Top Vitamins and Minerals for Child Oral Health

At Southridge Pediatric Dentistry, you could broadly categorize our children’s dental services into two categories. The first is our in-office services, which include everything from tooth cleanings to sedation dentistry and much more. The second, and one we’re proud to offer, is the expertise and tips we can pass on to parents for maintaining strong child oral care during the months in between your various kid’s dentist appointments.

One of the simplest and broadest areas of this expertise revolves around the things your children eat and drink. Most parents know common refrains here like avoiding too much sugar and junk food, but fewer are aware of the areas they should be promoting to their children – and why these areas are beneficial. With that in mind, here are several vitamins and minerals you can find in many popular food and drink products that benefit child oral care, plus how they do so.

vitamins minerals child oral health

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is known to help boost the immune system and assist with healing processes in several areas of the body, and the mouth is no exception. It’s a great tool for helping healing gums through antioxidant properties, and it’s also good for stopping gum inflammation at its source.

Much of this is done through the production of collagen, a natural chemical in the body that helps with cell repair and healing. Ingesting vitamin C helps prompt the body to produce more collagen. High quantities of vitamin C can be found in many citrus fruits.

Vitamin A

Another vitamin that’s great for general and oral health is vitamin A, which in the mouth is connected to saliva production. Saliva is a vital part of your mouth’s oral processes, helping clean the teeth of acids that would otherwise lead to tooth decay, enamel issues and dry mouth.

In addition, vitamin A produces significant mucous that helps line the cheeks, gums and other areas of the mouth. This protection makes these areas less susceptible to various diseases or infections. If you’re looking to up your child’s intake of vitamin A, consider foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, eggs and fish.

Vitamin D

The final vitamin on our list is vitamin D, which is vital because it allows the intestines to properly absorb calcium (more on this below) into the blood. Without vitamin D, the effects of calcium that we’re about to discuss would be useless to the body. Vitamin D is common in dairy, eggs and various fish.

Calcium

Calcium is present all over the body, assisting with building bones and teeth alike. We highly recommend prioritizing cheese-related sources of calcium – it’s available in virtually all dairy, but cheese in particular contains casein, a protein that specifically strengthens tooth enamel.

Magnesium

Another great mineral for the teeth is magnesium, which is yet another that helps the body absorb calcium properly. It’s found in a variety of products, including whole grains, leafy vegetables, beans, and various nuts or seeds.

For more on vitamins and minerals that benefit child oral health, or to learn about any of our pediatric dental services, speak to the staff at Southridge Pediatric Dentistry today.