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Affects of Nutritional Deficiency
Teeth are particularly susceptible to nutritional insult during the critical period
of development through age three. Changes in the structural integrity of the teeth
provide a history of deficiencies of Vitamins A, C and D, iodine and excess of fluorides
during tooth formation. Changes in the oral mucosa signal deficiencies of iron,
riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, protein and vitamins B12, C and K.
Nutritional Deficient Affects Oral Structure
Teeth
|
Deficiency |
Change
|
|
Vitamin A |
Hypoplasia, defective enamel and dentin |
|
Vitamin C |
Degeneration of pulpal tissue, irregular, canalized secondary dentin |
|
Vitamin D |
Imperfections in enamel formation, including hypoplasia, interglobular dentin |
|
Iodine |
Delayed eruption of primary and secondary teeth, malocclusion |
|
Excess Fluoride |
Calcification defects, including mottled enamel |
Oral Mucosa
|
Deficiency |
Change
|
|
Iron |
Mucosal pallor, glossitis, angular stomatitis, aphthae and burning mouth syndrome |
|
Riboflavin |
Angular cheilosis and glossitis |
|
Niacin |
Pellagrous stomatitis affecting lips, tongue, mucosal lining of the mouth, and gingiva
(which may develop into Acute Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis) |
|
Folic Acid |
Stomatitis, particularly glossitis with early manifestation of small white ulcers |
|
Vitamin B12 |
Stomatitis, particularly glossitis in anterior two thirds of tongue.Can be very
painful |
|
Vitamin B6
|
Bilateral angular cheilosis; glossitis with pain, edema, papillary atrophy and purple
discolouration
|
|
Vitamin C |
Scurvy. In infants (6 to 8 months), spongy gingiva around erupting and newly erupted
teeth. Beyond infancy, scorbutic gingivitis |
|
Vitamin K |
Bleeding from gingival margins |
|
Protein-Calorie
|
Kwashiorkor pellagra-like oral lesions -- Nutritional marasmus – effects resemble
those of iron deficiency anemia |