Vitamin D & Healthy Gums
Vitamin D Found Beneficial in Periodontal Health
Periodontal health is associated with a branch of dentistry known as Periodontics. Periodontium includes gingival, periodontal ligament, cementum and alveolar bone. It mainly deals with the tissues and structures surrounding the tooth. Periodontal health mainly depends on the health of these four components of the periodontium. Most of the common diseases related to teeth are some or the other way interlinked to the Periodontitis. Its health is of utmost important so that there can be proper functioning of the periodontium in the body.
You should care about your teeth and gums as well so that you can provide proper care and maintenance to your oral health which is an important part of your body. Most of us are not aware of the fact that we must go to a dentist for a dental check-up in a gap of at least six months. You should not neglect your periodontal health as your periodontium supports the growth and maintenance of teeth structure in the mouth. Many of us think that until and unless there is pain or bleeding in any part of our mouth there is no need to visit a dentist, which is absolutely wrong! You should lay emphasis on regular dental check-ups to know your oral conditions, precautions to be taken to avoid getting periodontal diseases.
The vitamin D production in the body varies from one individual to other depending on the location, age, genetic factors and many others. You should have some knowledge so that you can determine whether you are having the right amount of vitamin D in your body or not. For instance, people residing in the hilly areas where there is less sunlight throughout the year have low exposure to ultra violet B rays. This leads to the less production of the Vitamin D under the skin. So if you are living at higher altitudes then go for a dental check-up and make sure that you get the right amount of Vitamin D in your body by following the advices given by your dentist. Researchers have found that African-American people have less amount of Vitamin D in their body as there is low production of Vitamin D in the body and also they are less exposed to the UVB rays which are responsible for the production of Vitamin D in the layers under the skin. Americans have a good amount of Vitamin D in their body as they get exposed to proper UVB rays throughout the year and thus there is sufficient production of the Vitamin D under their skin. Vitamin D has an important role in pregnant women. Presence of Vitamin D in the body and occurrence of the Periodontal Diseases are absolutely inter-related to each other. If a pregnant woman has low vitamin D then chances of occurrence of Periodontal Diseases increase in the body. In case, if she is already suffering from periodontal disease then she will have vitamin D deficiency in the body. So care must be taken a pregnant woman is having the recommended levels of the vitamin D in the body such that the baby does not suffer from such diseases in future.
Vitamin D deficiency not only causes periodontal diseases in the body but also many other diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and pre-eclampsia. These diseases are some of the major and commonly seen diseases in many among us. So it’s important to recognize the importance of the presence and amount of Vitamin D in the body. Some of the most common diseases can be prevented by having sufficient amount of Vitamin D in the body. Vitamin D produces compounds like defensins and cathelicidin which have anti-microbial properties. So if an individual has proper amount of vitamin D in the body then these anti-microbial properties can be exhibited which can thereby help to fight the microbial disease causing organisms. Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are associated with the occurrence of the Periodontal Disease. When these enzymes increase then the risk for periodontal diseases also increases. Moreover, vitamin D helps to keep the oral cavity or the mouth clean and prevent many other kinds of dental diseases apart from the periodontal diseases.
Apart from vitamin D there are many other risk factors which can lead to the occurrence of Periodontal Diseases. With age, out oral health starts deteriorating leading to increased chances of the occurrence of periodontal diseases. Also the immunity gets reduced in the old age which helps various microbes to cause microbial diseases in the body. According to the latest research, elderly people above 65 years of age have more risk in getting such diseases. This is the reason why most of the organizations and NGOs keep promoting the importance of health of the elderly people as they are most vulnerable to attracting diseases in the body. Tobacco use and smoking are one of the most important risk factors which are responsible for causing most of the diseases in the body. The smoke and tobacco cause various cancers in the body and most importantly oral cancers. Oral cancer is on the top list in the occurrence of cancers in the 21st century. Dentists and doctors always ask patients to adopt measures which help to eradicate smoking and tobacco chewing habits eventually.
Periodontal disease develops and progresses with time because of which these factors and can worsen with time. Many individuals will be affected by oral diseases despite following proper oral health care. This can be due to genetic disorders which can be diagnosed by the tests which can be conducted during the dental appointments. This will help you to prevent dental diseases in advance and keep a healthy oral cavity.
Stress is considered to be one of the important risk factors which contribute to most of the disease in the body. If an individual is stressed then his body will be more prone to attract various diseases even periodontal diseases as the body will not have the capacity to resist the diseases at that state. It is always said that you should tell your dentist about medical history so that the dentist can determine what kind of diagnosis and treatment should be given to the patient. This information to recognize the allergies the patient has from medicines and accordingly the prescription can be prepared by the dentist. Many individuals have a habit to keep clenching and grinding teeth. By these actions, the periodontium around the teeth face trauma and excess force because of which they become weak and vulnerable to periodontal diseases. This can happen with children as well as adults, so precautions must be taken that this habit is not developed to an extent that it leads to periodontal diseases. Diseases which interfere in the functioning of the systems like inflammatory systems lead to the risk of the periodontal diseases mainly periodontitis which is inflammation of periodontium.
So precautions must be taken including healthy diet and live a healthy life to prevent you from any kind of diseases. Proper nutrition throughout the life will keep your gums healthy and fresh even at the age of 80. Obesity has been proved to be a risk factor for occurrence of periodontal diseases, so make sure that you exercise everyday and follow a fitness regime. Finally, vitamin D plays a very important role in the periodontal health. You should never neglect the importance of the various parts of the body as every part of the body has its own function to keep you healthy and give you a healthy life. You should be concerned about your health always at every age as health is the most important asset in our life. If you have a good health then everything else will fall in its place. So understand this fact and move ahead with a positivity in life.