How vitamin deficiency affects your oral health.
Dr Tatiana Luebke of SMILEFOCUS reveals how vitamin deficiencies can affect your smile.
Don’t be surprised if at your next dental visit you’re not just getting advice on good dental hygiene, but also about a healthy diet. This isn’t because your dentist wants to compare recipes, but because good health directly correlates to good dental health. The mouth is often the first place to shows signs of vitamin deficiencies. Vitamins function primarily as catalysts for chemical reactions within the body, so a lack of these essential elements can lead to the breakdown of normal body functions, making you more susceptible to disease and other health-related problems. Your dentist can identify oral problems and determine whether a vitamin deficiency is indeed the cause.
A lack of vitamin B complex can lead to mouth and teeth problems – your tongue swells up and you may experience trouble swallowing. The insides of your cheek may also be affected – the tissue looks pale, breaks apart and sloughs off easily. A deficiency in folic acid – also in the vitamin B group (B9) – can result in a burning sensation in the mouth, especially on the tongue. If you have severe B12 and folic acid deficiencies you may experience numbness, tingling limbs and gastrointestinal problems. Folic acid is also critical to healthy foetal development during early pregnancy.
Meat, milk, nuts and enriched grains are good sources of vitamin B. The body only requires vitamins in very small amounts – only hundredths of a gram in many cases. Common sources of vitamin B complex are:
Thiamin (B1) Pork, liver, whole and enriched grains, legumes and nuts.
Riboflavin (B2) Milk, milk products, eggs, meats, broccoli, whole and enriched grains.
Niacin (B3) Milk, eggs, meat, poultry fish, nuts, whole and enriched grains.
Pyroxidine (B6) Meat, poultry, fish, green leafy vegetables, bananas, enriched grains and legumes.
Folic acid (B9) also called folate Green leafy vegetables, oranges, legumes, broccoli, asparagus and fortified cereals. Fish, meat, poultry, milk and milk products, eggs and fortified cereals.
Insufficient vitamin C can lead to bleeding gums, loose teeth and poor healing. And a lack of vitamin D can cause enamel hypoplasia – where teeth have less than the normal amount of enamel, resulting in small dents or grooves on the outer surface of the affected tooth. Not only is the surface of the tooth rough but the defects are often brown or yellow in appearance.
Discuss your recommended vitamin requirements with your physician or dentist at your next appointment. A balanced diet is the best protection in keeping a strong body and mind – and a healthy smile.
Dr Tatiana Luebke B.D.S. (Bristol) Dr Tatiana Luebke qualified from the University of Bristol more than 10 years ago. Having practiced in Brazil, France and now Singapore, Dr Luebke combines Latin flair with a phlegmatic practicality. She focuses on oral implantology, clinical periodontology and restorative dentistry.
A lack of vitamin B complex can lead to mouth and teeth problems – your tongue swells up and you may experience trouble swallowing. The insides of your cheek may also be affected – the tissue looks pale, breaks apart and sloughs off easily. A deficiency in folic acid – also in the vitamin B group (B9) – can result in a burning sensation in the mouth, especially on the tongue. If you have severe B12 and folic acid deficiencies you may experience numbness, tingling limbs and gastrointestinal problems. Folic acid is also critical to healthy foetal development during early pregnancy.
The mouth is often the first place to shows signs of vitamin deficiencies. Vitamins function primarily as catalysts for chemical reactions within the body, so a lack of these essential elements can lead to the breakdown of normal body functions, making you more susceptible to disease and other health-related problems. Your dentist can identify oral problems and determine whether a vitamin deficiency is indeed the cause.