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It is well known that vitamins are needed for our bodies to perform certain functions well.  Our teeth are no different to the rest of the body.  Certain vitamins are essential for healthy teeth and gums.  Let’s have a look at a few important ones:

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is needed for our salivary glands to function optimally.  Salivary glands produce saliva.  Saliva is important for being antimicrobial, buffering acid, adding mineral onto teeth and washing away food debris.  When we have low saliva or our saliva quality is poor, our mouths are more at risk of tooth decay, tooth wear and gum disease.

Eat more eggs, dairy, carrots and dark or yellow vegetables for your natural source of vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and strong teeth.  It is needed to activate the cells in teeth called odontoblasts that are in charge of producing tooth mineral.  Odontoblasts can repair the inside of your teeth when it is mildly damaged.  Without this ability, teeth may not survive as long in the mouth when they are damaged by physical forces or bacteria.

Mushrooms and fatty fish are great sources of vitamin D as are some dairy products.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E helps regulate the environment in which our teeth live.  It is a power anti-oxidant and helps keep nasty bacteria, viruses and fungi in check.  It is also essential for tissue healing especially repairing soft tissues in the mouth such as the gums, lips, cheeks and tongue.

Nuts, spinach and broccoli are great sources of vitamin E.

Vitamin K2

Calcium is an important building block for your teeth.  However, calcium does not work alone and other factors are needed to form healthy tooth structure.  Vitamin K2 is one of its partners.  Vitamin K2 directs calcium to your teeth instead of to the kidneys or bloodstream.  Without vitamin K2, it would not matter how much calcium you consume as it would never reach your teeth to be useful.

Eat soft cheeses, butter, eggs and salami for your source of vitamin K2.