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Before going in for a dental procedure, it's good to be prepared. Menggosok gigimu, getting a good night's sleep, and eating a high-protein meal to keep you satiated longer are excellent ideas to get you ready for your procedure. But did you know that taking too much of a popular vitamin—one that's well-known for its health benefits—may leave you full of regret while in the dentist's chair? Read on to discover which nutrient you should avoid before your next dentist visit.

TERKAIT:Never Do This After Brushing Your Teeth, Dentists Warn.

You're often told to take more vitamin C, and for good reason. Whether you get it through food or a daily supplement, this powerful nutrient can boost your immune system, improve your memory, and enhance iron absorption. While vitamin C delivers these health benefits (and then some), too much vitamin C before a dental procedure may be asking for a mouthful of pain.

"Consuming excessive or large amounts of vitamin C-rich foods—such as orange juice, guava, pineapples, or strawberries—the day before or day of a dental procedure may interfere with a patient's ability to get numb with a local anesthetic," explains Anjali Rajpal, DMD, a cosmetic dentist with Beverly Hills Dental Arts. "However, small amounts of vitamin C-rich foods shouldn't compromise the effect of dental anesthetic." With that in mind, if a high-dose vitamin C supplement is part of your morning routine, consider putting it on pause during the days leading up to your appointment.

The reason to avoid vitamin C before receiving a local anesthetic is because of its impact on your body's pH levels, per a 2002 study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. "Consuming vitamin C can alter the body's pH balance [by lowering it], which can counteract the effectiveness of dental anesthesia," Rajpal confirms.

A 2006 study published in the journal Gynecological Endocrinology assessed the vaginal pH of 39 women who received a vitamin C formula. The researchers concluded that vitamin C has an effective and long-lasting pH-lowering effect. In addition, anestheticrequires a narrow pH to be effective, according to an article published on Designs for Dental Health. Therefore, if you supplement high doses of vitamin C or eat plenty of vitamin C-rich foods, your body's pH balance could be low, and you may experience difficulties getting numb with a local anesthetic.

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"Avoid vitamin C supplements at least 48 hours prior to a dental appointment where an anesthetic will be administered," Rajpal recommends. If you've already had dental work done, however, she has a different suggestion. "If you're attempting to wear off an anesthetic's side effects after a procedure, vitamin C may actually expedite the body's clearing of the anesthetic and reduce the numbness sooner," she says. A 2015 study published in the Brazilian Journal of Anesthesiology backs up Rajpal's statement. The researchers found that vitamin C effectively reduced the adverse effects of most commonly used anesthetics, including those used by dentists.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

Vitamin C isn't the only nutrient to keep away from leading up to your next dentist visit. Fadi Swaida, DDS, a dentist based out of Toronto, says, "[In addition to vitamin C], we recommend that patients avoid vitamin E, vitamin K, fish oils, B vitamins, and all herbal supplements. These can interfere with how the body functions during surgery, including oral surgery."

The negative effects of anesthesia can be quite challenging, which is why Rajpal's science-backed suggestion is so useful. A 2021 meta-study published in the Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine revealed that vitamin C helps the body recover from the adverse effects of local anesthesia, ranging from dizziness and nausea to more severe symptoms like facial paralysis or hallucinations. So it's a wise decision to get as much vitamin C as you can after your dental procedure.

Rajpal berkata, "Ini dapat membantu untuk mengambil [vitamin C] setelah prosedur gigi selesai. Pada sebagian besar pasien, dibutuhkan sekitar dua jam untuk mati rasa untuknya sendiri, tetapi tergantung pada metabolisme pasien, itu bisa dilakukan waktu yang lebih panjang atau lebih pendek. "

Jeffrey Sulitzer , DMD, kepala klinis kepala dengan SmileDirectClub , rangkum dengan baik. "Mengonsumsi vitamin C sebelum menjalani anestesi gigi dapat mengubah kadar pH, membuatnya kurang efektif," katanya. "Namun, setelah janji temu yang melibatkan mati rasa atau prosedur, vitamin C dapat membantu tubuh pulih. [Vitamin C] juga bermanfaat untuk gusi dan gigi yang sehat, bersama dengan menjaga rutinitas perawatan mulut yang baik."

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