Natural supplements that can help your oral health
The benefits of food supplements have been explored in many areas of human health. One area that hasn’t been mentioned much is dental health. Certain supplements can give you stronger teeth and a whiter smile.
Usually, when people think about oral health, they mention fluoride. It’s been known to reduce tooth decay when it’s offered in the right volumes. People born and bred in areas with fluoridated water have fewer cavities. At the other extreme, many kids from areas with natural fluoride end up with stained teeth forever. It’s all about moderation.
Fish for your teeth
When cod liver oil is fermented and mixed with butter, it offers a highly concentrated blend of Vitamins A, D, and K. These vitamins are helpful for the growth of your jaw, so if you get plenty of them while your teeth are still growing, you are less likely to experience crooked teeth, misaligned smiles, or impacted wisdom teeth.
Dr Steven Lin argues that all the above problems arise when your jaw is too small to support your teeth. He theorises that consuming foods rich in these vitamins, especially collagenous foods with bite, can resolve these issues. The ‘bite’ in the foods will exercise your jaw and help it grow, just like any other muscle grows if it’s given the right exercise.
Vitalise with Vitamin D
If you happened to skip the fish oil, you could go straight for a Vitamin D supplement, or just spend half an hour in the sun. You’d have to do it every day though, to get the right volumes of D-vitamin. This solar-powered supplement promotes healing and can repair cavities. Dr Price and Dr Mellanby (both Mr. an Mrs.) ran a study on healing cavities. They found that if a patient is given Vitamin D, even if they continued with their current diet, their cavities healed faster.
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Other minerals that work well with Vitamin D are Vitamin C, Calcium, and Magnesium. Calcium helps your teeth to grow strong and healthy, while magnesium helps your body to absorb the calcium more effectively. It also helps to keep teeth healthy by helping the blood supply to your gums, repairing DNA and replenishing anti-oxidants. Vitamin C is rich in anti-oxidants. It synthesises collagen for supple skin and healthy gums.
Clean it up with coconut
Coconut oil is said to have 99 uses. While that’s debatable, adding half a cup of coconut oil to your smoothie can be deeply beneficial. It contains lauric acid, which attacks any harmful bacteria that may be present in your mouth. By destroying these bacteria, coconut oil prevents bad breath and cavities. Some people use coconut oil as a natural toothpaste.
Lactobacillus and Streptococcus mutans are forms of mouth bacteria that are thought to be major causes of tooth decay. Coconut oil is especially useful in destroying these bacteria and is said to have whitening properties as well. It is said to coat your teeth and minimise plaque and tartar build-up, preventing gum disease.