6 Essential Vitamins for a Healthy Mouth

As your Jacksonville orthodontist, we care about your overall health as much as we care about your straight smile and pearly whites. Your mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body and keeping it healthy is an important job. Maintaining your oral hygiene and a proper diet is key to a healthy mouth, but having straight teeth and a properly aligned bite is a large part of it too. Just like the rest of your body, your teeth and gums rely on certain nutrients to keep them strong and infection free, which is why what you eat is important for both your overall and periodontal health. Here are 6 vitamins that your mouth needs to stay in it’s best shape:

1. 1. Vitamin A – This vitamin is a key player in immune, skin, and eye health, but it’s also important for maintaining healthy mucous membranes and salivary flow in your mouth. Vitamin A also helps to keep your gums strong and ensure proper healing. Eat tons of fish, eggs, and orange foods for vitamin A!

1. 1. B Vitamins – These B vitamins help to reduce inflammation in your mouth, whether it’s your tongue, gums, or canker sores. Since your braces could cause inflammation as they’re adjusted, B vitamins can be helpful. They’re great for combatting stress, too! Eat poultry, meat, and green veggies for a healthy amount of B vitamins.

1. 1. Vitamin C – This vitamin is important for repairing connective tissue, such as in your gums. As a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C is also helpful in the healing process and immune health, which is extremely important during your orthodontic treatment. Citrus, broccoli, berries, and kale all contain substantial amounts of vitamin C.

1. 1. Vitamin D – Also known as the Sunshine Vitamin, vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Without vitamin D, your body would be unable to absorb the calcium it needs to keep your teeth and bones strong. Though we get most of our Vitamin D from the sun, fortified milk and cereals are also good sources.

1. 1. Calcium – Calcium is a huge factor in the health and strength of your teeth! Keeping your teeth strong as their being adjusted is extremely important for the success of your treatment. Dairy products, salmon, and leafy veggies are all good sources of calcium.

1. Coenzyme Q10 – This vitamin is naturally produced by your body and works to regulate your metabolism. For oral health, it helps to heal, reduce pain, and decrease bleeding associated with gum disease. Find it in pork, beef, and parsley!

When it comes to achieving your perfect smile, it’s important to maintain the proper nutrition! By choosing to eat a healthy and nutritious diet, you’ll be improving your oral and overall health and also helping to make sure that your teeth are damage-free when the braces come off. If you’re concerned with maintaining a healthy diet throughout your orthodontic treatment, we can help suggest some healthy foods that won’t be damaging to your appliances. Here are a few tips about what foods are safe to eat while you have your braces:

Foods to avoid:

• • Hard candy

• • Sticky candy

• • Gum

• • Ice

• • Pizza or bread crust

• • Chips

• • Corn on the cob

• • Popcorn

• • Pretzels

• Granola bars

Safe foods:

• • Mashed potatoes

• • Cheese

• • Yogurt

• • Mac and cheese

• • Bananas

• • Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

• Pasta

While a healthy diet is always important, it’s especially important while you have braces. Too many sugary foods can contribute to plaque buildup and tooth decay around your brackets. Damage like this can have permanent effects on your teeth. Avoiding sugary foods that contribute to tooth decay and hard foods that can damage your braces is important to keep in mind throughout your treatment. You can still eat many of your favorite foods and it’s still easy to find healthy options too. When you plan your meals, remember the vitamins that are helpful to your oral health and don’t neglect the nutrients that your body needs. As your Jacksonville orthodontist, we care about your overall health and are here to help ensure that your orthodontic treatment is seamlessly integrated in your lifestyle. If you have questions about your treatment options or are ready to get to work on your dream smile, contact us to schedule an appointment!