We all know we need Vitamin D, but do you know if you’re getting enough? A Vitamin D deficiency can easily go unnoticed until there are potentially severe consequences such as broken bones.

Until recently, the only way to discover a Vitamin D deficiency was by drawing blood or examining the inside composition of a deceased person’s teeth. But a new study has shown that dental x-rays are a consistent and reliable indicator of a Vitamin D deficiency, tipping off the patient to follow up with blood work.

“The pulp shape in a healthy person’s tooth resembles an arch topped by two cat ears, while the pulp shape of a person who has had a severe deficiency of Vitamin D is asymmetrical and constricted, and typically looks like the profile of a hard-backed chair.”

This newfound way of detecting a Vitamin D deficiency could help patients ward off future serious conditions were bone health allowed to worsen without detection. Patients needing to increase their Vitamin D intake should spend more time in the sunlight, drink milk and eat Vitamin D-rich foods such as egg yolks, cheese, yogurt, salmon and cereal.

At Caffaratti Dental Group, we offer the preventive care you need, including x-rays that could detect a Vitamin D deficiency. Call our office at (775) 358-1555 to schedule a consultation today!

 

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171107151311.htm