While April showers are still a light nuisance, sunshine is just around the corner, and if you’ve missed the feeling of sunlight caressing your skin, you should know that your smile does, too. As you may know, your smile requires the right amount of minerals and nutrients to remain healthy, such as calcium and vitamin D. While calcium must be acquired through your diet, your body produces vitamin D when your skin absorbs sunlight (as well as through your diet). To highlight the importance of this process, your Astoria dentist, Dr. Leibowitz, explains why the sunshine vitamin is vital to maintaining a strong and healthy smile.
The Sunshine Vitamin & Your Oral Health
Calcium plays more than one vital role in your good oral health. The mineral is perhaps best-known for its importance in healthy bone formation, and helps keep your jawbone strong enough to support and sustain your teeth. Along with phosphate, calcium is also one of the dominant minerals in the formation of tooth enamel—the strong protective layer that surrounds and protects your teeth. Your body doesn’t produce calcium, however, and to absorb and utilize the mineral, you need an adequate supply of vitamin D.
Aside from assisting in calcium absorption, vitamin D also produces potent antibacterial peptides that can aid in controlling the oral germs responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. As inhabitants of your mouth, oral bacteria are a constant threat to your smile’s wellbeing as they undergo processes that erode your tooth enamel and destroy your gum tissue. Controlling this bacterial population helps maintain a clean and disease-free mouth, increasing your smile’s longevity and aesthetic appeal.
Keep Your Smile Bright & Healthy in Astoria
Like any good health routine, your smile’s health plan should consist of more than just a nutritional table. Be sure to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day to reduce the amount of plaque that oral bacteria form. Also, diligently attend your dental checkups and cleanings at least once every six months, or sooner if recommended. If you can’t wait for the sun to come out and would like to learn more about how you can ensure a healthy smile, then call Dr. Leibowitz today. To schedule a dental consultation with your Astoria dentist, call our office today at (718) 728-8320. Located in the 11106 area, we proudly serve patients from Astoria, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the surrounding communities.
