Oral Health Tells a Lot About Overall Health

Our society tends to divorce oral health from overall health. Dentistry is considered a separate profession from other health professionals. This is unfortunate because the dentist is often one of the first professionals to see the development of health problems that will go on to produce lifelong nutritional problems. Dr. Olga Antonenko of Argentina found that deficiencies of vitamin D and calcium were common in young women which appeared to be contributing to tooth loss. There is an old saying, "A tooth with every child." This comes from the observation that the dental status of young women often deteriorates rapidly when they become pregnant. Antonenko found that intakes of these essential nutrients for tooth health was deficient even before pregnancy. She also found that intake of soft drinks was associated with tooth decay and tooth loss. The acid in soft drinks favors the growth of acid producing bacteria which can lead to tooth damage. Antonenko also believes that vitamin D is important not only for the absorption of calcium, but also in its role in the formation of an antimicrobial compound which keeps pathogens in check in the mouth. In this study 57% of the women were deficient in vitamin D. All of these women were also deficient in calcium. Deficiency of these nutrients early in life can increase the risk of broken bones and osteoporosis later in life. A simple solution to deficiency of these nutrients is to supplement with NeoLife Chelated Cal-Mag with 1,000 I.U. of vitamin D. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Low intake of vitamin C can also be related to increased risk of tooth decay and tooth loss. Loss of teeth was common during the age of sail when sailors developed scurvy. Vitamin C both improves immune function and also promotes the building of strong and healthy connective tissue. Since the half-life of vitamin C at higher levels of intake is only 30 minutes I usually recommend using NeoLife Super C and taking it at least twice a day, morning and evening. References: Dr. O. Antonenko, Oral Health in Young Women Having A Low Calcium and Vitamin D Nutritional Status. Clin Oral Investig. 2014 Oct 31. [Epub ahead of print] Vaananen, M.K., et al, Dental Caries and Mutans Streptococci in Relation to Plasma Ascorbic Acid, Scandinavian Journal of Dental Research, 1994;102:103-8.