Aspirin May Help You Keep Tooth Decay Away!

8 years ago | Aspirin

By Joy Stephenson-Laws, JD, Founder

Aspirin, a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory, for years has been praised for its ability to relieve common aches and pains and even reduce the risk of heart attack and cancer. And now, a recent study suggests that aspirin may be good for your teeth.

Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast in Ireland conducted a recent study that found aspirin may repair tooth decay. It may actually reverse the effects of decay, and, therefore, reduce the amount of fillings people need.

“Tooth decay is the most common dental disease worldwide,” the university reports. “Current treatment for tooth decay involves fillings, where dentists will restore the cavity or hole using a synthetic material that doesn’t resemble the natural tooth structure and may need to be replaced many times during the lifetime of the tooth.”

The study found that aspirin could be an alternative solution to restoring teeth affected by decay. What’s even more exciting is research findings show that “aspirin can enhance the function of stem cells found in the teeth thus helping self-repair by regenerating lost tooth structure.”

According to the study, “[t]reatment of stem cells from teeth with low-dose aspirin significantly increased mineralisation and the expression of genes responsible for forming dentine, the hard tooth structure that is usually damaged by decay.”

And since aspirin is an anti-inflammatory, an added bonus is it may help control tooth nerve inflammation and pain.

Next steps for the researchers of the study are to test their findings in a clinical trial.

Bear in mind that there are some precautions you should take with aspirin. For example, the Food and Drug Administration warns that people who regularly take aspirin should limit the amount of alcohol they drink because of its additional blood-thinning effects and potential to upset your stomach.

So how else can we be proactive about maintaining the health of our precious teeth?

Aside from having good dental hygiene and getting your teeth cleaned and examined at your dentist at least twice a year, you can also protect your teeth through your diet.

“Periodontal health is influenced by a number of factors such as oral hygiene, genetic and epigenetic factors, systemic health, and nutrition,” according to the National Institutes for Health (NIH). “Moreover, bone formation and periodontal regeneration are also affected by numerous vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.”

Eat foods rich in calcium. This mineral is essential for maintaining healthy bones and teeth. You can get calcium from salmon, turnip greens, kale, broccoli and more.
Eats foods rich in vitamin D. The NIH says clinical studies have suggested that a deficiency of dietary vitamin D leads to periodontal inflammation and a delay in post-surgical periodontal healing. To see how much vitamin D you may need and which foods contain it, click here.
Eats foods rich in vitamin E. The NIH also reports that “a few studies reported favorable effects of vitamin E in maintaining periodontal health and controlling inflammation. In addition, a reduction of vitamin E was observed in patients with periodontal diseases compared to healthy individuals.” Foods containing vitamin E include almonds, spinach, avocados, sunflower seeds, butternut squash, red peppers and peanut butter.
Eat foods rich in zinc. “Dietary zinc may also play an important role in maintaining periodontal health. It has been suggested that a lack of dietary zinc leads to worsening of periodontal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus,” the NIH says. This trace mineral is naturally found in the mouth. Some zinc rich foods include lamb, pumpkin seeds, grass fed beef, mushrooms, chickpeas, spinach and chicken.

Enjoy your healthy life!

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