Your body needs plenty of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, C and D to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Ultimately, it’s best to get these nutrients through a healthy diet. But a majority of American adults still take vitamins or supplements to help improve or maintain their health.1 Here’s a look at some interesting facts about vitamins.
Wellness
History of oral health: the vital facts about vitamins
1912
Polish-born biochemist Casimir Funk found that some diseases are caused by the body lacking certain chemical substances, which he named vitamins.
1940s
Americans could more readily buy multivitamins and mineral supplements to meet the recommended amount of nutrients they need each day for a healthy diet.
1968
Popular Flintstones vitamins were introduced in the shape of eight characters but did not include Betty until 1995. Manufacturers said she looked too similar to Wilma. Plus, her thin waist caused her vitamin to break during production.
2012
Marketers of gummy vitamins started targeting adults. By 2016, these gummies accounted for nearly 8% of the nation’s $6 billion in multivitamin sales.2 Some gummy vitamins contain up to 8 grams (the equivalent of 2 teaspoons) of sugar.
There’s still debate on how beneficial vitamins are — unless you have a nutritional deficiency or a risk of one. To protect your teeth, avoid these vitamins:
• Varieties that contain sugar
• Sticky or chewy kinds like gummies
• Acidic ones like vitamin C tablets
