Vitamin D and Testing Vitamin D Serum Levels Plays an Essential Role in Many Aspects of Health, Particularly Your Child’s Dental Health
Encinitas, CA –February 28, 2012 — February has been dubbed National Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month, and is a time when parents, teachers, and other health and child care providers are reminded of the importance of oral health, particularly in children. It has been proven that having optimal vitamin D levels is an essential component of dental health for children, however, this issue remains widely un-addressed in the current model of dental care and education, and this is where GrassrootsHealth hopes to make a monumental impact.
National Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month began with the premise that “developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits can help children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums,” as stated by the American Dental Association. Most are aware of the benefits that regular brushing, flossing, and check-ups have on dental health. However, according to GrassrootsHealth, it is just as important that people become aware of the fact that vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, could potentially play an even bigger role in dental health, and that this message should be incorporated into dental health education for parents, children, and providers.
Dozens of studies from back in the 1920s through the 1940s resulted in uncovering a strong correlation between sunshine exposure, vitamin D, and cavities. More than 90% of the studies concluded that supplementing children with vitamin D does prevent cavities, according to the Orthomolecular Medicine News. It was also concluded that the potential mechanism behind the prevention of cavities, with increased sunshine exposure and vitamin D levels, was not only due to the fact that vitamin D improves calcium absorption and metabolism, but also due to the fact that the vitamin induces the production of cathelicidin and defensins, which have strong antimicrobial properties and defend against cavities.
The most relevant assumption of these noteworthy studies is the following: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations at or above 30-40 ng/mL should significantly reduce the formation of dental caries in children and young adults. This leads to another major issue, one that GrassrootsHealth is hoping to solve with its current public health intervention study and vitamin D testing programs. It is estimated that up to 40% or more of children today have vitamin D serum levels below the range stated above; the range which is needed to help prevent cavities and improve oral health (referencehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18524739). The problem is that most people, including parents and providers to children who are affected by vitamin D deficiency, are unaware of the issue or the fact that they must get their levels tested in order to be certain that they are getting optimal amounts of vitamin D.
There is a world-wide vitamin D deficiency epidemic affecting today’s populations, and it is especially harming children. GrassrootsHealth is an organization which promotes vitamin D education and awareness, regular testing, and an optimal serum range of 40-60ng/mL, as supported by over 40 international vitamin D researchers. Get involved in a world-wide public health prevention study through GrassrootsHealth.net, which includes vitamin D level testing for each participant. Learn more about the world-wide vitamin D deficiency epidemic and what can be done to stop it.
Help spread the word that daily sunshine and vitamin D might be just as important to dental health in our children as regular brushing and flossing.
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