Vitamins and minerals you need for good oral health

Vitamins and minerals are critical to your body’s health, including the health of your teeth and gums. When you’re deficient in a certain vitamin or mineral, it can cause all types of health problems.

So in this post, we’ll look at the vitamins and minerals that are most important to our oral health. For each one, we’ll explain why it’s important and where you can get it from.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is important because it helps the body to repair tissue. Without it, the tissue in our body, including our gums, would break down more easily. British Sailors discovered this centuries ago on voyages across the oceans. They found that during long voyages, they would begin to get health problems such as bleeding gums. They also found that limes, which are full of vitamin C, cured these problems. It said that this is why British sailors were called ‘limeys’.

You don’t just have to eat limes to get vitamin C. Other citrus fruits are rich in this vitamin too, including oranges, kiwis and grapefruit. Other food sources are vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.

Vitamin A

Like Vitamin C, vitamin A helps the body to maintain its tissues. You can find this vitamin in a large range of foods, including meat, chicken, Terry, fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is another vitamin that’s important for oral health. It helps the body to absorb calcium, and as we all know, teeth need calcium to remain healthy and strong.

We get most of our vitamin D from the Sun (at least, on the rare days that’s it’s sunny). You can also find vitamin D in cheese and milk, as well as fatty fish like tuna and salmon.

Calcium

We’ve already mentioned calcium, but it’s so important for our teeth that’s it’s worth mentioning again.

The best sources of calcium are dairy foods like cheese and milk. However, you can also get enough calcium from salmon, sardines, green leafy vegetables and some fortified cereals.

Phosphorus

Another important mineral for your teeth is phosphorus. In fact, most of the phosphorus in your body is in your teeth. This mineral works with calcium to keep your teeth healthy and strong.

You can find phosphorus in foods rich in protein, such as meat, eggs and nuts. It’s also found in whole grains and dried fruit.

Is it worth taking multivitamins?

Research shows that most people get enough vitamins from a healthy diet, which is a diet high in fruits and vegetables. So unless you suffer from a deficiency, then a vitamin supplement is probably not necessary.

Conclusion

Vitamins and minerals are important to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Your teeth need calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus to stay healthy and strong, and your gums need vitamin A and vitamin D. So do your teeth and gums a favour and make sure to eat a healthy diet, which includes lots of vegetables and fruits.