The Good Stuff: How Vitamin D Can Aid in Dental Implant Treatment’s Success

Vitamin D deficiency is quite common. A study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that over 41 percent of adults are lacking in the vitamin! Did you know that not only can Vitamin D fight diseases like heart disease and depression, but it can also benefit the growth and development of bones and teeth? No wonder your dentist wants you to get plenty of it leading up to and after dental implant surgery. In this post, you’ll find discussion about the benefits of the vitamin and how you can incorporate more of it into a successful post-op recovery.

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that it dissolves in fats or oils. It is naturally present in a few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Sunlight also naturally triggers the synthesis of the vitamin in your body when it hits your skin.

What are Vitamin D’s Benefits?

Vitamin D has several important functions, the most important of which are regulating your body’s absorption of calcium and phosphorus and facilitating your immune system.

It may also help regulate your mood, support weight loss, and reduce the risk of diseases like multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Why Do I Need Vitamin D for Implant Success?

For your dental implants to be successful, they need time to fuse with the jawbone, a process called osseointegration.

Vitamin D is crucial to your implants integrating into the bone. Not only does it promote bone growth, but it also advances gum health, and if your gums aren’t healthy, there is little chance that your implant will integrate successfully.

A deficiency in the vitamin may mean that you have a hard time getting your implants to merge successfully, or it might take longer than the normal osseointegration timeline of 3 to 6 months.

How Do I Know if I Have Enough Vitamin D?

Fortunately, a simple blood test can detect the levels of Vitamin D in your system and let you know if yours are sufficient. If you are deficient, you might experience symptoms including fatigue, aches, pains, and bone or muscle weakness. Your dentist may order X-rays to the density of your bones.

How Do I Get More Vitamin D if I’m Deficient?

Vitamin D occurs naturally in foods and beverages like:

• Fish: Salmon, sardines, herring, and canned tuna.
• Egg yolks.
• Mushrooms.
• Milk.
• Orange juice.
• Yogurt.

If those aren’t to your liking, you can simply purchase and take an over-the-counter Vitamin D supplement from a pharmacy or health food store.

Through its qualities of maintaining and generating new bone, as well as decreasing your chances of post-op complications like gum disease, Vitamin D plays an important role in your dental implant success! Get tested today to see where you stand.

About the Author

Dr. John Moneyhun is a 2016 graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina, where he also received the South Carolina Dental Association award for outstanding scholastic accomplishments and clinical abilities. He’s continued his education through the world-renowned Dawson Academy and volunteered his talents to free clinics in his spare time. Have questions about your dental implants, or are you interested in rebuilding your smile? Contact our team at Parkside Dental today online or call our Landrum office at (864) 800-1691.