Which vitamin deficiency is associated with gum lesions and pinpoint hemorrhages?

• A. Thiamin
• B. Magnesium
• C. Vitamin C
• D. Selenium

Answer: (C)

Gum lesions with pinpoint hemorrhages point to insufficient collagen support in the tissues, which happens with vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis; it helps hydroxylate proline and lysine, stabilizing collagen that forms the gums and the walls of small blood vessels. When vitamin C is lacking, connective tissue becomes fragile, leading to swollen, bleeding gums and tiny pinpoint bleeds—classic signs of deficiency. Humans can’t make vitamin C, so it must come from the diet, and very low intake or absorption issues can trigger this picture. The other nutrients don’t typically produce this gum-bleeding pattern: thiamin deficiency mainly affects energy metabolism and the nervous system; magnesium deficiency affects nerves, muscles, and electrolyte balance; selenium deficiency affects antioxidant defense and certain organ functions.