Folic Acid For Oral Health

Folic acid is a part of the B-vitamin family and offers numerous health benefits. It is extremely important for cell repair and cell growth. But folic acid is best used for oral care, as it helps in oral disease prevention.

Folic acid has to be taken daily to maintain oral health. This is so because folic acid is a water soluble vitamin and cannot be stored in the body for a very long period of time. People do not get the required amount of folic acid their body requires due to improper dietary habits.

Folic acid is found in a number of foods like green vegetables, cereal, potatoes and fruits. Let us look at some of the benefits of folic acid for oral health.

Craniofacial Defect
Craniofacial defects like a cleft lip or cleft palate are common in infants who suffer from folic acid deficiency. Pregnant women can ensure the oral health of their babies by taking 400 micrograms of folic acid every day during their pregnancy. If the child is born with impaired oral health like cleft lip or cleft palate due to deficiency of folic acid, then they will require dental work, speech therapy or even surgery in extreme cases.

Gum Disease
Another use of folic acid to promote oral health is that it prevents the onset of gum disease. A majority of the people over 20 years of age has been found to be suffering from gum disease. If there is regular intake of folic acid through a balanced diet, you will promote oral health. This is so because when folic acid is taken along with Vitamin C, it helps the cells inside the mouth repair the gum disease before it progresses.

Mouth Sores
When there is a deficiency in folic acid, oral health suffers badly. A prime example of this is the mouth sores and tongue swelling that takes place when there is a deficiency in folic acid in your regular diet. These mouth sores and tongue swelling can be combated by hiking your intake of folic acid.

Gingivitis
Folic acid has numerous oral health benefits. One of the most important oral health benefits of folic acid is that it reduces bleeding in people suffering from gingivitis. Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease that causes redness, swelling and inflammation of gums.

These are some of the major oral health benefits that regular intake of folic acid provide. You can incorporate folic acid into your regular diet with a supplement or with food items that are rich in folic acid. This will ensure that folic acid deficiency will not impair oral health.