Following a balanced diet ensures that you get the nutrients you need to stay healthy, such as vitamin D. Called the “sunshine vitamin” because your body produces it when you’re exposed to sunlight, vitamin D keeps your bones and teeth healthy. Vitamin D also helps fight disease and promotes weight loss.

But did you know that maintaining your oral health doesn’t just keep your breath fresh? It’s also essential for your overall well-being. According to the surprising results of one study, your dental x-rays can be used to determine if you’re suffering from vitamin D deficiency.

Dental x-rays show patterns that correspond to a person’s vitamin D status

While this is a grave health concern that often goes un-diagnosed, Lori D’Ortenzio and Megan Brickley, anthropologists from McMaster University, revealed that it can be diagnosed using a dental x-ray.

In an earlier study, D’Ortenzio, Brickley and their team established that human teeth can present “a detailed and permanent record of serious vitamin D deficiency.” Using dental x-rays, experts can look at this record, which comes in the form of microscopic deformities in dentin — one of the four major tissues that make up the bulk of teeth.

This data can be the key to identifying the exact moment when an individual was deprived of his primary source of vitamin D — sunlight. Researchers can even use this data to verify the vitamin D levels of people who lived more than a hundred years ago. Enamel preserves this record because it can prevent teeth from breaking down. The same can’t be said for bones, which can decay.

However, there’s a catch: Experts must cut open a tooth to interpret the patterns which reveal an individual’s vitamin D record. Since the source of post-mortem teeth available for study is finite, the scientists tried to devise a method of isolating teeth for further study.

Through dental x-rays, scientists can study the readily observable patterns of pulp horns or the dark shadow that can be seen in the middle of the image of a tooth. This consistent, recognizable pattern is helpful since experts can use it to look into archaeological teeth, and it can also help living individuals determine if they have a vitamin D deficiency.

D’Ortenzio, the lead author of the paper, says that their discovery came about while they were looking for a non-destructive method that can leave limited specimens intact while also revealing the presence of a deficiency. In a healthy individual, pulp shape mirrors an arch topped by two cat ears. In people with severe vitamin D deficiency, pulp shape is asymmetrical and constricted, and typically looks like the profile of a hard-backed chair.

D’Ortenzio and Brickley stumbled upon this recognizable pattern in their previous study. After analyzing both historic and current teeth, they confirmed that x-ray images are consistent and reliable indicators of prior deficiency.

Brickley, who holds the Canada Research Chair in the Bioarchaeology of Human Disease, said that their discovery is a significant one since it has the potential to contribute to modern health care as well.

Vitamin D deficiencies have grave consequences, especially for bone health. This reliable way of identifying the presence of the disorder can thwart further damage to one’s health. Once a regular dental x-ray identifies the problem, blood tests can determine an ongoing deficiency.

The researchers believe that this can make it easier to determine whether children with growing bones have vitamin D deficiencies or not. Detecting this health concern early on can help people avoid future problems with vitamin-D related bone deficiency.

Natural sources of vitamin D

Make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D by incorporating more of the following foods in your diet:

• Oysters – Oysters are low in calories and full of nutrients.
• Shrimp – Unlike other seafood sources of vitamin D, shrimp is very low in fat.
• Egg yolks – The bulk of the protein in an egg is in the egg white, but the fat, vitamins and minerals are found mostly in the egg yolk.

Brush your teeth regularly and follow a balanced diet to prevent tooth decay and vitamin deficiency.

Sources:

NewsWise.com

Healthline.com