Although one of the most essential parts of your body, the mouth is often overlooked when it comes to health and maintenance.
Like other parts of your body, your mouth needs specific vitamins and minerals, as Dr. Jeffrey Malmquist explained.
To make it easy for you to eat for a healthy smile, this article will give you information on the best vitamins and minerals for healthy teeth, as well as the food you can find them in. This will ensure that when you are eating healthy, your oral health is maintained.
The following are the best vitamins and minerals for your teeth:
- B Vitamins
B vitamins, especially riboflavin and niacin, are significant in preventing oral inflammation and mouth sores. If you experience any inflammation or have spotted any sores in your gums or tongue, try adding these vitamins to your daily diet. It would help if you also considered visiting the dentist.
You can find riboflavin and niacin in red meats, fish, poultry, spinach, legumes, almonds, and dairy products.
- Vitamin A
Apart from being associated with good eyesight and carrots, vitamin A is also vital in maintaining saliva flow to keep you healthy. Vitamin A also helps maintain the health of mucous membranes that coats your cheeks and gums, preventing them from disease.
It also aids in saliva production, which is important in removing food particles and destructive bacteria from between gums and teeth. Apart from carrots, vitamin A can be found in fruits such as oranges and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, peppers, spinach, kale, collard greens, as well as fish and egg yolks.
- Calcium
Calcium is well known for maintaining the health of your teeth. This is because your teeth and jawbones are made of calcium. It is also required to keep your teeth strong and have normal development.
When you do not consume enough calcium, your body will take the calcium it requires from the bones, which affects their integrity and strength. To avoid this, you need to eat food rich in calcium, such as broccoli, leafy greens, legumes, almonds, and dairy products.
- Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential in maintaining the strength of the gum’s connective tissues. Inadequate vitamin C weakens the tissues holding your teeth in place, leading to bleeding gums, loose teeth, and gum disease.
Therefore, ensure that you eat food rich in vitamin C to keep your gums healthy. These include peppers, sweet potatoes, berries, broccoli, kale, oranges, and berries.
- Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for your dental health because it enables the absorption of calcium. Without it, your mouth will be deficient in calcium, and these lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and underdeveloped teeth.
You can get enough vitamin D by sitting directly under the sunlight for 15 minutes. You can also get vitamin D from foods such as eggs, milk, cod liver oil, and fish.
- Phosphorus
For calcium to be fully absorbed into the body, it requires phosphorus to allow for maximum bone health. You can find both phosphorus and calcium in most dairy products. Foods such as cheese, milk, red meat, yogurt, nuts, lentils, and whole grains are rich in phosphorus.
- Iron
Iron is vital in keeping the red blood cells count in their required levels, enabling the immune system to fight disease and prevent infection. Therefore, it will be challenging to fight oral infection and gum disease if the body does not have enough iron.
Eating foods rich in iron such as seafood, eggs, red meats, and green leafy vegetables will keep your body defenses working well.
- Vitamin E
Vitamin E has been known to prevent periodontal disease in two ways: one way is by acting as an antioxidant while the other is by reducing any inflammation in the mouth, even chronic. The antioxidant properties of vitamin E prevent the oxidation of gum tissues, which can lead to several issues.
Add vitamin E to your diet and eat foods such as seeds, nuts, leafy green vegetables, avocado, and fish.
- Fluoride
Dentists typically use fluoride in most toothpaste to treat gum and tooth decay. This is because fluoride enables the outer layer’s remineralization of the teeth and the enamel, which needs regular strengthening.
To add fluoride to your diet, drink black tea, tap water, and eat seafood.
- Potassium
Potassium is crucial in bone health because it prevents the production of certain substances in the body that cause a bone breakdown. Apart from protecting the supporting structures such as the jaw from weakening, potassium is also essential in blood clotting.
This means that if any oral injury or gum bleeding is flossed, the wounds will heal quickly, and the blood clots faster. Foods such as squash, dark leafy green vegetables, legumes, avocados, and bananas are rich in potassium.
- Zinc
Zinc can be naturally found in saliva as it is a trace mineral. Zinc helps prevent plaque and bacteria development, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.
Foods rich in zinc include red meat, cashew, oysters, mushrooms, legumes, and dark chocolate.
- Iodine
Iodine is another trace mineral in the body. It aids in developing bones and teeth by facilitating calcium absorption, which makes up bones and teeth. Iodine plays an essential role in ensuring that the thyroid glands function well. If they are not regulated well, swelling can happen in the body and can cause metabolism issues.
To get enough iodine, eat food such as sesame seeds, shellfish, garlic, seaweed, and reasonable amounts of iodized salt.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining your oral health through diet is essential. However, regular visits to the dentist for oral checkups are also necessary for maintaining the health of your mouth.
Therefore, eating foods rich in the above minerals and vitamins will ensure that your teeth and mouth is free from gum disease and tooth decay, leading to a healthy smile.