Minerals for Bones and Teeth

Minerals Required for Calcified Structures

• Bone and Teeth: Calcified structures undergo constant remodelling.
• Organic Matrix: Collagen is the primary component of the bone matrix.
• Collagen Formation: Requires protein, vitamin C, iron, copper, and zinc.
• Mineral Matrix: Composed of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and carbonate ions.
• Enamel: Hardest structure in the body, primarily mineral (96%).
• Dentin: Softer than enamel, composed of 70% minerals.
• Cementum: Softer than dentin, composed of 45-50% minerals.

Calcium

• Most abundant mineral in the body: 99% found in teeth and bones.
• Functions: Bone health, blood clotting, nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, membrane permeability, enzyme activation, and buffering in saliva.
• Calcium Requirements: Vary according to age and other factors.
• Calcium-to-Phosphorus Ratio: Inversely related, ideal ratio is 1:1.
• Calcium Absorption: Regulated by hormones, best absorbed in smaller amounts throughout the day.
• Factors Decreasing Calcium Absorption: Oxylates and phytates in grains and vegetables, reduced gastric acidity, excessive fibre, and low-protein/phosphorus diets.
• Sources: Milk and alternatives, fortified soy and rice milk, fortified orange juice, dark leafy greens, fish with soft bones, and supplements.
• Calcium Deficiency: Rickets and osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease that starts during adolescence.
• Calcium and Periodontal Disease: Inadequate calcium intake linked to lower bone density and increased risk of periodontal disease.

Phosphorus

• Second most abundant mineral in the body: 85% found in skeleton and teeth.
• Functions: Formation of bones and teeth, muscle contraction, nerve activity, component of cell membranes, DNA, and RNA, energy metabolism, and buffering.
• Phosphorus Requirements and Sources: Abundant in foods, particularly milk products and meats. Deficiency is rare.
• Phosphorus Deficiency: Can occur with prolonged vomiting, malabsorption, kidney disease, intestinal surgery, and excessive use of antacids. Impacts tooth development (incomplete calcification, failure of reparative dentin, increased caries susceptibility).

Magnesium

• Important for bone and mineral physiology: Facilitates parathyroid hormone secretion, calcium absorption, and vitamin D conversion in the liver.
• Functions: Cofactor for over 300 enzymes, DNA and RNA synthesis, nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, blood clotting, and mental health.
• Magnesium Requirements and Sources: Deficiency is rare but can occur with various medical conditions. Sources include dark leafy greens, dried beans and legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, chocolate.
• Magnesium Deficiency: Fragile alveolar bone, gingival hypertrophy, widened PDL space, enamel hypoplasia, cardiac dysrhythmias, neuromuscular irritability, and personality changes.

Fluoride

• Not an essential nutrient, but beneficial for bone and dental health: Fluoride ions replace hydroxyl ions in hydroxyapatite, making tooth structure more resistant to caries.
• Functions: Formation of fluorapatite, interference with demineralization, inhibition of caries-causing bacteria, and stimulation of osteoblast proliferation.
• Fluoride Requirements and Sources: Sources include fluoridated water, brewed tea, potatoes, and ocean fish with bones.

Vitamin A

• Classes: Retinoids (animal products) and carotenoids (fruits and vegetables).
• Functions: Vision in dim light, growth, cell differentiation, bone and tooth development, integrity of skin and mucous membranes, and maintenance of immune function.
• Requirements and Sources: Requirements vary with age and other factors. Animal products are the primary source of retinoids, while fruits and vegetables provide carotenoids.