By Dr. Fazeela Khan-Osborne – a leading expert in the field of implant and restorative dentistry.
Vitamin D, often referred to as the sunshine vitamin, plays a vital role in maintaining bone and muscle strength and in regulating the immune system. By helping the body absorb calcium and phosphorus, Vitamin D prevents conditions such as rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, and reduces the risk of fractures and fatigue.
While public awareness on Vitamin D’s impact on bone health has certainly increased, its role in dentistry remains largely overlooked.
Why Do We Need Vitamin D for Healthy Teeth?
From childhood, Vitamin D plays a crucial role in calcium absorption during tooth development and enamel formation. Stronger enamel is more resistant to tooth decay; thus children with higher levels of Vitamin D will be at a lower risk of developing cavities and potential tooth loss.
Vitamin D remains vital in adulthood. It is extremely important for reducing inflammation, sustaining immunity and helping to modulate our ability to counteract periodontal (gum) disease. Gum disease is a multi-factorial process in which you can lose bone when teeth become loose. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to a range of serious health complications throughout the body. As well as contributing to receding gums, painful teeth and tooth loss, it has been linked to heart disease, Diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
Within implant dentistry, Vitamin D is vital in bone formation and maintenance around implants, helping to maintain bone density.
Improving Vitamin D levels will enable you to maintain bone strength and fight disease, improving dental and overall health.
How to Improve Your Vitamin D Levels
Vitamin D is an easy and common deficiency to fix – it can be easily integrated through diet, sun exposure and nutritional supplements.
Sun exposure is an easy way to improve levels; however, this can be difficult for those with darker skin who tend to go in the sun less, and for elderly people who are more likely to have mobility issues. Eating more fish, eggs, cod liver oil and other foods fortified with Vitamin D is also a suitable method to improve Vitamin D intake; yet this can also be difficult to sustain over time.
Top Tip: Vitamin D 3 Cholecalciferol can be taken as a daily supplement which has proven results in raising the vitamin levels in the body.
How to Know If You Are Deficient in Vitamin D
A Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased tooth, bone and muscle pain.
It can be measured by a simple traffic light test. Red, amber, and green levels can alert you as to whether your Vitamin D levels are near the suggested 30-50 nanograms/ mil.
Top Tip: Vitamin D Rapid test kits are available in most pharmacies and drugstores.
Top Tip: Vitamin D deficiencies are common in those over the age of 60, minority groups, people who work long hours inside and in post-menopausal women. It is advisable for these individuals, and any who spend limited time in the sun, to carry out a quick test and take their vitamins every day to prevent future health and oral problems.
Conclusion
Vitamin D is vital for fighting off gum disease, maintaining bone and muscle strength and forming enamel. Those who are deficient are at increased risk of tooth pain, loss and decay, which can lead to serious health conditions.
At One-to-One Dental Clinic, all patients are screened for Vitamin D deficiencies as a routine part of examinations. Almost half of patients over 50 are deficient in the vitamin which is managed by daily supplement recommendations.
About the Expert
Dr Fazeela Khan-Osborne is a leader in the field of implant and restorative dentistry. She holds an MSc in Restorative Dentistry, a BDS, and LDS RCS, and a Diploma in Implant Dentistry, all from the Royal London Hospital School of Dentistry. Additionally, she has an Advanced Certificate in Implant/ Restorative and Surgical Dentistry from the Royal College of Surgeons. Thirty years ago, Dr. Fazeela opened her Harley Street practice, One-to-One Dental. Herself and her team of highly respected expert dentists are regarded as one of London’s foremost teams within dentistry, dedicated to the rehabilitation of broken-down dentitions and the rebuilding of elements worn away by diseases, nature, or trauma.
