Calcium for a Pretty Smile?
PREVENTION JULY 1998

We all want to keep our teeth. Yet if you have low bone density (which may lead to osteoporosis), you're at an 86% greater risk of having gum disease, which is the major cause of tooth loss in those over 35. That's the new finding in a study of more than 2,500 postmenopausal women.

Will calcium help keep your gums healthy the same way it helps stop bone loss? Researchers say that a life-time of adequate calcium intake may contribute to healthier gums by keeping the underlying bone strong though this has yet to be confirmed. Your daily calcium needs? Adults 50 and under, 1,000 mg; adults over 50, 1,500 mg (Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Philadelphia, Feb 1998).