An Orange A Day Keeps The Doctor Away?

Yes—we want to share with you the importance of eating vitamin C rich foods, such as oranges. Problems with your gum tissue may be due to many causes, but don’t forget to include poor nutrition. Oral-B explains that, “if you aren’t getting enough vitamin C then you could experience bleeding gums, which could potentially develop into gingivitis. Vitamin C is essential to your diet because it helps your body repair bones, teeth, and cartilage.”

If your dental hygiene is impeccable but you are still dealing with bleeding gums, then consider the amount of vitamin C that is in your diet. If you are struggling to find foods rich with vitamin C, then consider guava, red or green sweet peppers, kiwi, grapefruit, strawberries, or cantaloupe! “It’s better for your gums and your overall health if you try to get your vitamin C from actual fruits and vegetables, instead of fruit and vegetable juices. Besides being high in sugar, most fruit juices are quite acidic, and they can promote erosion of the tooth enamel. Fruit juices are fine in small amounts, but drink them with meals, or use a straw if possible to minimize the juice’s contact with your teeth,” the experts at Oral-B suggest.

Vitamin C is water-soluble, which means your body doesn’t store it long-term so you need to make sure you are consuming it every day in order to get enough. Multivitamins or vitamin C supplements can help you get enough, especially if you are ill or following a restricted diet and you have problems eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. The Institute of Medicine recommends 90 milligrams per day for men older than 18 years and 75 milligrams per day for women older than 18 years. So make sure you are getting your fill of vitamin C in your daily diet, but if you are experiencing bleeding gums or other oral hygiene problems then give Dr. Maryam Brazdo a call to set up an appointment at Artistic Touch Dentistry today!