happydog,
I eat a lot of citrus fruits, so I get quite a bit of vitamin C. Yes, many other synergetic components that magnify the centerpiece of vitamin C- ascorbic acid. We should get as much as possible from food. But it is just not enough for optimal human needs, not enough. Our liver produce pure C6H8O6, ac sorbic acid that is and the body use whenever it needs, primarily in collagen production and in times of stress; the storage place for ascorbic acid in the body are adrenals, one of the most underrated internal organs. Remember, our liver produce not acerola, not raspberries, not kiwi, but pure ascorbic acid. It is incorrect to state that ascorbic acid is a dead isolated component of vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is THE main ingredient, the very basis, everything else is bonus, a bunch of co-factors. Now, take ascorbic acid from let's say, lime and what do you have left?- not too much. I wish our liver figured out how to get that enzymes that is necesary to complete the production of ascorbic acid. Sadly, that is not the case. We just need much much more than tear-in-the-ocean 60mg. It has benn known for decades that other mammals produce much more than we do and the amount scyrocets in the time of stress. So, get as much as you can from food and build up on supplemental vit.C from there.

If you are concerned about your teeth, just take a sip of water and swish around and that's it. Having prepared a bottle of ascorbic acid mix for the day is a very good idea and a practical one.