Gums and Diet

Diet plays a very important role in your oral, and overall health.  The mouth is the gateway to the body and often times malnutrition, stress, and systemic disease are detectable in the oral cavity. One of the most common maladies seen in the mouth is gingivitis. Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums and can be linked to many systemic diseases, as it is detrimental to your health.  Usually, gingivitis is present concurrently with an abundance of plaque, but sometimes not. Often times poor nutrition can cause the appearance of gingivitis, which is one of the body's inflammatory responses when it is not receiving the proper nutrients.

Along with a balance diet of lots of fresh fruits and veggies, it is important to obtain essential fatty acids, Omega 3's and 6's in the proper ratios. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, and some omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation. The typical American diet tends to contain 14 - 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids.

For general health, there should be a balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. The ratio should be in the range of 2:1 - 4:1, omega-6 to omega-3. The average diet provides plenty of omega-6 fatty acids, so supplements are usually not necessary.

Fish, plant, and nut oils are the primary dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are found in cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, tuna, and herring. ALA is found in flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, soybeans, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed oil, purslane, perilla seed oil, walnuts, and walnut oil. EPA, ALA and DHA can be taken in the capsule form, just be sure they are made by established companies who certify that their products are free of heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and cadmium.

Cheers to your health!







Sarah Jebreil, DDS