Exercise and Dental Health

Can exercise and Vitamin D give us a happier and healthier smile?
In short, yes. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of Dentistry have both published studies that give us some good guidelines regarding Vitamin D, Exercise and our dental health. In short, regular exercise and elevated levels of Vitamin D have shown to reduce the likelihood of gum disease, increasing overall dental health.

How does regular exercise and Vitamin D help our dental health?
People who exercise regularly typically have improved blood sugar regulation which might contribute to their lower incidence of gum disease. Vitamin D might improve dental health through its anti-inflammatory action. By comparison, a diet high in sugar increase risk of diabetes both of which (sugar consumption and diabetes) are risk factors for developing gum disease.

How often should I exercise?
Subjects who vigorously exercised one or two times a week were 33% less likely to have gum disease. Subjects who exercised three or more times in a week had the lowest rates of gum disease at 52% lower than people who did not exercise at all.

So what about Vitamin D?
As mentioned previously, Vitamin D acts as an anti-inflammatory agent when taken in relevant doses. It also aids in the body’s absorption of calcium and helps to increase bone density which we all know helps teeth (teeth are bones!) stay strong. How much Vitamin D one should take is still up for discussion, but you can get plenty of it from the sun, supplements and foods like eggs, fatty fish like salmon and fortified milk.