Can Iron Deficiency Cause Tooth Decay?
Not directly. Teeth are made mostly of calcium and phosphate, and tooth decay comes from plaque and sugar. Low iron can cause a sore tongue, mouth ulcers and cracks at the corners of the mouth, and liquid iron supplements can stain teeth.
Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of anaemia in the world, and around a third of the global population is affected by it. The World Health Organization treats it as a major public health problem, and its fact sheet on anaemia sets out the global picture.
In this article, we’re going to present all the evidence related to iron deficiency anemia as well as provide you with a definitive answer to the question: Can iron deficiency cause tooth decay?
Recently, an iron deficiency has also been linked with tooth decay, with individuals claiming that it can even put you at high risk of developing gum diseases.
What is an Iron Deficiency?
As the name suggests, an iron deficiency is caused by a lack of iron in your body. This shortage of iron in turn reduces the production of haemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen to every part of your body.
That is why tiredness is often the first sign of low iron, and shortness of breath can follow as it gets worse. If your iron deficiency persists for a long time then it could affect the performance of your muscles and tissues directly causing symptoms like extreme tiredness and fatigue.
Can Iron Deficiency Cause Teeth Problems?
What plenty of people don’t realize is that an iron deficiency anemia can also negatively affect your tongue, teeth and gums. Its effect on your tongue is well documented as plenty of studies mention how an iron deficiency can lead to an unusually pale, swollen, inflamed or unusually smooth tongue. Plus, it can also cause your mouth to remain unnaturally dry.
Your teeth are made mostly of calcium and phosphate, not iron, but low iron can still show up in the mouth as a sore tongue or mouth ulcers. Getting enough iron from food is the first line of defence, and eggs, dried figs (anjeer) and dates all contribute. Tiredness and breathlessness are usually the first things people notice with low iron, while tooth sensitivity is more often linked to worn enamel or receding gums. Plenty of individuals also ask: Can low iron cause yellow teeth?
Not directly, as yellow teeth are usually down to staining from tea, smoking or age, though liquid iron supplements can sometimes stain teeth. Yellow teeth are not a sign of low iron, so if you are worried about your iron, the signs to watch for are tiredness, breathlessness and pale skin.
On the contrary, people also ask: Can too much iron affect your teeth? It can stain them. Liquid iron supplements can leave dark stains in the pits of your teeth, so take them through a straw and rinse your mouth afterwards.
Timing your drinks matters as well. Tannins in tea and coffee reduce how much iron you absorb from a meal, so if you drink black tea regularly, keep it between meals rather than with them.
Want a plan built around this? Ayesha Nasir, Registered Dietitian, builds diet plans around your reports and the food your family already cooks.
Can Iron Deficiency Cause Gum Problems?
Gum problems are mainly caused by plaque building up on the teeth, so good brushing and regular dental checkups matter most, even when iron is low. This can lead to gingivitis, a gum disease where your gums become unnaturally swollen and red. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, which is one reason vegetables such as broccoli are worth adding to your meals.
Also, when you brush your teeth your gingivitis can cause your gums to bleed more easily.
If the health of your gums continues to deteriorate this gingivitis can turn into periodontitis, a more serious form of the disease where your gums actually start pulling away from your teeth, causing bone decay.
This can in turn lead to your teeth loosening or even falling out which is why treating your iron deficiency in its early stages is extremely important.
Signs That Indicate an Iron Deficiency
As we mentioned before, detecting that you’re iron deficient early can go a long way in treating this deficiency as early as possible. For that you need to recognize the earliest signs that you’re deficient in the essential mineral.
On that note, here are some of the early signs you can look out for that your body’s low on iron. Symptoms often overlap with other shortfalls, so it is worth reading how long it takes to recover from a vitamin B12 deficiency as well.
Tiredness and Fatigue
We’ve mentioned this before but we’d like to reiterate that increased tiredness and fatigue are one of the earliest signs of an iron deficiency.
This feeling of fatigue isn’t temporary either as you’ll feel some form of it all throughout the day causing you to feel extra lethargic even though you haven’t exerted yourself at all. Many people reach for a multivitamin at this point, which raises questions such as whether Surbex Z causes weight gain or whether Perfectil Platinum does.
Despite that, tiredness can sometimes start feeling like a part of your routine which makes it difficult to diagnose an iron deficiency based on this symptom alone.
Shortness of Breath
Shortness of breath paired with tiredness or fatigue is a textbook sign that you’re deficient in iron. This symptom is a direct result of your body not having enough hemoglobin.
A protein which helps carry oxygen around in your body. This lack of oxygen causes your lungs and heart to work overtime which can cause shortness of breath and limit your energy.
Key Takeaways
- Enamel and dentin are built mainly from calcium and phosphate, so low iron does not directly weaken teeth, although it can affect the tongue and mouth.
- A pale, swollen or unusually smooth tongue and a dry mouth are common early clues.
- Sensitive or yellow teeth and bleeding gums usually point to a dental problem such as plaque, so see your dentist, and ask for a blood test if you also feel tired or breathless.
- Untreated gingivitis can progress to periodontitis and loosen the teeth.
- Get tested before supplementing, because too much iron causes problems of its own.
Final Thoughts
That’s all we have for you folks when it comes to our answer to the question: Can iron deficiency cause tooth decay? In short, low iron does not directly cause tooth decay, but it can affect your mouth, and tooth or gum problems are best checked by a dentist.
Also we’d advise that if you develop any of the symptoms that we’ve mentioned above you see your doctor immediately as an iron deficiency if left unchecked can significantly decrease your quality of life.
For more information on the negative effects an iron deficiency can cause and how to treat it, we’d suggest booking an appointment with our nutritionist, Ayesha Nasir, one of the leading dietitians in Pakistan. You can also read about what a registered dietitian in Lahore does and how your diet affects your overall health.
Lastly, do not in any case go about treating this deficiency on your own as that might lead to too much iron in your body which comes with its own set of negative symptoms.
Iron deficiency turns up in more places than most parents expect, and in children it usually traces back to too much milk and too little food. There is more on that pattern on the child nutrition page.
Ayesha Nasir consults online across Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as Punjab, including clients in Hyderabad and Peshawar. Wherever you are, book a consultation and the plan is built around the food available to you.
Sources: NHS: Iron deficiency anaemia, NHS: Causes of gum disease, NIH Record: Complexity of tooth enamel.
