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Do you brush and floss like mad, but find that your gums still bleed and are receding? Your diet may have something to do with that. A study published in the August, 2000 issue of the Journal of Periodontology found that people who don't get at least 60 milligrams of vitamin C per day (the minimum daily amount recommended for adults over age 15) have higher rates of periodontal disease than those who get less than this amount. Additionally, the study revealed that, when it comes to vitamin C and healthy gums, more is better. People who consumed under 60 milligrams of vitamin C per day had a 150% greater chance of developing gum disease than those who had three times the recommended daily amount - 180 milligrams.
In another study, to measure the effects of vitamin C deficiency on gum health, researchers at the University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry fed 11 men rotating diets for 14 weeks. The diet purposely excluded all fruits and vegetables, which are typically high in vitamin C. During some weeks, the men were given a vitamin C supplement dissolved in grape juice. At the end of the study, researchers found that the men's gums bled more during the weeks that they received no vitamin C. When they received the vitamin C supplement, their gums bled less.
How does vitamin C help to keep your gums healthy?
Simply put, your body needs adequate vitamin C to strengthen your bones and blood vessels, to anchor your teeth into your gums, and to form the "intracellular cement" your body needs for growth, tissue repair and wound healing. Vitamin C is vital to the production of collagen, the basic protein building block for the fibrous framework of all tissues, including the gums, explains Mary Dan Eades, M.D., medical director for the Arkansas Center for Health and Weight Control in Little Rock. "VItamin C strengthens weak gum tissue and makes the gum lining more resistant to penetration by bacteria," she said.
When your gums bleed when you brush or floss, and are irritated, tender, swollen or red, you have early gum disease, called gingivitis. This is caused by food particles and bacteria left on your teeth, combining to form plaque, which hardens on your teeth and becomes tartar (also called calculus). The bacteria in plaque infect your gums, and cause them to pull back and away from your teeth (recede), forming pockets where even more bacteria can hide and reproduce. If it's not taken care of, this infection starts attacking the roots of your teeth and the bone in your jaw, causing irreversible damage which can lead to bone loss. At this stage, gingivitis has progressed to become a more serious gum problem called periodontal disease, the leading cause of adult tooth loss in the U.S.
Dr. Eades recommends a significantly higher daily dosage of vitamin C - 1,000-2.000 milligrams of timed-release vitamin C, taken as two doses (one in the morning, and one in the evening). Vitamin C can cause diarrhea in doses exceeding 1,200 milligrams, so she recommends that you cut back if you experience digestive problems on the higher dosage. Avoid chewable vitamin C, as it's often sugar sweetened and can erode your tooth enamel. A form of vitamin C called "ester C" has been shown to be less irritating to the stomach. Your doctor should be able to tell you which vitamin C would be best for you, and how much you should take each day.
Smoking makes it worse
If you smoke, you'll need even more vitamin C, according to researcher Robert Genco, chairperson of the Oral Biology Department at the State University of New York in Buffalo. "Since oxidants from cigarette smoking lower vitamin C levels in the blood, smokers need higher levels of dietary vitamin C to help counteract smoke's oxidants," Genco said. He cautioned that additional vitamin C can't compensate for the toxins in the body that are generated by cigarette smoke. "Cigarette smoke contains numerous oxidants that can cause periodontal tissue damage regardless of vitamin C intake," he said. The federal dietary panel recommends that smokers get at least 35 milligrams off additional vitamin C each day, above what is recommended for non-smokers.
Vitamin C speeds recovery from oral surgery
Ludi Leibson, DDS, spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry, said he sometimes gives oral surgery patients high doses of vitamin C and multi-vitamin supplements before surgery. "You're going to delay the healing process and increase the possibility of infection if you're not getting the proper nutrients," Leibson said.
A nutritious diet is crucial to your recovery following oral surgery, since adequate and appropriate vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins are needed for growth of new tissues and healing of wounds, Leibson said. Along with vitamin C, the AGD recommends vitamins A, E, B, K and D to enhance the healing process and speed your recovery.
Foods high in vitamin C
Many fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamin C, but since exposure to oxygen destroys vitamin C in foods, it's important that you eat them soon after they've been cut open. For example, a sliced cantaloupe left uncovered in the refrigerator loses 35 percent of its vitamin C in less than 24 hours.
Following are foods that are high in vitamin C: