Brushing your teeth and flossing, gargling some mouthwash, and dropping into the dentist’s chair a few times each year. Sounds familiar, right? Even if many do not follow all these, maintaining good oral health has become a part of dental care. However, there may be more to the story. The dietary supplement world has produced a flood of research and dietary products relating to oral health in the recent past.
From probiotic strains working to cultivate the good bacteria to omega 3 ingredients fighting periodontitis disease – there are loads of options available in the market linked to the dental world. A mix of natural appeal, cost-efficiency, and promising research is responsible for driving the hype.
Many adults and children to take one or more vitamins or other dietary supplements. In addition to vitamins, most of these dietary supplements contain minerals, herbs or other botanicals, enzymes, amino acids, and many other ingredients for a healthy body.
You can find dietary supplements in various forms; they come as capsules, tablets, gummies, and powders, even as energy bars and drinks. Popular supplements include vitamins B12 and D; and minerals like iron and calcium. Other supplements include herbs such as garlic and echinacea; and even products like glucosamine, probiotics, and fish oils. To know about the supplement world, keep scrolling down.
What is a Dietary Supplement?
Dietary supplements primarily include vitamins, minerals, herbs, enzymes, and amino acids. You can buy dietary supplements in the market in tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, powders, and liquids.
Do you know that minerals and vitamins are primarily known as micronutrients? They help nourish your body and keep your body healthy. You can get most of these micronutrients by including a variety of foods in your daily diet. Additionally, you need to ensure that your body absorbs them properly.
Therefore, you should try to eat a variety of healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and fish. If you do not, you may not get all the micronutrients needed for the metabolic functioning of your various body parts.
Taking a multivitamin can help. This is where dietary supplements come into the picture. However, there is no proof that they may help reduce your heart disease or cancer risk.
Dietary supplements are additional nutrients you may take to improve your health or wellness. It generally includes minerals, vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, and herbs. The most common form is a capsule or pill. However, you also can get them in the form of drinks, powders, and foods. These supplements are not meant to cure diseases or health conditions.
Why Are Vitamins Important for Oral Health?
Vitamins play a vital role in your body’s health, including your teeth and gums. Remember that a vitamin-deficient diet is an invitation to all kinds of diseases.
But what are vitamins? Although vitamins differ in their effect on your body, they are all organic compounds found in your food. Each vitamin helps differently with bodily processes.
Vitamin C, for instance, helps your body repair tissues. Without vitamin C, the tissues in your body would break down quickly. If your body is deprived of vitamin C benefits, you will soon encounter health issues like bleeding gums. Eating limes, lemon, or supplements can help clear up such problems.
Researchers and scientists have discovered thirteen vitamins, four of which are A, D, E, and K soluble in fat. The human body stores these in the fat tissue and liver, where they slowly issue out into your body. The rest, such as vitamin C and eight types of B vitamins, are all soluble in water. Unlike the fat-soluble vitamins, these soluble vitamins are used quickly by your body and any remaining ones get excreted from your body.
Is Dietary Supplement a Substitute for Vitamins Much-needed for Oral Health?
When it comes to teeth, gums, and the mouth, a rich assortment of vitamins will help maintain good oral health. Vitamin D plays a vital role especially for your teeth. Vitamin D helps your body absorb the mineral calcium much needed for building strong bones and teeth. You will find that this vitamin D is plentiful in dairy products and fatty fish like salmon and tuna.
You might be aware that vitamins occur naturally in foods. But you can also have them in the form of dietary supplements. Unfortunately, the world of dietary supplements is cloudy, meaning they are not governed by any clinical trials and restrictions that drugs undergo before they go out to the market. As you might know – it is big business. Vitamin and dietary supplements are promoted as “insurance” for your good health.
Many people have conditions that might require a dietary supplement. Research has shown that human beings can effectively get their vitamins through a fresh fruit and vegetable diet. So, do your teeth and gums a favor – eat your fruits and veggies. Along with daily brushing and flossing, getting enough nutrients can go a long way toward keeping your mouth healthy and disease-free.
What are the Benefits of Dietary Supplement?
These supplements could help assure that you get enough of the vital substances that your body requires to function. Others may help reduce the risk of some chronic diseases. But supplements can never replace complete meals, vital for a healthful diet. So be sure to eat a variety of foods all the time.
Unlike drugs, supplements are not permitted to be marketed to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure diseases or disorders. Meaning supplements cannot cure any disease. Moreover, supplements should not make disease claims, like “lowers high cholesterol” or “treats heart disease”. Such kinds of claims cannot be legitimately made for dietary supplements.
Dietary Supplement: Can They Benefit Oral Health?
If you frequently consume a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, with modest amounts of fish, poultry, and dairy products, there would be little need for a discussion about dietary supplements. Nutrition can influence your overall health and dietary components as they have both local and systemic effects within your body.
For optimal health, experts generally recommend that people aim for at least nine servings or approximately 4.5 cups of vegetables and fruits in a day. But according to the Centers for Disease Control, only 32 percent of the individuals eat two servings of fruit per day. And fewer, only 27 percent, eat vegetables thrice a day. Most of your body does not get the necessary vitamins and minerals for balanced growth.
Do you know that the key nutrients are present in minimal amounts in most processed food you eat daily? These nutrients are critical for maintaining your oral health and preventing all forms of gingival and periodontal disease. Certain vitamins/minerals are even known to impact your oral cavity significantly. Especially vitamin C for collagen, vitamin A for epithelial integrity, and calcium/vitamin D for your bones.
Oral Benefits
Several stats show that individuals generally do not have adequate serum levels of vitamin D. Moreover, a majority of teenagers do not meet the recommended intake of 1,300 mg of calcium per day.
You need to be careful as the deficiencies of these vital nutrients may first appear in your oral cavity. For instance, a dentist might be the first to detect oral ulcers and other complications in a patient having vitamin B12 deficiency. Additionally, doctors should be alert for these signs, especially in patients with long-term medications.
As you might know, periodontal disease is a highly inflammatory and oxidative process. Hence your dentist might advise you to take dietary supplements as they provide 80 to 100 percent more nutrients in addition to your wholesome meals.
Talk to Your Doctor When to Take a Dietary Supplement
Discuss with your dentist before you begin taking a dietary supplement. They can tell you the benefits and risks of each supplement. Make sure your dentist knows about any supplement you already take. This should include all medicines, both prescription and over-the-counter.
That is because some medicines and dietary supplements can react in a bad way. Read the ingredients on dietary supplements packaging to make sure you know what else is present in them. Never take more than the recommended dosage on the label unless your doctor approves it. Just because a dietary supplement is advertised as “natural” – does not always mean it is safe.
All might agree that a healthy diet should consist of plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and fish, which certainly benefit your oral health. The crucial question is, do dietary supplements provide similar benefits?
Remember that supplements cannot substitute for a healthy diet in terms of benefiting oral health. However, recent research and studies describe potential oral health benefits of selected supplements like green tea, fish oil, vitamin D, cranberry, and others.
As you might know, green tea is very good at preventing the harmful bacteria that usually cause periodontal or other gum diseases. In addition, fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial in maintaining gingival health. Vitamin D may prevent further loss of gingival attachment in periodontal disease. Cranberry is equally helpful in treating burning mouth syndrome.
Final Thoughts
Ideally, your vitamins and minerals should come from your food. Healthy food sources are the easiest for our bodies to absorb and impact our health. However, taking a vitamin or dietary supplement, like a multivitamin, can help fill in the gaps you may be missing.
Deciding whether to take dietary supplements and which ones to take are serious. You should learn about the potential benefits and risks they might pose. Hence speak to your doctor about products of interest and decide what may be best for you to take.
