ORAL HEALTH THROUGH PREVENTION
Our bodies and, in particular, our teeth, use minerals and vitamins for our health. We are encouraged by doctors and dentists and hygienists to pay attention to the relationship between what we eat and how we feel. Most of us were told the folk wisdom “Drink your milk” because calcium builds strong bones and teeth. Other foods are no surprise: proteins, greens, and fruit are the basic diet, including milk and eggs. No sugar, no processed foods… these “no’s” make shopping so much easier because in most stores you can skip all the central aisles.
Dr. Irene Vaksman’s article in General Dentistry, September 3, 2011 is titled “Vitamins and Minerals for Oral Health? You’re Kidding!” Here is the link:
Dr.Vaksman Blog
The chart is interesting because it lists the vitamin, how it affects your mouth, and what foods have it. What’s missing from the information is how much of the food is necessary to supply the vitamin. Also, Dr. Vakesman doesn’t detail what studies have determined these findings. Nevertheless, even if taken at face value only, the information provided makes common sense. A good diet helps with the intake of vitamins, but did you know that the RDA (recommended daily allowance) is just a guideline on how to prevent deficiencies? Recommended daily allowances. We need far more than what the RDA recommends! So if you have bleeding gums, and you are doing your homecare daily (daily brushing and flossing), maybe adding additional multivitamins is a way to get that boost that you need.
Bottom line: what you eat is important to the health of your mouth.