Your Teeth Needs Vitamins Too

People tend to eat food randomly and without following a balanced and planned diet. This can cause vitamin and iron deficiencies.  With each deficiency comes a health condition, and these conditions can even affect your teeth, gums, and tongue.  A healthy diet is indeed the path to better living, and a better smile!

Vitamin B
Deficiency in this vitamin can cause a painful inflammation in the corners of the mouth known as angular cheilitis, chronic candidiasis or fungal infections of the mouth, canker sores, as well as atrophic glossitis which leads to a loss of the sense of taste.  Legumes, nuts, pork, dried beans, whole and enriched grains give your body all the Thiamin you require.  Eggs and milk can keep you away from Riboflavin deficiency. Chicken, fish and liver provide Niacin, paradoxidine and cobalamin. Your can get Folic acid from leafy green vegetables, broccoli, fortified cereals and nuts.

Iron
Iron deficiency usually results in problems similar to that caused by Vitamin B deficiency – oral sores, fungal infections, mouth inflammations and burning in the mouth. The usual reasons for iron loss are heavy menstrual bleeding and other types of blood loss. Beans, leafy green veggies and shellfish can provide plenty of iron to keep those oral sores at bay.  

Vitamin C
Smoking is indeed injurious to health, and the health effects only become worse if you smoke and neglect Vitamin C supplements. This is because smoking "eats" up the Vitamin C in the body.   Tangy citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries and dark green veggies can provide Vitamin C. Deficiency in this vitamin can cause bleeding in the gums.

Vitamins D and K
Milk products and eggs are great sources of both Vitamin D and Vitamin K. Vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of a jaw bone fracture as well as gum disease. A Vitamin K deficiency can lead to slow healing after a tooth extraction.  

Vitamins do more than give you a glow on your face.  They also help keep pesky oral problems at bay.  If eating broccoli and sprouts isn’t really your thing, ask your dentist to prescribe a good multi vitamin supplement that will provide all the nutrients you require.