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:
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.