Vitamins & Nutritional Supplements for Periodontal Disease

A 0.1% solution of folic acid used as a mouth rinse (5 ml taken twice a day for 30 to 60 days) has reduced gum inflammation and bleeding in people with gingivitis in double-blind trials. The folic acid solution is rinsed in the mouth for one to five minutes and then spit out. Folic acid was also found to be effective when taken in capsule or tablet form (4 mg per day), though in another trial studying pregnant women with gingivitis, only the mouthwash—and not folic acid in pill form—was effective. However, this may have been due to the body’s increased requirement for folic acid during pregnancy.

Phenytoin (Dilantin®) therapy causes gum disease (gingival hyperplasia) in some people. A regular program of dental care has been reported to limit or prevent gum disease in people taking phenytoin. Double-blind research has shown that a daily oral rinse with a liquid folic acid preparation inhibited phenytoin-induced gum disease more than either folic acid in pill form or placebo.

People who are deficient in vitamin C may be at increased risk for periodontal disease. When a group of people with periodontitis who normally consumed only 20–35 mg of vitamin C per day were given an additional 70 mg per day, objective improvement of periodontal tissue occurred in only six weeks. It makes sense for people who have a low vitamin C intake (e.g., people who eat few fruits and vegetables) to supplement with vitamin C in order to improve gingival health...