Building strong bones and teeth is important for our health. Despite what you may think, teeth are actually not bones. Bones, unlike teeth, are wrapped in a layer of cells called the periosteum that allows them to grow and mend themselves over time. Since teeth do not have a periosteum, they cannot repair themselves , which is why we have to take such good care of them.
While teeth are not bones, taking care of them is similar.
Calcium, of course, is essential to keeping our bones strong and our teeth healthy.
In fact, 99% of the body’s calcium reserves are stored in the bones and teeth.
So for teeth healthy habits, eat (and drink) lots of calcium!
The best sources of calcium are dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt. However, green, leafy vegetables are also rich in calcium. Calcium-fortified juice and breakfast cereal, as well as canned sardines and salmon (with bones), are other good choices to boost your calcium intake.
Like calcium, vitamin D plays a crucial role in keeping your teeth and bones healthy. Vitamin D helps form your teeth and bones and helps maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorous, which strengthen bones.
If you’re not getting enough vitamin D, some good food sources of the vitamin include fortified milk or margarine, fortified cereals, and fatty fish. Exposure to sunlight also enables the body to produce vitamin D.
So there you have it. Lots of fish, greens and milk will do a body (and your teeth) good!