Get Your Vitamins!
Vitamin C is extremely important in dentistry (and nutrition in general) because of how it helps control periodontal disease and other problems in the mouth.
For one thing, Vitamin C—ascorbic acid—seems to help calcium do its job of halting the loss of bone.
Animal studies at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine have shown that Vitamin C can inhibit bone shrinkage by 50% or more.
But Vitamin C does a lot more than that! It’s essential to construct the protein fibers called collagen which actually connect the teeth to bone.
We can’t emphasize enough the importance of a nutritious diet, along with brushing, flossing, and frequent cleaning in maintaining healthy teeth and gums.
Sneaky Sugars
At the other end of the nutrition spectrum, health-conscious consumers are leaving sugary food alone… and that’s great. But sugar can surprise you by turning up in unlikely places.
That scant 1/2 cup of raisins, for instance, has more sugar than a chocolate brownie. Ketchup is sometimes known as “red sugar,” and for good reason (1/3 of ketchup is sugar). Fast-food fries, peanut butter, mayonnaise, canned soups, lunch meat—all are sources of added sugars. So keep in mind that food labels deserve close scrutiny, down to the fine print.
And what about a case of indigestion after the occasional sweet snack? Watch out. Tums antacid tablets are 41% sugar.
