What Can Happen to Teeth When People Spend More Time Outdoors?

by | Apr 4, 2015 | Cosmetic Dentistry

Vitamin D plays a very large role when it comes to your mouth health because it helps to keep your teeth where they should be; in your mouth. Calcium will do the bone structure of your teeth well, but vitamin D helps to fight against the bacteria in your mouth that will create tooth decay and cause you to lose your teeth. Vitamin D is not just good for your skin, hair and nails anymore, it’s also great for your teeth, so spending more time outdoors will improve your teeth greatly.

 

Vitamin D and Caries

 

Sun exposure reduces the risk of having cavities and caries and will help you to stay away from tooth loss, which is caused by both. Studies have proven that those who live closer to the equator, especially those who reside in the west, have only half as many cavities when compared to those who live in the northeast where there is not a lot of sun.

 

When produced in your body, vitamin D responds to you being exposed to sunlight and will include cathelicidin, which is an antimicrobial peptide. This special effect of sunlight on your body attacks all of the oral bacteria laying in your mouth that leads directly to dental caries. Spending more time outdoors in the sunlight has been proven to be more effective on the teeth than using fluoride, especially when it comes to the community water supply. Fluoride can lead to fluorosis, also known as mottling, of the bones and the teeth.

 

Getting that extra kick of sun exposure will greatly reduce the risk of cavities, especially if you are brushing twice a day and flossing at least once, since vitamin D is necessary for overall bone health. This helps to keep your teeth healthy, intact and in your mouth. Interestingly enough, vitamin D helps to regulate a specific gene, which produces approximately more than two hundred antimicrobial peptides that attack the oral bacteria in your mouth. This is the same case for protecting your mouth against dental caries, so sun exposure helps to successfully battle the two.

 

Vitamin Deficiencies and Your Teeth

 

It’s important that we get all of our vitamins that we need, based on our age and what we need individually, to ensure that we stay healthy. This is also the same for our teeth, which need vitamin D to stay put. Together with calcium, vitamin D helps to maintain the bone strength and the quality of your mouth. Without vitamin D you can expect brittle bones in the mouth and an increase in the risk of your jaw fracturing. This is also the same for periodontal disease and problems with the formation of the teeth early on in life. This is why it’s so important to have sun exposure all throughout your life.

 

When exposed to sunlight, your body will create natural vitamin D. Standing outside in the sun for just a couple of minutes a day will help to increase your natural vitamin D and will effectively protect and strengthen your teeth, which reduces the risk of caries, cavities and tooth decay.

Our Blog

Our number one priority at Dana Keith DDS is you, the patient. Serving people across Silver Spring and Clovery, MD, as well as the surrounding areas, we are committed to providing the proper resources and services to help you maximize your oral health and overall wellness. From teeth whitening, to TMJ treatment, gum disease treatment, we are proud to offer first-rate services while educating our patients to make informed decisions about their health. 
Our blog serves as one resource where patients can learn more about different dental topics. We hope you find the articles and information helpful.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 301-236-9000.

“My kids, my husband, and I all have gotten excellent care and are very happy with the practice.” – Priti K.