Vitamin B12 Deficiency Vitamin B12 plays an essential role in teeth and gum health. It helps you eliminate the bacteria that cause plaque buildup, leading to discolored teeth over time. If you have tooth stains or your gums appear redder than usual, it could be due to a lack of vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 helps to form red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the tissues in your mouth. It also helps to break down homocysteine, an amino acid that can damage tooth enamel. A lack of Vitamin B12 can lead to bad breath, mouth ulcers, and the detachment of the connective tissues supporting your teeth.
Vitamin D deficiency is connected to increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease in the mouth. Nearly every patient with dental disease, also has vitamin D deficiency. Other symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency in adults include tiredness, aches and pains, and a general sense of not feeling well.
This nutrient aids your body in absorbing calcium, ensuring that you are able to maximize your gains from your diet. This way, Vitamin D is essential to stronger bones and teeth, as well as sturdier and whiter enamels.
Some medical conditions may impact the tooth enamel, which can lead to changes in the color of your teeth. These conditions include metabolic diseases, calcium deficiency, liver disease, rickets, eating disorders, and celiac disease.
We can correct deep tooth staining and discoloration, but it is a lengthy process. Unfortunately, once staining has reached interior enamel, it is much more difficult to reverse. This is different from surface stains, which your dentist can treat with teeth whitening in two visits.
If you received the common antibiotics doxycycline or tetracycline as a child, your teeth may have discolored as a consequence. Antihistamines, high blood pressure medications, and antipsychotic drugs can also discolor teeth.
A calcium deficiency can lead to teeth discoloration as well as tooth loss. However, this type of vitamin deficiency is rare because most people get plenty of calcium through their diet. Some good ways to consume calcium are dairy products and leafy greens.
Vitamin D plays a key role in bone and tooth mineralization, and when levels are unregulated it can lead to the “rachitic tooth”, which is a defective and hypomineralized organ highly susceptible to fracture and decay [35,36].
Having inadequate levels of vitamin D may correlate with unintentional weight gain. A study on women over the age of 65 found that participants with a lower vitamin D level experienced more weight gain. A systematic review of 23 different studies found similar associations between vitamin D deficiency and obesity.
A calcium deficiency, also called hypocalcemia, can also increase your risk of tooth decay and general tooth brittleness. The average adult should consume a large percentage of calcium a day to ward off calcium deficiency.
Some people can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet. A diet that includes meat, fish and dairy products usually provides enough vitamin B12, but people who do not regularly eat these foods can become deficient.
Key points about vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
Without enough red blood cells, your tissues and organs don't get enough oxygen. Without enough oxygen, your body can't work as well. Symptoms include weak muscles, numbness, trouble walking, nausea, weight loss, irritability, fatigue, and increased heart rate.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can indeed lead to weight gain. But the weight gain is not a direct result of the deficiency. Instead, vitamin B12 deficiency causes lethargy or lack of energy, and in turn, inactivity causes weight gain. When you lack the energy to move, you don't burn fat.
Stage 1 is decreased levels of vitamin B12 in the blood. Stage 2 is low concentration of vitamin B12 in the cell and metabolic abnormalities. Stage 3 is increased levels of homocysteine and MMA and decreased DNA synthesis resulting in neuropsychiatric symptoms. Stage 4 is macrocytic anemia.
Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia is usually treated with injections of vitamin B12, called hydroxocobalamin. At first, you'll have these injections every other day for 2 weeks or until your symptoms have started improving. Your GP or nurse will give the injections.
There are certain foods that also need a cut-down in case of vitamin B12 deficiency. “Some foods and drinks can interfere with vitamin B complex intake like alcohol, caffeine and processed foods, etc should be avoided completely,” Shah added.
Vitamin D deficiency is the state of having inadequate amounts of vitamin D in your body, which may cause health problems like brittle bones and muscle weakness.
What are the symptoms of zinc deficiency? Zinc deficiency can result in skin changes that look like eczema at first. There may be cracks and a glazed appearance on the skin, often found around the mouth, nappy area and hands. The rash doesn't get better with moisturisers or steroid creams or lotions.
Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency, with young children and premenopausal women at the highest risk of iron deficiency [21, 22].
Food & Drink: Coffee, tea, dark sodas, red wine, and even a few fruits and vegetables are proven causes of discolored teeth. Tobacco: Both cigarettes and chewing tobacco can contribute to discolored teeth. Oral Care: Poor dental hygiene, such as inadequate brushing or flossing, can lead to tooth discoloration.
Pain and discoloration can be a result of dental caries, a dentoalveolar infection, deep dental restorations, severe developmental or acquired defects in the enamel or dentin, or trauma that leads to pulpal necrosis.
Generally, brushing your teeth is enough to remove the appearance of tooth stains, so they are likely to disappear during your regular cleaning and oral hygiene regimen. Simple brushing and flossing is a solid preventative measure.