A patient with gingival bleeding, poor wound healing, and a history of severe dietary deficiency most likely lacks which vitamin (scurvy)?

Vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) impairs collagen synthesis, causing gingival bleeding/swelling, poor healing, and perifollicular hemorrhage.Other options: Vitamin K deficiency causes coagulopathy; vitamin D affects bone; B12 deficiency causes glossitis/anemia, not classic scurvy gingivitis.Key exam takeaway: Scurvy = vitamin C deficiency: bleeding gingiva and impaired collagen/healing.