Looking to supplement your dental care routine?

Submitted by Jeff Reynolds, DMD.

Brushing and flossing are the main tricks of the trade to maintaining a healthy smile, but if you want to expand your dental health from the inside out, you may want to consider nutritional supplements.

Most people can obtain all the necessary vitamins and minerals from a balanced diet, but for some, supplements can be helpful as nutrition deficiencies can lead to conditions like inflammation and tooth loss if left untreated for too long. These six supplements can jump start an even healthier smile in tandem with brushing, flossing and consistent trips to the dentist.

Calcium: Calcium helps more than just your bones—it can help your teeth too! While calcium is found in dairy products, fish, vegetables, and nuts, you can also take calcium supplements if you have roadblocks to accessing calcium-rich foods.

Phosphorus: Phosphorus aids in calcium absorption into the body, helping to strengthen teeth by protecting and rebuilding tooth enamel. Phosphorus can be found in your diet through meat, fish, milk, and whole grains, but it is available in supplement form for those with dietary restrictions.

Vitamin A: Vitamin A helps in saliva production, which is beneficial to your overall oral health! Saliva functions in breaking down foods and cleans bacteria between teeth. The vitamin is found in orange-colored fruits and vegetables, fish, and eggs. These vitamins are widely available and keep eyes and skin healthy.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C helps your gums as well as your teeth by keeping connective tissues in the gums strong to hold teeth in place while deficiencies in vitamin C can be the cause of bleeding gums and gum disease. However, chewable, or liquid forms of vitamin C are erosive and can cause the loss of enamel if taken in excess but are safe at the recommended dosage. Vitamin C is present in many fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D protects against oral health conditions like gingival inflammation, cavities, and gum disease, as it plays a significant role in tooth mineralization. Like calcium, vitamin D can be found in fish or vitamin D-fortified foods like milk and cereal, but for convenience, it is available in supplement form.

Zinc: Zinc can eliminate cavity-causing bacteria and controlling demineralization. The vitamin can also help with gum diseases like gingivitis and other common periodontal problems. A bonus is that zinc helps fight against bad breath!

For additional information about how to get and maintain a healthy smile, visit https://www.deltadentalwa.com/blog.

Jeff Reynolds, DMD is a Delta Dental of Washington member dentist and serves as the Dental Care & Dental Director for Community Health Care (www.commhealth.org).