Vitamins and Minerals for Children’s Teeth and Gums

Vitamins and minerals play an integral role in your child’s oral health. Having a proper amount of nutrients in your child’s diet ensures healthy teeth and gums, with reduced risk of oral health complications.

Here’s a list of essential minerals and vitamins to include in your child’s diet to ensure his teeth and gums stay healthy and strong.

Vitamin A

Vitamin promotes saliva production in the mouth. Saliva is essential for cleaning away harmful bacteria and food debris from between teeth and gums. This vitamin is also effective in maintaining healthy mucous membranes that coat the cheeks and gums, reducing their risk for disease.

You can get vitamin A from carrots, citrus fruits, dark leafy green vegetables, as well as proteins like fish and egg yolk.

B Vitamins

B vitamins, especially vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B3 (niacin), help prevent oral inflammation and mouth sores. You can find B vitamins in fish, poultry, red meat, almonds, spinach, and dairy products.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. It combats gum inflammation and promotes gum healing. It works by stimulating increased production of collagen, which helps in cell repair and accelerates the healing. Citrus fruits such as kiwi, grapefruit, and oranges are a great source of vitamin C.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium in the body. It also helps strengthen the teeth and improves bone mineral density.

The human body naturally makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. However, you can also get vitamin D from fatty fish, Portobello mushrooms, and canned tuna.

Calcium

Calcium promotes numerous processes in the body, including building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth. You can find calcium in dairy products such as milk and cheese. However, it’s best to get this mineral from cheese. Cheese contains a protein known as casein, which promotes enamel strength.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays an integral role in the development of strong bones and teeth. It promotes the absorption of calcium in the body. You can get this mineral from beans, nuts, whole grains, and dark leafy vegetables.

Other essential minerals for your child’s teeth and gums include phosphorous, iron, copper, zinc, chromium, and manganese.