Keeping your teeth in good shape requires basic dental hygiene, but there are a lot of vitamins and minerals that affect your oral health as well. In addition to brushing, flossing, and having regular dental appointments, your diet should be varied enough to cover the basic nutritional needs of your teeth.

Vitamins A, C, and D are vital to the wellbeing of your teeth, both for building and protecting them.
Vitamins A and D help to develop and maintain healthy and strong teeth. The antioxidant vitamin C helps keep gums and connective tissue healthy, aiding in the healing process of cuts or scrapes in the mouth. Calcium is also important for the teeth, creating a strong jawbone and foundation for the teeth. In order to maintain good oral health, make sure that your diet includes sources of these vitamins, or foods that contain them.

The following is a list of easily found sources of these vitamins/minerals:

• Vitamin A: Found in dark green vegetables, eggs, fortified dairy products, and liver. Also sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cheddar cheese, cantaloupe melon, apricot, and papaya.
• Vitamin C: Found in citrus fruits, raspberries, spinach, plums, gooseberries, garlic, kale, and raw green cabbage. Animal sources include raw liver, raw oysters, and cod roe. Vitamin C supplements are also a good option.
• Vitamin D: Found in salmon, anchovies, eel, eggs, and fish or vegetable vitamin D supplements. It is additionally added to many calcium supplements, as these vitamins and minerals are harder to find in common foods than vitamins A and C.
• Calcium: Found in milk, soymilk (when calcium is added), nuts such as almonds, and sesame seeds. Because dairy is the most common calcium and vitamin D source, vegans or those who avoid dairy due to lactose intolerance may need to include blackstrap molasses, beans, figs, quinoa, collard greens, or okra.

Also, foods that are high in sugar are most often not good for the teeth. Sticky sweets like candy can get stuck on tooth surfaces for extended periods of time, breaking down the tooth surface and causing cavities.

To learn more, or to set up an appointment, call the periodontist office of Dr. Sayre-Carstairs at San Luis Obispo: (805) 545-9400 or at Paso Robles: (805) 238-4222.

Coast Periodontics and Laser Surgery‎
620 California Blvd # L
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-2545
(805) 545-9400