In dental specifically, diet is important to grow the maxillary and mandibular jaw which shapes the airway, and of course prevent cavities.
Today’s diet is filled with processed foods and lacks proper nutrition. I’d like to talk a little about a study done by a dentist, Dr Weston A Price, done in the early 1900s, where he went and looked at diets all over the world. People that had a traditional diet had great, broad arches that fit all teeth and had low decay rate. Modern diets were quite the opposite. High decay rates, narrow arches/crowding, and small airways. It was found that these traditional diets were rich in vitamin D, A, and Activator X which was recently found to be vitamin K2.
Now, K2 is very important because it activates two proteins, osteocalcin and Matrix GLA.
Osteocalcin puts calcium into bones and Matrix GLA stops calcification from forming in arteries and building up on teeth. In other words, K2 tells calcium where to go. In order for K2 to do its job, it needs vitamin A and D to tell our cells to make these proteins. It's easy to see that all of these vitamins go hand in hand, working together. If they are out of balance, it can show.
For example, we have many patients that come in regularly and have good oral hygiene, but still have problems with calculus building up. This could be caused by an imbalance in vitamins which can be hard to maintain in today's diets, especially vegans/vegetarians.
Traditional diets were filled with organ meats, fermented foods, bone broth and they didn’t contain refined foods like white flour or refined sugar. Of course, most of us are not accustomed to these foods anymore, so supplementation is suggested.
Here at Natural Dentistry, we work closely with our Naturopath, Reema, next door at Pymble Grove that can help, but the very basics we suggest is vitamin D3K2 and cod liver oil. I know this is a big no-no for vegans, but cod liver oil is rich in vitamin A which is again essential to keep that balance of nutrients.
Taking these supplements and having a healthy diet will have a positive impact on your teeth, gums, and overall health. Of course, everyone is different so we encourage you to see your Dentist and Naturopath ensure you're on the right path, designed specifically for you.
Want to know more about our integrated services at Natural Dentistry? Get in touch with our team today!