As the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop, winter brings with it a hidden health challenge: vitamin D deficiency. This essential nutrient plays a pivotal role in maintaining your overall health, particularly your teeth. Let’s explore how vitamin D supports dental health and why winter is the perfect time to consider supplementing.

  

Vitamin D is often called the "sunshine vitamin" because your body produces it when your skin is exposed to sunlight. We now know that vitamin D is a crucial hormone for our health and is utilized by our bodies in many ways. Some of these are:

 

1. Calcium Absorption: Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, the building block of strong teeth and bones. Without enough vitamin D, calcium levels drop, leaving your teeth vulnerable to decay and weakening.  

2. Bone Health: Vitamin D supports jawbone density, which anchors your teeth securely. Deficiency can lead to bone loss and, over time, potential tooth loss.  

3. Reducing Inflammation: Gum disease, a common oral health problem, is often linked to inflammation. Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties that help protect your gums from harmful bacteria.  

During the winter months, reduced sunlight exposure means your body produces less vitamin D naturally. This is especially true in northern regions where daylight hours are limited, like the Midwest where we live. Relying solely on food sources like fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified foods often isn’t enough to maintain optimal vitamin D levels.

  

Supplementing with vitamin D during winter can help ensure your body has what it needs to support strong teeth and gums and immune health. Ideal vitamin D levels are often not achieved without supplementation. The ideal blood level of D3 is between 60-100 ng/ml. We have kits available for testing your vitamin D level available in our office. 

To help you start the year strong, we’re offering a special 30% discount on all vitamin D supplements with Thorne supplements throughout January**! Whether you’re new to supplementing or looking to stock up, this is the perfect opportunity to give your teeth the support they need during winter.  Call our office to get yourself added to our discounted supplement list. Our limited supply testing kits are also $10 off for January if you would like to get a baseline number for your winter vitamin D levels.