Show I I Lack o of Vitamin C Found a Probable Cause cause o of Pyorrhea Corr iea i Your Dentist Can Su Supply the Deficiency Safely Y I Cambridge Mass A A link between between be tween pyorrhea and scurvy has been forged at the laboratories laboratories laboratories labora labora- tories of the Harvard dental school here Drs Paul Boyle and David have under way research which indicates indicates indicates in in- that a lack of vitamin C Cin Cin Cin in the diet may be the cause of or or at least a contributing factor factor factor fac fac- tor to pyorrhea to-pyorrhea just as this vitamin C has long been known to cause scurvy While the findings are re yet incomplete incomplete incomplete they indicate say the scientists scientists scientists that as far as ns the general practitioner is concerned vitamin C treatment for pyorrhea can be adopted with safety and it probably should be adopted as a routine measure measure measure meas meas- ure in addition to but not in place of other recognized forms of ther ther- apy Humans and Guinea Pigs The Harvard dentists have been working with both animals and humans humans humans hu hu- hu- hu mans in their studies Guinea pigs were fed diets varying in their vitamin vitamin vitamin vita vita- min C content and later checked to see the degree of pyorrhea which they developed X-ray X and microscopic microscopic micro micro- microscopic examinations of these animals animals animals ani ani- mals showed all the characteristics of the true pyorrhea in reproducible form Forty-eight Forty human patients were studied in the dental school where their degree of pyorrhea symptoms were compared with the content of vitamin C in their blood Twentythree Twentythree Twentythree Twenty- Twenty three patients with a low vitamin C blood content had marked evidence of the disease Ten patients with a reduced vitamin C blood content showed the gum disease but to a lesser extent than the first group Among fifteen patients with normal vitamin C blood content only one case had the disease These human findings it is emphasized emphasized emphasized em em- are not conclusive but they do offer a most consistently positive finding in cases of the advanced disease Dr indicated Use of Vitamin C Relatively Safe To the layman and the average dental practitioner the research has three significant points 1 The new test of vitamin C in the blood as employed is not practical for a dental office and will probably largely be confined to hospitals 2 The suggested use of vitamin C is isa isa isa a relatively safe procedure for formost formost formost most experts agree the body can handle an overdose easily This is not true with vitamin D. D 3 The improvement in the mouth tissues around the teeth which occurs when vitamin C is administered indicates the practical value of the treatment Vitamin C found naturally in limes lures and lemons principally is also available in tablet form as ascorbic acid or acid To maintain maintain maintain main main- tain the normal amount of vitamin C in the blood a daily dany intake of 50 milligrams is sufficient |