loss of teeth. While poor dental hygiene plays a role in the deelopment
of periodontal disease, poor nutrition also can be a factor, according to
!ayo"linic.com. #ecause deficiencies of certain itamins hae been associated with
gum disease, correcting deficiencies should be an integral component of treatment.
Vitamin C
Vitamin " is an essential itamin important for the growth and repair of all tissues
including bones and teeth. Vitamin " also is an antio$idant. %ntio$idants help the
body preent some of the damage caused by free radicals, by&products of
metabolism. 'nflammation and bleeding of the gums are among the signs of a itamin
" deficiency. Howeer, according to the (niersity of !aryland !edical "enter,
serious deficiencies of itamin " are rare in industriali)ed countries. #ecause
smo*ing depletes itamin ", smo*ers hae an increased ris* of deficiency. #ecause
itamin " can+t be stored by the body, it must be consumed in food or a supplement
eery day. % good source is most fruit including citrus fruits, watermelon, pineapple,
cantaloupe, *iwi, tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cranberries.
Vitamin " also is found in many egetables including broccoli, cauliflower, brussels
sprouts, cabbage, potatoes and coo*ed leafy greens, such as turnip and spinach.
The (niersity of !aryland !edical "enter adises eating fruits and egetables raw
or only lightly coo*ed since heat can destroy itamin ".
B Vitamins
The itamin # comple$ is made up of eight itamins. They are thiamine, riboflain,
niacin, pantothenic acid, pyrido$ine, biotin, folic acid and #&,-. The %merican Dental
Hygienists+ %ssociation lists # itamins as important to oral health. They are needed
for cell growth and for healthy blood, all of which contributes to healthy gum tissue.
#&,- is found in animal products, such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, but is
not naturally found in plant&based food sources. The other # itamins are found in
whole grains and many egetables, as well as animal products.
Vitamins D, K and A
Vitamin D deficiency is implicated in a number of diseases including periodontitis.
The Vitamin D council states that blood leels of itamin D should be between ./ to
0/ ng1mL. The body ma*es itamin D when the s*in is e$posed to sunlight, then
conerts it into its actie form. Howeer, if you lie in northern latitudes, it+s
impossible to produce itamin D from the sun in the winter because the sun neer
gets high enough in the s*y for its ultraiolet rays to penetrate the atmosphere. %lso,
some people don+t spend enough time in the sun during the warm months2 therefore,
itamin D deficiencies are common. Vitamin D also can be obtained from some
foods, such as fish and fortified dairy products, as well as supplements.
When the body conerts itamin D into its actie form, itamin 3 and a small
amount of itamin % are needed for the process. #oth of these itamins are found in
leafy green egetables. Vitamin % also can be found in orange egetables and fruit,
such as sweet potatoes and cantaloupe.
The anthropological record indicates that we are e$posed to considerably less
ultraiolet radiation 4required for the synthesis of itamin D5 and consume
considerably less calcium than did our early ancestors. !ost (.6. citi)ens hae
calcium inta*es and serum leels of itamin D far below recommended alues. This
is despite there haing been e$tensie eidence that optimal calcium and itamin D
inta*es not only benefit our postcranial bone health but also hae many other health
benefits. 7umerous articles indicate that itamin D and calcium deficiencies result in
bone loss and increased inflammation, which are well recogni)ed symptoms of
periodontal disease. 8or more than 9/ years, inestigators hae suggested that
calcium inta*e may be associated with aleolar bone resorption, and more recently
there hae been a number of studies in which inestigators hae suggested that
calcium and itamin D may benefit periodontal health, and it has been suggested that
calcium deficiency may be a ris* factor for periodontal disease. There has not,
howeer, been a itamin&D&calcium&periodontitis clinical trial in which randomi)ation
and mas*ing were carefully controlled, the periodontal disease status of patients
*nown, periodontal disease measures were the primary outcomes, and leels of
inta*e optimi)ed to produce ma$imal effects. 6uch research might demonstrate that
calcium and itamin D are important ad:uncts to standard treatments for preenting
and treating periodontal disease.