I have always envied those around me who seem to always have perfect smiles without even trying, because I feel like I was born with "bad teeth." While my teeth are in great shape now, it is only because I take great care to visit the dentist every six months for a check-up and cleaning and maintain good oral hygiene habits at home. While I used to get a lot of cavities, even though I thought I was doing "everything right" to keep them away, I am proud to say that I have been cavity-free for a couple of years now! I put a lot of research into what daily habits can wreak havoc on my teeth, and I thought it would be a shame not to share what has helped me with others who need the advice. I plan to post many oral health tips on my new blog!
You may think a child with bleeding gums and loose teeth is showing signs of gingivitis, and should visit the dentist immediately. However, sometimes these symptoms are not linked to poor dental hygiene, but rather a lack of vitamin C. Normally associated with 18th century sailors, the condition known as scurvy still rears its ugly head. Take a look at how scurvy can affect your child, and what you can do to prevent it.
Why Children Need Vitamin C
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is essential for your child's body. It boosts the immune system, metabolizes lipids and vitamins, and is responsible for healing wounds. More importantly, ascorbic acid allows connective tissues to grow properly by developing collagen, which literally holds your child's body together.
Early signs of scurvy include:
If scurvy is left untreated, symptoms become more severe:
Who Is At Risk?
Incredibly, children are still at risk for scurvy today. Children who consume only canned and processed foods without including fresh fruits or vegetables in their diet are more likely to suffer from scurvy. If your child is on a special diet due to medical, social or economic reasons, their chances of having scurvy increases. Furthermore, a diet high in refined carbohydrates actually depletes precious vitamin C from your child's body.
Preventing Scurvy
Fortunately, scurvy is simple to treat and prevent. Treatment consists of oral vitamins or injections of vitamin C. To keep your child safe from scurvy, make sure they consume adequate amounts of vitamin C. Foods famous for vitamin C include citrus fruits, but consider some of these unlikely sources as well:
Try to serve fresh fruits and vegetables raw because they contain the highest amounts of vitamin C, while time and cooking lowers the vitamin content. To help your child's body hold onto vitamin C, limit the amount of bread, pasta, cookies, sugary sodas and other foods loaded with refined carbs.
As an adult, you can be just as susceptible to scurvy as well if you do not consume enough vitamin C because of fad diets, allergies, and anorexia. Alcoholics, smokers and the elderly are more likely to lack this important vitamin by not eating a healthy diet.
If you ever have questions, ask dentists like Discovery Dental for more information.
Share14 November 2014
