What are the different minerals and vitamins that we need to keep our mouth healthy?
Our routine diet should be rich in nutrients and incorporate lots fruits and vegetables in order to keep our mouth healthy. Proper supplementation of below mentioned vitamins and minerals can make our gums and teeth healthy:
Vitamin A: Vitamin A is often associated with good eyesight and clear and healthy skin; but it is also important for the development of tooth and healthy tooth enamel. It also helps maintaining healthy mucous membranes and salivary flow in the mouth. Vitamin A keeps your gums healthy and helps in healing gum infection or inflamed gum tissues. Beef, liver, milk, cheese, eggs, fish & egg yolks are the good source of Vitamin A. Moreover orange and yellow foods like; carrots, mangoes & sweet potatoes and dark leafy greens such as kale & spinach are rich sources of beta-carotene, which the body converts into Vitamin A for its use.
Vitamin B3 (niacin): Lack of Vitamin B3 can lead to bad breath and canker sores in the mouth. To heighten your B3 levels, consume chicken and fish.
Vitamin B12 and B2 (riboflavin): Deficiency of Vitamins B2 and B12 can develop sores in the gums, tongue and other soft tissues in the mouth and can also make your gingivitis more serve. Red meat, chicken, liver, pork, fish as well as dairy products like milk, yogurt & cheese, bagels, spinach & almonds are the riche sources of Vitamin B2 and B12.
Vitamin C: You need to have strong gums for strong teeth. Vitamin C is necessary for the health of corrective tissue and collagen in your gums. Lack of Vitamin C can cause swollen and bleeding gums, scurvy and loose tooth. Its deficiency can make any of your gums issues even worse. This vitamin is needed for bone strength and also helps to repair and maintain teeth. Citrus fruits, strawberries, bell pepper, broccoli and sweet potatoes, are good sources of Vitamin C. When Vitamin C is taken with bioflavonoid it prevents the formation of plaque around the teeth.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps to fight against the tooth decay. Vitamin D also helps your body to consume calcium. Deficiency or lack of Vitamin D leads to burning mouth syndrome. Milk, egg, fish, cod liver oil are the good sources of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E is a powerful anti-oxidant which helps in healing of mouth tissues and decreases the soreness of gums during infant teething. Foods like; sunflower seeds, turnip green, tomato paste and peanut butter are the good sources of Vitamin E.
Calcium: Sufficient amount of dietary calcium is needed to keep your teeth in good shape. You need to understand that if its levels are low it gets reabsorbed into bloodstream but put back into bones only when levels are higher. As your jaws and teeth are mostly made up of calcium, your risk developing gum diseases and tooth decay in its deficiency becomes higher. Calcium also helps to prevent osteoporosis, which can cause bone fractures and weak bone tissues around the teeth. Dairy products like; milk, cheese, yogurt are the best sources of calcium, you can also get it from beans, oysters, sardines, canned salmon, green leafy vegetables, cauliflower, cabbage, almonds and fortified orange juice and soy milk.
Phosphorus and Iron: Deficiency of iron can cause your tongue inflamed and sores can develop inside your mouth. You can get sufficient amount of iron from foods like; liver, red meat, bran cereals, some nuts and spices as well. Phosphorus together with calcium makes most of our teeth and bones. 85% of Phosphorus is found in our bones and teeth.
Contact Dr. Sikander Singh DMD for any of your oral health related issues. We will help you fight back and prevent any oral health related issues and help you retain pearly smile using the state-of-art techniques and technologies.
