Vitamin C can help you if you suffer from bleeding gums.  Studies have recently shown that people who get less than 60 milligrams of Vitamin C per day are more 150% more susceptible to gum disease.  Since the body eliminates any excess Vitamin C you ingest, it is safe to take a more is better approach to Vitamin C intake to make sure that your gums stay healthy.

If you are not getting enough Vitamin C, your gums will become irritated, swollen, sometimes red, and start bleeding every time you brush or floss your teeth.  This is an indicator for a disease called gingivitis.  It is caused by plaque that accumulates on your teeth.  Plaque is a breeding ground for bacteria that attacks tooth enamel and infects gum tissue.  When your gums are infected by bacteria, they recede and form tiny pockets where more bacteria can grow.  This infection will spread if it is not dealt with.  Eventually, it can reach all the way down to the roots of your teeth and to your bones, causing irreversible damage as a result.  This stage of gum disease is called Periodontitis, and it is actually the number one cause of tooth loss in American adults.

So how exactly can increased vitamin c intake help bleeding gums?  The answer to this question lies in what vitamin c actually does for the human body.  This important substance is a key element to strong bones and blood vessels.  It is actually essential to anchoring your teeth to the gums themselves.  When you do not get enough vitamin c, the bond between your teeth and gums is weakened, and the blood vessels themselves are more prone to rupture and bleeding. 

Increasing your Vitamin C intake will reverse deterioration of your gums and stop gingivitis in its tracks.  It will increase production of collagen, which is the protein the body uses as the building blocks of all fibrous tissues such as gums.  Weak tissue will become strong again, and the gum lining will be better able to resist infection by bacteria. 

The easiest way to increase your collagen production is to begin eating foods that are rich in Vitamin C.  Please be aware that any fruits or vegetables begin to lose their Vitamin C content as soon as they are exposed to oxygen.  Eat them as soon as you cut them open to receive the maximum benefits they provide.

Red chili peppers

Red and green sweet peppers

Guavas, papayas and mangoes

Kale, parsley and collard leaves

Broccoli, red cabbage and cauliflower

Strawberries and raspberries

Spinach

Green onions

Oysters

Soybeans

Cantaloupe and honeydew

Tomatoes

Peas

Supplements can also be taken to ensure that you have the amounts of Vitamin C necessary to keep your gums healthy.  Doctors recommend 1,000-2,000 milligrams per day in time-released capsules.  As dentists, we also recommend you avoid chewable tablets because these contain sugar which is obviously not good for your tooth enamel.  If you are a smoker, you need to add at least 35 milligrams to the normal supplemental because smoking diminishes Vitamin C in the blood stream.