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mbg Supplement Editor

By Morgan Chamberlain

mbg Supplement Editor

Morgan Chamberlain is a supplement editor at mindbodygreen. She graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in magazine journalism and a minor in nutrition.

Image by W2 Photography / Stocksy

May 18, 2023

You know the drill when it comes to dental hygiene: brush twice a day, make sure to floss, and don’t miss your annual cleanups. But what if I told you that getting your vitamins is just as important for strong and healthy teeth? In fact, research shows getting enough vitamin D is a key factor in determining your oral health.* Surprised? I’ll explain.

Similar to bones and cartilage, teeth are mineralized organs, and minerals (specifically, calcium and phosphate) are utilized to strengthen enamel through a process called tooth mineralization. Similar to its role in supporting strong and healthy bones, vitamin D is involved in proper tooth mineralization.* The essential fat-soluble micronutrient helps the body absorb calcium and phosphate, which are vital for building and maintaining strong teeth, and aids in the regulation of enamel2 and dentin3 formation.* 

Interestingly, the relationship between vitamin D and calcium plus phosphate is a symbiotic one. While D helps with the absorption of these minerals, the vitamin D signaling pathways also require sufficient levels of calcium and phosphate in the tooth cells to promote proper mineralization of teeth4.* This fact underscores the importance of achieving nutritional sufficiency for all the essential vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin D promotes the health of the gums and bone that support and surround your teeth (aka the periodontium5).* In addition to supporting tooth structure, the periodontium protects the tooth from unwanted oral bacteria and attaches the tooth roots to the bone and gums. 

When it comes to periodontal health, vitamin D aids in mineralization and anti-inflammatory functions and also helps maintain the periodontium’s integrity6.* Which raises two questions: Have you flossed today, and have you taken your vitamin D3 supplement?

After the skin barrier, our oral cavities (aka mouths) are really the second line of defense when it comes to immunity. Vitamin D has a global role to play throughout the body for immune health7, and oral immune function is no exception.* 

As mentioned, vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties, which help support the oral immune response.* Additionally, this essential vitamin has the ability to stimulate antimicrobial peptide production8, which is a critical tool in our adaptive immune response.* All in all, vitamin D is not a bad player to have on your immune defense team.*

It’s clear that vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining the health of our teeth and gums.* In addition to the research on how D helps keep our pearly whites healthy, many clinical trials have also explored the use of oral vitamin D supplementation to promote oral health.* 

It turns out vitamin D supplementation has been shown to support: