Benefits of vitamin K on dental health and bones

Tooth decay is the most common oral health problem and it is caused by less dense bones. This problem generally occurs above the age of 65. At this age gum naturally recedes, which makes it more possible for cavities causing tooth decay. It’s also because older people have less saliva flowing and they usually take medicines, which causes a dry mouth, thus increasing bacteria that causes tooth decay. Lastly, the elderly people also have weak bones making bacteria stable around the jaw and teeth.

The reason why bones can be weak is because of a lack of vitamin D and calcium. Calcium can also keep the teeth secure and harden tooth enamel. On the other hand, vitamin D aids in the body’s intake of calcium and phosphorus which are required for teeth reconstruction. Also, without vitamin D, there would be weak teeth. Some sources that have calcium are milk, cheese, salmon, and dark leafy green vegetables. Vitamin D is also obtained by exposure to the sun and consumption of eggs, milk, and fatty fish.

With vitamin D and calcium, vitamin K is also very important because it helps the teeth absorb calcium which helps with tooth density and makes it more resistant to decay. Vitamin K can also help with building dentin and a normal facial and jaw structure. Without vitamin K we would also have a lot of dental caries. Vitamin K, D, and calcium don’t work alone, they all need each other to prevent tooth decay and help with tooth density, and overall oral health.

Vitamin K comes in two different forms K1 and K2. K2 gives osteocalcin, a protein that specifically helps move calcium to the teeth and bones and builds dentin. This is the reason why teeth are resistant to decay. K1 prevents calculus which can happen if saliva has a lot of calcium. Specifically, food sources that have K1 are spinach, herbs, oils, and broccoli. Food sources that have K2 are grass-fed beef, liver, eggs, and fatty fish.

Research shows that vitamin K helps children even when they don’t brush properly because it helps activate proteins that can transfer calcium making the teeth stronger. For instance, a Journal of Dental Research shows that kids who took more vitamin K had stronger and healthier teeth. Also, vitamin K helps with gums, blood clotting, and wound healing.

According to pediatricians, it is not recommended to brush teeth of children of under two years even though teeth begin at six months. The teeth don’t decay at this period because of vitamin K. Vitamin K can still keep the teeth strong with calcium.

Dr Jane Doe, a Pediatric Dentist, says: “Until a child can spit out the toothpaste reliably, usually around age 2, we recommend using a non-fluoridated toothpaste to avoid the risk of dental fluorosis. Once the child is older and can spit effectively, a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste can be introduced to help prevent cavities.”

Vitamin K plays a crucial role with calcium and vitamin D to keep the health of bones and teeth. Vitamin K provides osteocalcin which helps transfer calcium to bones and teeth which helps strengthen them with better density. If vitamin K is not available then people will suffer from a lot of bleeding and loss of bone density.

There is less research on vitamin K deficiency regarding dental health even though this is very important and I would suggest that researchers should pay more attention to this. I would like to request the government to participate with international dental agencies like FDI (World Dental Federation) to improve regular practices of dental hygiene. I would also like to recommend launching awareness programmes regarding these issues.

·        Alishbah Zahra (Student)                                        Courtesy: Social Track, weekly