The importance of minerals and vitamins for dental health
Rehabilitation medicine is one of the best-kept secrets in healthcare. Although the specialty is as old as America’s Civil War, few people are familiar with its history and purpose. Born out of compassion for wounded soldiers in desperate need of societal re-entry and meaningful employment, “physical reconstruction” programs were developed to provide everything from adaptive equipment to family training, labor alternatives and psychological support for veterans. Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) then expanded to meet the needs of those injured in World Wars I & II, followed closely by children disabled by the polio epidemic. In time, people recognized that a broad swath of diseases and traumatic injuries required focused medical and physical therapy to achieve optimal long term function.
Today, cancer patients frequently benefit from comprehensive rehabilitation as they recover from the effects of chemo (neuropathy, weakness, and cognitive impairments), radiation (scarring and range of motion limitations), surgery (flaps, plastics procedures, tumor resection, amputations), and brain injuries.
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Rehabilitation is a phase of recovery occurring after any major life-changing medical or surgical event. Our bodies are designed to regenerate and repair, though optimizing this process takes skilled guidance. PM&R physicians (also known as physiatrists) are trained to use physical modalities (stretching, strengthening, heat, cold, etc.) to mechanically enhance healing. They prescribe medications to manage pain, spasticity, nerve injury, and cognitive impairments, while also leveraging the power of physical therapy to increase cardiopulmonary fitness, muscle strength and flexibility.
Vitamins are energy-free organic compounds that the human body needs in very small quantities.
Minerals are inorganic compounds that are energy-free and necessary for the continuation of life.
Each of these two components is necessary for the healthy and sound functioning of the body’s organs, and a specific organ can depend on a specific vitamin in its work at a higher rate than other vitamins.
Vitamins and minerals are obtained by following a healthy and balanced diet, but in cases of not following a healthy diet or due to a specific disease, a decrease in the concentration of one or more vitamins and minerals may occur below the regular limit, and thus a deficiency in the function of a specific organ or several organs in the body occurs, depending on the mineral or vitamin whose concentration has decreased.
After you have reviewed, dear reader, the previous introduction in which we summarized vitamins and minerals and their role in the health of the body, we will talk in today’s article about those vitamins and minerals that are important for oral and dental health.
Vitamins Important for Dental Health
Vitamin A
Vitamin A provides many health benefits for the mouth and teeth, so it has been included in the list of vitamins and minerals important for oral and dental health; Here are some of those benefits:
It enhances the production of saliva, which is necessary to prevent cavities and maintain healthy gums.
It maintains the health of mucous membranes, including those lining the mouth, which reduces the risk of gum disease, mouth ulcers, and bad breath resulting from dry mouth
You can get the vitamin A your body needs from food sources or from nutritional supplements. The most prominent foods rich in vitamin A are the following:
– Green leafy vegetables, such as: kale, spinach, and broccoli.
– Orange and yellow vegetables and fruits, such as: sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, apricots, mango, grapefruit, and tangerines.
– Milk and cheeses.
– Watermelon.
– Eggs.
– Liver
– Cod liver oil.
– Fish, such as: salmon, mackerel, and tuna.
B vitamins
The B vitamins, specifically vitamin B12, enhance wound healing, including mouth ulcers and gingivitis. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause tooth decay in children, swollen gums, and tooth loss over time, so eating foods rich in B vitamins or taking supplements that contain them is a good option for maintaining oral and dental health.
Sources of vitamin B12 include:
Meat and poultry.
Fish, such as tuna.
Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt.
Some nutritional yeast products.
Eggs.
Some plant-based milks and breakfast cereals fortified with vitamin
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