How To Keep Your Smile Healthy
While daily brushing, flossing and regular checkups cover the basics of dental care, there is a lot more that you can do to ensure that you keep a healthy and beautiful smile as you age.
Do you know about the essential vitamins for your dental health? You can start by making sure that you eat the right foods or take some supplements. This helps you get the vitamin intake you need to maintain healthy teeth for many years to come.
5 VITAMINS FOR YOUR DENTAL HEALTH:
1. Omega-3
Although this isn’t a vitamin per se, Omega-3 is in the same category given the fact that it’s found in many foods and can also be taken in pill form. These fatty acids have a huge range of benefits and can help people with conditions like arthritis, depression and asthma.
Furthermore, studies have shown that people with low levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is found in Omega-3, had higher incidence of periodontal disease. So, if you want to keep your own pearly whites shining bright into your senior years, you should take action now to incorporate more Omega-3 into your diet plus a serious vitamin regimen.
2. Vitamin D
Spending a bit of time with the sun on your face isn’t just about feeling happy – vitamin D also helps to keep your teeth and bones strong and healthy. Unfortunately, modern life and northern climates means many of us don’t get as much sun as we should to maintain healthy vitamin D levels.
The reason it’s so important for dental and bone health is that it helps to prevent periodontal disease. Additionally, vitamin D helps your bones and teeth absorb the calcium they need to stay strong.
3. Vitamin A
Getting enough vitamin A helps for healthy hair and skin, lowers cancer risk and strengthens your immune system. But just as vit D, it’s an important part of maintaining strong bones and teeth.
What’s more, the foods that your body turns into vitamin A contain beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant as well, so there are plenty of good reasons to up your intake of these foods.
4. Vitamin B
Vitamin B is probably the vitamin most associated with oral health. This is because a deficiency in vitamin B can cause issues like cracked lips, receding gums, swollen tongue, canker sours, sensitivity and halitosis.
Keep in mind that there are 8 types of this vital vitamin and all except B5 and B7 contribute to good oral health, so make sure you cover all the B bases in your diet and vitamin supplements.
5. Vitamin C
Chances are you’re already vigilant about getting enough vitamin C so that you can avoid having your routine derailed by cold and flu. But you might not know that this immune-boosting vitamin is also very effective at making sure the bacteria that are constantly in your mouth don’t get into your teeth and gums and degrade your oral health.
If you have gums that frequently bleed, it could be a sign that you need more vitamin C. Just remember that many of the fruits that have high levels of vitamin C are also highly acidic and contain a lot of sugar, which can do damage not only for your teeth, but for your overall health as well. So you may want to consider taking supplements instead of drinking orange juice every day.
It’s true that a large part of oral health care happens on the surface, but it’s critical to understand the role that your diet and vitamins play in having a healthy smile. To have pearly whites that look dazzling, you’ve got to start from the inside!
How do you keep your teeth shining & healthy? Did you find this article helpful and what are the changes you’re going to make for some extra oral care from inside? Please let us know in the comment section below!
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