What Creates a Healthy Smile?

You probably know that growing children need daily brushing, flossing, and regular dental appointments to maintain a healthy smile. Hopefully, you also know the importance of lowering sugar and limiting it to mealtimes - rather than eating sugary snacks throughout the day. But what about the vitamins and minerals that help build those healthy smiles in the first place?

Vitamins for Oral Health

Saliva is essential for protecting teeth and gums because it contains vitamin A. This vitamin helps to increase saliva production, break down food, and clean the bacteria between your teeth. Vitamin C is another essential vitamin that helps your body fight inflammation and keeps the connective tissue in your gums healthy and strong. When kids don’t get enough of these vitamins, their mouths become more prone to bleeding and their teeth can become looser.Vitamin D also plays an important role in bone mineralization and keeping kids’ teeth healthy. Without enough vitamin D, this can lead to several oral health disorders, like gingival inflammation, cavities, and gum disease. It is also important to consume enough vitamin B2, B3, and B12 to reduce the risk of developing canker sores.

What About Minerals?

Calcium is an essential mineral for building strong teeth and bones, and magnesium helps the body absorb it. Without enough calcium in your diet, your tooth enamel may break down faster than usual, making your teeth prone to cavities and other damage. Insufficient bone calcium may also cause the sockets in your jawbone to widen until your teeth become loose. However, you can prevent this by boosting your calcium intake, consuming more dairy products, and taking supplements.Zinc is another important mineral that naturally occurs in saliva. It has been proven to fight against the growth of bacteria and plaque, preventing tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. You can ensure that your mouth is getting enough zinc by consuming foods like cashews, red meat, squash, mushrooms, and legumes.

Contact Your Dentist in Colorado Springs

Don’t forget that while consuming enough vitamins and minerals is important for your oral health, it is also important to schedule regular appointments with a dentist in Colorado Springs. To ensure your teeth are as healthy as they can be, contact Esthetic Family Dentistry today!The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.