Give Your Teeth, Gums and Mouth What They Need
Your mouth is one of the most important – and often overlooked – parts of your body and, just like every other part, requires specific nutrients and vitamins. Dr. Charchuk believes that in addition to brushing and flossing, a healthy diet protects teeth from decay and keeps the gums healthful. If you’re caring for children, a balanced diet along with good oral hygiene habits will help them develop strong, decay-resistant teeth. Food rich in the following vitamins and minerals are essential to your oral well being.
Vitamin D – is an extremely important vitamin for your teeth. It is essential for your body to absorb calcium, the mineral your body uses to build both teeth and bones. Vitamin D balances the calcium levels in your blood and makes the calcium usable for your body. If the balance drops too low, your body will pull calcium out of your bones and teeth, weakening their structure and making them less dense.
The Vitamin B Family – includes thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, B-12 and folic acid, to name a few. These vitamins typically help your body metabolize food into energy and form red blood cells. However, vitamin B deficiencies can commonly affect your mouth and teeth. While vitamin B deficiencies can weaken your teeth, they can also cause burning and swollen sensations on your tongue and difficulty swallowing.
Calcium – plays a role in making the jaw bones healthy and strong to hold the teeth in place. However, calcium needs phosphorus to maximize its bone strengthening benefits. Children’s teeth need adequate calcium and phosphorus to form a hard structure during growth.
Vitamin K– is used primarily by your body to cause coagulation, or blood clotting, in your blood. However, vitamin K also affects your bone mineralization, which affects your teeth, as they are made out of the same minerals as bone. A vitamin K deficiency could lead to weakened teeth, and is usually caused by a disease, not from any lack of vitamin K in your diet. Vitamin K also impacts dental health because a deficiency can cause your gums to bleed easily after a tooth-cleaning.
The table below will help you identify foods that are rich in these Vitamins and Minerals. Its been made clear that your nutrition should come through your diet but supplements may be useful if you are lacking in certain nutrients.
Calcium – Dairy foods such as cheese and yogurt, brown rice, oranges, cabbage, beans, broccoli, salmon, peas.
Vitamin D – Natural sunlight, dairy products, eggs, some cereals, oily fish (tuna, sardines etc).
Phosphorus – Cereals, wheat germ, soya beans, almonds and other nuts, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, grapes, citrus fruit, cucumbers, tomatoes.
Vitamin K – Green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, prunes, cucumbers and dried basil
Vitamin B – shellfish,liver, fish, crab, fortified soy products (tofu, soy milk), fortified cereals, red meat, low fat dairy, cheese, and eggs.
Chinook Mall Family Dental Clinic is dedicated to providing their patients with exceptional care and that includes educating them on all the inner workings of their mouth! Simple take home habits and beneficial suggestions to their diet and lifestyle will keep teeth and gums at their finest and strongest. Come see us in our Chinook Mall office and keep your smile looking brilliant.
