My dentist told me I have pyorrhea. Will taking Vitamin C stop it?

Like the majority of diseases, Pyorrhea has several causes that work together to create degenerative tissue breakdown. Lack of Vitamin C is just one of the causes of sick gums. More important is your balance of minerals. There has been so much emphasis placed on vitamins in recent years that most people forget our need of minerals is often more vital.

Almost everyone seems to feel calcium is essential in the matter of tooth decay, but few see the importance of calcium in the eating away of the jawbone that supports their teeth. Incidentally, pyorrhea is sometimes called arthritis of the teeth.

This gum disease is primarily an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus and can be as simple as too little calcium dietary intake. Before you rush out and buy calcium you should know it is the ratio of calcium to phosphorus that is important. The imbalance of these two elements can result from high amounts of calcium and too low phosphorus, or low calcium and low phosphorus or high calcium and high phosphorus dietary intakes.

Each of these imbalances can exist from one's food selections but can also occur for a number of other reasons. Sugar, caffeine products, alcohol and a variety of drugs all upset the normal ratios of calcium and phosphorus. Though your defense mechanisms do their best to keep the balance within normal ranges, continued indiscretions eventually pay their toll. Obviously if you do not consume sufficient calcium you will have to draw the calcium you need from your storage warehouse, your teeth and bones. If continued long enough, softening of bones will result. Usually the higher stress areas such as the bone that surround teeth, discs in the spine, wrists, fingers, ankles, hips are the ones that break down.

While periodontal disease(pyorrhea) is more prevalent as one gets older, it is now frequently seen in children. It's kissing causing arthritis, has related body chemistry and is also an increasing problem in youngsters.

While calcium and phosphorus seems paramount, other minerals are also essential. The hair analysis studies we do today will often reveal low manganese and zinc and at the same time high lead or mercury levels. Actually we test some 15 to 20 elements in the hair as optimum nutrition demands disclosure of any and all problem areas.

Swollen Gums: My boy's gums are quite swollen and red around the bands being used to straighten his teeth. I am quite concerned that they are being permanently damaged by all the wires. Our orthodontist says to brush them good and they will be all right, but I don't know. M.T.

Most othodontists today make well fitting bands but they do irritate the gems. Brushing teeth and gums is helpful and very essential to keep them in reasonable health. Most children (and adults also) brush but few spend sufficient time to get all the food off the teeth. With orthodontic appliances it is more difficult but not impossible, your family dentist should be cleaning your sons teeth at least every six months and examining for cavities and gum trouble. That is not part of the othodontists responsibility.

Nutritionally much can be done to minimize the problem. Low intake of starch foods such as cookies, cake pie, pastry, candies is important for healthy gums as well as for decay prevention. Raw fresh fruits and vegetables twice a day along with a good multiple vitamin is called for.

If you are doing all this and trouble persists, additional supplements of the following vitamins will help: 500mg C, 25 mg B3, 5 mg B6, and 100 mg niacinamide. Help tablets to supply iodine and trace minerals along with bone meal also aid in preventing spongy, bleeding gums.