There are plenty of recommendations for the usual courses of oral health. Reminders to brush twice a day, to use floss, to use mouthwash. But what is rarely brought up are the huge amount of supplements available for treating various teeth issues. When you are looking into various recipes be very careful of snake oil salesmen. If there is a vial of liquid that claims to be a cure all, or has extremely vague ingredient labelling in the form of either none at all or listing herbs with no explanation of why they might help. The best remedies don’t generally tend to be just one specific chemical, but sometimes combination medicine is reasonable, when it helps with absorption or cover several bases.
Just like we’ve been told that milk helps grow strong bones, the same is true for teeth. But it isn’t the milk, but the calcium and the Vitamin D inside of it. This is a perfect example of a time when combination pills are justified. A very common form of these supplements is in the form of a chocolate chew. A huge amount of Americans are actually calcium and vitamin D deficient. In a pinch, moderate milk intake and a low dose vitamin D pill will do the job. Calcium is a double help as well because it strengthens your jawbone, which happens to hold your teeth tight. 3-4 cups of milk or yogurt will get you to your 1200mg daily requirements. Certain fish also have vitamin D.
For dealing with canker sores and irritation, B vitamins are great. Niacin is referred to as B3/B6 and riboflavin is B12. There are plenty of natural sources of B vitamins. Many of them exist in animal products. It is for this reason that if you are a vegetarian you supplement your diet with B vitamins, or at least eat healthier vegetable options like spinach and almonds. There are plenty of multivitamins that will include B vitamins, but as an aside, B vitamins are also great for increasing energy levels.
Vitamin C is another one, but this is for keeping your gums strong, your teeth tight, and fighting gum disease and bleeding. Vitamin C is what is needed to build collagen, which is great for general skin health and also for holding your teeth by building your gum strong. If you are vitamin C deficient, you are almost 150% more likely to experience gum disease. This same deficiency is quantified as being under 60mg of vitamin C, with the recommended amount essentially being between 75 and 90mg a day. It is, however, safe to take several thousand milligrams of vitamin C at once, and is something that is very hard to overdo. For a comparison, one lemon or orange can put you well over your daily requirement.
We will continue to go over supplements to help your oral health, and continue to highlight things that will directly address the various issues we as humanity experience. This is the same in Part Two, which will be posted soon. Ask us at your next visit for any recommendations, or beneficial diet changes that will allow you to get the vitamins you need, or at least pills.
