There have been a lot of new so-called dental vitamins introduced to the market this year, promising all sorts of things like reduced gum disease symptoms and fewer cavities. Often, these vitamins come at a high cost, and they may not even do anything they promise. If you’re looking for ways to help prevent or reduce signs of gum disease besides the usual brushing and flossing routine, there are proven vitamins that may help. Here are a few of these vitamins, and why they may help to reduce the signs of gum disease.
Zinc
A diet rich in zinc is said to help you reduce your risk of periodontal disease, but often we don’t get enough zinc to benefit our mouths. Foods rich in zinc include nuts, beans, whole grains, oysters and other shellfish, yogurt, and pumpkin seeds. If you don’t get enough zinc in your diet, a supplement or zinc paste may help improve your oral health.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D can be generated naturally from the sun, or you can get it by taking a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D benefits oral health by helping to increase the body’s antibacterial protection system, as well as reducing inflammation of the gums.
Probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial to the whole body, including the gut, but they are also helpful to the gums because they have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties which have been found in studies to help reduce gum disease symptoms. Probiotics are available in capsule form, as well as in foods like yogurt, kombucha, and kefir.
Melatonin
You may have heard of people using melatonin to help them get to sleep at night, but melatonin is for more than just sleeping. It can be used to improve oral health by acting as an anti-inflammatory. In fact, studies have shown that people with lower levels of melatonin in their saliva are more likely to have periodontal disease.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C isn’t just great for helping us ward off colds, it’s also great for your mouth. Vitamin C is needed to produce collagen, which helps your gums and is essential in helping to prevent gum diseases.
Whether you want to take one or a few vitamins to help protect your gums, speak to Dr. Abelar about which supplements will work best for your individual mouth.
