Signs and Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency in Teeth You might notice that you get more cavities than usual, or your teeth chip and break easily. The good news is that if you notice a calcium deficiency right away, you can work to help your body become better at replacing lost calcium and fortifying bones and teeth.
Lack of vitamin D can lead to dental caries, and weak or brittle teeth that easily break, chip, and crack. A controlled study made up of 2,827 children found a reduction of 47% in cavities of the children who received vitamin D supplements.
Calcium deficiency can cause bones throughout the body to become less dense and more fragile. When this occurs, it can make a person more susceptible to losing teeth. According to an older study, researchers found a direct correlation between not getting enough calcium and losing teeth.
Calcium is vital for your teeth.
Calcium in your saliva can also repair the places acid has damaged, working in conjunction with other minerals like fluoride and phosphorous (which also helps calcium build strong teeth).
Calcium deficiency in teeth can be treated by replenishing the body's calcium stores. This involves consuming calcium-rich foods such as dairy products, leafy green vegetables, fish with edible bones, nuts and seeds. Taking a daily multivitamin that contains calcium is also recommended.
Eat a Remineralization Diet
Certain foods can help remineralize softened areas in your teeth that acidic foods and drinks have weakened. For example, foods rich in calcium (dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt) help put back minerals into the enamel, and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables encourage saliva flow.
Speaking of calcium-rich foods - a green smoothie or salad full of vegetables can offer a good source of calcium to help you maintain strong enamel. Darker leafy greens such as spinach, kale and collard greens offer numerous benefits to your health and are good foods for healthy teeth and bones.
Phosphorus. When considering how to strengthen tooth enamel, consider phosphorus. Phosphorus plays a critical role in dental health because it can naturally help protect and help rebuild tooth enamel. The best sources of phosphorus can be found in protein-rich foods like meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.
In the worst cases of erosion of the enamel, damaged teeth are repaired with dental crowns to cover their entire surface [22]. With slight damage, the enamel can be restored via toothpaste treatment due to remineralization with calcium and essential minerals in the toothpaste [23].
Symptoms of Hypocalcemia
The calcium level in blood can be moderately low without causing any symptoms. If levels of calcium are low for long periods, people may develop dry scaly skin, brittle nails, and coarse hair. Muscle cramps involving the back and legs are common.
Depending on the severity, symptoms can range from mild or unnoticeable to serious and life-threatening. Calcium deficiency can be both acute and chronic [1]. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. It is vital for the bones, heart, muscles, and nervous system.
When you have less saliva flow in your mouth, the enamel crystal dries out and becomes more brittle. Even age can make enamel weaker and thinner. After age 50, enamel is more susceptible to cracks. As we get older, we can also suffer from bruxism or teeth grinding, which wears down the teeth and causes cracks.
Often, cracked teeth are caused by age, biting hard foods, grinding teeth, and trauma to a tooth.
While the enamel on your teeth is relatively strong, teeth can chip for a multitude of reasons. The impact from falling, chewing a hard piece of candy, tooth decay, or even bruxism (nighttime teeth grinding) can cause a tooth to chip.
Chipped Teeth Don't Heal
However, your enamel can't regenerate. Once it is gone, you've lost it for good. Therefore, a chipped tooth will never grow back. At most, your tooth will remineralize, but it will be vulnerable to bacteria and additional damage without any treatment.
Dental Filling or Bonding
If you have chipped off just a small piece of tooth enamel, your dentist may repair the damage with a filling. If the repair is to a front tooth or can be seen when you smile, your dentist will likely use a procedure called bonding, which uses a tooth-colored composite resin.
The remineralization process usually takes about three to four months to take effect.
To protect your teeth and get the 1,000-2,000 mg daily recommended amount of calcium, many people turn to dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt. If you're lactose intolerant or need to limit dairy, there are a number of foods that can still give you the calcium you need.
Milk, cheese and yogurt are good sources of calcium. If dairy doesn't work for you, broccoli, carrots and salmon are also good choices!
Once calcium builds up on teeth, it can't be removed by brushing, and left untreated, it can cause tooth decay and other complications. This article will help you identify, remove, and prevent calcium buildup in the future.
Good sources of calcium include dairy products, almonds, broccoli, kale, canned salmon with bones, sardines and soy products, such as tofu. If you find it difficult to get enough calcium from your diet, ask your doctor about supplements. Pay attention to vitamin D. Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium.
Magnesium. Magnesium is a fantastic mineral for overall health, and it plays a critical role in building strong teeth and bones. Magnesium helps the body absorb calcium, which is critical to building strong teeth and tooth enamel.
Periodontal disease, characterized by receding gums, wobbly teeth, and deterioration of the jawbone, is the primary culprit in tooth loss among older adults. It gets started when plaque builds up in the shallow trough between the tooth and the gum.