Is not considered essential, but it is very important for maintaining strong, healthy teeth.

Your mouth, teeth, and gums are the first contact points for the nutrients you consume and are essential for kicking off the digestion process. In fact, according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the process of chewing allows you to extract the greatest possible amount of nutrients from the food you eat. Conversely, nutrient deficiencies can lead to oral conditions like inflammation and tooth loss. That means that consuming the right vitamins through food and supplements can promote healthy teeth and gums. Here are five essential vitamins for teeth and gum health.

1. Calcium

Calcium isn’t just good for your bones; it’s good for your teeth, too. According to the National Institutes of Health, calcium is one of the most important minerals in the human body, as it helps form and maintain strong bones and teeth. Curious as to how you can consume calcium? You might already be doing it. Dairy products like milk and yogurt have a type of calcium that’s easy for your body to absorb. Canned salmon and sardines are also good sources. If you do not consume meat or dairy, or want to add more calcium-rich vegetables to your diet, try broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and bok choy or Chinese cabbage or nuts like almonds, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, and tahini. Keep in mind that to ensure the calcium stays in these foods, cook them in a small amount of water for a short time, like steaming or sauteing, instead of boiling. Additionally, you can also take calcium as a supplement.

2. Phosphorus

Phosphorous is another essential vitamin for healthy teeth. Phosphorus helps the body absorb and use calcium and strengthens teeth by protecting and rebuilding tooth enamel. If you’re looking to add more phosphorus to your diet, try to incorporate meat, milk, and whole grains. Fish, eggs, and protein-rich foods are also excellent sources. Luckily, most people get enough of this vitamin in their regular diet without the need for supplements.

3. Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a significant role in keeping your teeth healthy—according to a 2020 article, Vitamin D Deficiency and Oral Health: A Comprehensive Review, vitamin D deficiencies can lead to several oral health disorders, like gingival inflammation, cavities, and gum disease. That’s because it plays a crucial role in bone and tooth mineralization. But don’t worry—consuming vitamin D is easy via supplements. It’s also present in oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and herring. Additionally, some foods are vitamin D fortified, like milk and breakfast cereals.

4. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is not only good for your teeth; it’s an excellent vitamin for gums, too. Vitamin C helps keep the connective tissues in your gums healthy and strong, which hold your teeth in place—which means deficiencies can lead to bleeding gums and gum disease. Further, vitamin C supplements also reduced erosive tooth wear in early childhood. You’re likely getting a lot of vitamin C in your diet, as it’s present in citrus fruits, peppers, sweet potatoes, broccoli, berries, and kale. Supplements are also widely available.

5. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is not only good for your eyes and skin—but it’s also great for your mouth, particularly your saliva production. Saliva helps break down food and also cleans bacteria from in between your teeth. You can find Vitamin A in orange-colored fruits and vegetables, like carrots, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, plus fish and egg yolks. It’s also available as a supplement.

When to Take Vitamins

A healthy diet can provide you with a lot of these vitamins for teeth and gums. That being said, taking supplements may be a better option in some cases. If you’re wondering if you should take a supplement, talk to your dentist or physician, as some dietary supplements may interact or interfere with some prescription medications.

If you’re maintaining a healthy and balanced diet full of whole fruits and vegetables, you’re probably already consuming many of these teeth-friendly nutrients. And if you’re concerned about your vitamin levels, chat with your dentist about what supplements or foods you could add to your diet. Understanding how these vitamins impact your teeth can help your oral care in the long term. Now you know what vitamins are essential to your oral health, why not try a delicious new recipe with these nutrient-packed foods?

Those starchy or sugary foods we love are also loved by the bacteria in your mouth that can cause tooth decay and gum disease.

The difference between a healthy smile and frequent visits to the dentist has a lot to do with your diet. Even with a good oral hygiene routine (brushing twice a day, flossing once a day), it can still be hard to keep your teeth healthy over the long term.

Eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods from all the food groups promotes healthy teeth and gums. This means maintain a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein foods, calcium-rich foods and whole grains for a healthy smile as well as a healthy body.

Some of the best foods for healthy teeth are fresh fruits and veggies because of their high nutritional value and added teeth cleaning benefits. Then, there’s calcium-rich foods, such as low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt and cheese, fortified soy drinks, tofu, canned salmon, almonds and dark green leafy vegetables that help promote strong teeth and bones. Chewing on crunchy foods gets the saliva going, which along with water, helps to wash away plaque causing bacteria and food particles.

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Aside from good old fashioned fluoridated water, milk is the best drink when it comes to your teeth. It’s rich in calcium and other important elements. Milk, like cheese, also lowers the acid levels in the mouth, which helps fighting tooth decay.

Yogurt is packed with calcium and probiotics that protect you against cavities, gum disease and even bad breath.

Water is unlike any other drink, and is by far the healthiest drink available. Our bodies are made of 60% water, and staying hydrated helps your system distribute healthy nutrients, gets rid of waste, gives your skin a healthy glow and keeps your muscles moving. And--drinking water really helps your teeth stay health – especially if it’s fluoridated. Drinking water with fluoride, which is “nature’s cavity fighter,”  is one of the easiest and most beneficial things you can do to help prevent cavities. And, water helps wash away food particles and keeps your saliva levels high.

Here are 4 reasons why drinking more fluoridated water improves oral health. Water is unlike any other drink, and is by far the healthiest drink available. Our bodies are made of 60% water, and staying hydrated helps your system distribute healthy nutrients, gets rid of waste, gives your skin a healthy glow and keeps your muscles moving. And--drinking water really helps your teeth stay health – especially if it’s fluoridated.

Read more: 4 Ways Drinking Water Improves Your Smile

Many vegetables are good for teeth because they require a lot of chewing to clean teeth surfaces. Crunchy, firm foods that contain lots of water are great natural teeth cleaners because they stimulate the flow of saliva, which helps to scrub away food particles and bacteria. These fresh crunchy veggies are usually also packed with some of the most important minerals and vitamins for your mouth.

In addition to packing lots of nutrients, carrots are also one of the great cavity-fighting vegetables. Carrots contain lots of vitamin C, calcium and keratins which all offer dental benefits. Eating fresh carrots also helps to clean your teeth – like a natural toothbrush. When combined with your saliva, carrots help to wash away stain-causing bacteria and food particles. 

Super healthy, leafy greens are rich in calcium, folic acid and lots of important vitamins and minerals that your teeth and gums love. Crunchy fresh greens in salads and sandwiches also help in cleaning your teeth.

Unlike many acidic fruits, raw pears are good at neutralizing acids in your mouth that cause decay.

Some of the best foods for healthy teeth are fresh fruits and veggies because of their nutritional and mouth health benefits. Crisp fruits and raw vegetables, like apples, carrots and celery, help clean plaque from teeth and freshen breath. Many fruits and vegetable contain lots of antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin C, that help protect gums and other tissues from cell damage and bacterial infection. For healthy teeth and gums this summer, look for these fruits and veggies in your local grocery or farmers market.

Read more: Fruits and Veggies For A Healthy Smile

Most meats offer some of the most important nutrients mentioned above, and chewing meat produces saliva. And more saliva is good, because it decreases acidity in your mouth and washes away particles of food that lead to decay. Red meat and even organ meats are especially beneficial.

Fatty fish (like salmon), and tofu are loaded with phosphorus, an important mineral for protecting tooth enamel.

Heard of polyphenols? Polyphenols are a category of chemicals that naturally occur in many of the foods and drinks we consume, including teas and coffee. They offer several health benefits, including their role as antioxidants, which can combat cell damage, as well as their effects on reducing inflammation and helping to fight cancer. Green and black teas are rich in polyphenols and offers a number of other health benefits.

Cranberries are also rich in polyphenols (just like tea) and provide antioxidant benefits. Fresh cranberries are especially effective at disrupting the process of plaque formation. Just be aware that some packaged dried cranberries contain a lot of added sugar that isn't so good for teeth.

There is a long-held perception that raisins promote cavities. However, one study suggests that compounds in raisins may actually fight tooth decay. Phytochemicals are antioxidants found in plants. One of the five phytochemicals the study identified in raisins is oleanolic acid. In the study, oleanolic acid inhibited the growth of two species of oral bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, which causes cavities, and Porphyromonas gingivalis, which causes periodontal disease.

Chemicals called phytochemicals such as oleanolic acid in raisins suppress the growth of oral bacteria associated with cavities and gum disease, according to the study. "Phytochemicals in raisins may benefit oral health by fighting bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease,” says Dr. Christine D. Wu, lead author of the study.

Functional Foods Research at UIC

For more than two decades, Dr. Wu’s lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Dentistry has focused on the exploration and identification of plant-derived anti-plaque and anti-biofilm compounds against oral pathogens. In recent years, her laboratory has been engaged in clinical and translational studies to evaluate the oral health benefits of specific foods and beverages, especially dietary plant polyphenols (catechins and proanthocynandins) including teas, raisins, cranberries and dried plums. She is an advocate of and promotes functional foods and beverages for oral health.

We all know that vitamin C is good for the body because of its antioxidant properties and for growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. This also true for teeth. The collagen in the dentin of teeth depends on vitamin C for maintaining its strength and structure through synthesis.

Strawberries are packed with Vitamin C, antioxidants and also malic acid, which could even naturally whiten your teeth. Be sure your diet includes fresh fruits and veggies rich in vitamin C, such as apples, pears, strawberries, pineapples, tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, and cucumbers.

Maybe you’re not a fan of broccoli, but consider that fresh broccoli not only offer tons of vitamin C and K—important for bone health and proper blood clotting—they are also natural teeth cleaners! 

Kiwis are another one of the fruits that offer a really high concentration of vitamin C. Vitamin C boosts immunity by increasing the production of blood cells that destroy foreign micro-organisms. These effects lead to improved resistance against infections throughout the body, including tooth decay.

Sweet potatoes pack a healthy dose of vitamin A, which helps to maintain the mucous membranes and soft tissue of the gums. The vitamin is also vital in maintaining the protein keratin, an agent that promotes formation of tooth enamel. Of course, you may want to skip the marshmallow topping for this one.

Okay, maybe garlic isn’t a go-to for fresh breath. However, the allicin that is contained in garlic has strong antimicrobial properties, which can help fight tooth decay and especially periodontal disease.

Again, maybe not the first choice for fresh breath. When eaten raw, onions have powerful antibacterial properties especially against some of the bacteria that causes cavities and gum disease.

These mushrooms pack a bold flavor, and offer anti-microbial properties for fighting tooth decay. Researchers from the Pediatric Caries Research Program – School of Dentistry found that shitake mushrooms contain a poly-saccharide called lentinan, which prevents the growth of bacteria in the mouth.

Timing is Important

A diet that promotes good oral health is not just about the foods you eat or avoid — when and how you eat them is equally important. One way to protect your teeth is by eating raw foods at the end of meals. Such foods help clean teeth and massage gums, and generate more saliva to wash away extra food particles left after a meal.

According to Dr. Wu, “Food sequencing, or the order in which you consume food and beverages, is important and may help to prevent tooth decay. Try eating acid neutralizing foods after a sweet meal or desert will prevent prolonged acid attacks to your teeth and therefore help prevent cavities. The best examples are milk, unsweetened tea or cheese." 

Also, be sure to drink plenty of water during and after meals to help wash away sugars and acids left from snacks and meals -  especially in these hot summer months!

Try a More Healthy Snack

Instead of snacking on sugary, carbohydrate-rich or acidic foods throughout the day, eat these foods just during meal times in order to minimize the amount of time teeth are exposed to acid. In addition, the body produces more saliva to help digest larger meals, which washes away more food and helps neutralize harmful acids before they can attack teeth. Try to eat some raw veggies as a daily snack after a larger meal to help clean your teeth. 

If you like to snack, choose something that is healthy like fruit or vegetables or a piece of cheese. Foods that are eaten as part of a meal cause less harm to teeth than eating lots of snacks throughout the day, because more saliva is released during a meal.

Here’s to healthy eating for healthy teeth!

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