“Can drinking milk strengthen teeth?”
I always encourage my kids to drink milk for strong bones. I want to know if drinking milk will strengthen teeth?
8 Answers
Yes.
no
Only when you are younger. The calcium might help the teeth that are just forming.
Hello,
Drinking milk adds calcium into your blood stream after it gets absorbed from your gut. It helps to think of your bones as if it was a large storage place for calcium as well as phosphate. As the amount of calcium in your blood goes up, your body stores more calcium in your bones. Calcium is a mineral and it does help strength bones. Teeth are very similar to bones in this regard. The important different is your teeth are not protected inside your body. They are in your mouth which is filled with bacteria and subject to acidic foods and drinks. This is where fluoride comes in. Fluoride is more resistant to the bacteria and acids making teeth even stronger than with calcium.
Hope this helps.
My best to you!
William F. Scott IV, DMD
Drinking milk adds calcium into your blood stream after it gets absorbed from your gut. It helps to think of your bones as if it was a large storage place for calcium as well as phosphate. As the amount of calcium in your blood goes up, your body stores more calcium in your bones. Calcium is a mineral and it does help strength bones. Teeth are very similar to bones in this regard. The important different is your teeth are not protected inside your body. They are in your mouth which is filled with bacteria and subject to acidic foods and drinks. This is where fluoride comes in. Fluoride is more resistant to the bacteria and acids making teeth even stronger than with calcium.
Hope this helps.
My best to you!
William F. Scott IV, DMD
Teeth are different than bones. We eat dairy and drink milk throughout life to get the calcium and phosphates that help with stronger bones. Bones are constantly remodeling and without a supply of healthy components, can get weak over time. Teeth, once they have formed and come into the mouth are not benefited in the same way that bones are. Milk and dairy products can be helpful as teeth are forming in the body, from birth to about 11 years old. Once the tooth enamel is formed and in the mouth it does not continue to remodel like bones do. After 11, there is little benefit to making the teeth stronger. Something that can help after the teeth are in the mouth is fluoride, which is shown to make the teeth harder and more resistant to cavities.
Marc D. Thomas, DDS
Marc D. Thomas, DDS
Yes. Calcium is important in tooth development and can be from milk or cheese or yogurt or broccoli or other sources. Thanks. Dr. Price
Hello!
Milk has a lot of important vitamins and minerals that contribute to the health of teeth and enamel. Milk is particularly important for teeth that are still in stages of development, as the calcium and phosphorous are incorporated into the teeth's enamel, helping them grow strong. Teeth continue to grow and develop until around 15 years of age, so milk in the diet would be particularly beneficial to teeth until this age. Once the teeth have fully matured, milk may still offer some benefits, but it is not as important for maintaining the strength of the teeth.
While milk in moderation is good for the teeth, milk does have some natural sugars in it which could be damaging to teeth over time if too much milk is consumed. The best beverage for teeth is water, especially if the water is fluoridated (as it is in NYC and most major cities). Plain milk is second best for teeth. Flavored milks, such as chocolate and strawberry milk, have a lot of sugar in them and should not be consumed regularly, since drinking so much sugar could lead to cavities.
Thank you for your question!
Dr. Roxanna Khajavi
Milk has a lot of important vitamins and minerals that contribute to the health of teeth and enamel. Milk is particularly important for teeth that are still in stages of development, as the calcium and phosphorous are incorporated into the teeth's enamel, helping them grow strong. Teeth continue to grow and develop until around 15 years of age, so milk in the diet would be particularly beneficial to teeth until this age. Once the teeth have fully matured, milk may still offer some benefits, but it is not as important for maintaining the strength of the teeth.
While milk in moderation is good for the teeth, milk does have some natural sugars in it which could be damaging to teeth over time if too much milk is consumed. The best beverage for teeth is water, especially if the water is fluoridated (as it is in NYC and most major cities). Plain milk is second best for teeth. Flavored milks, such as chocolate and strawberry milk, have a lot of sugar in them and should not be consumed regularly, since drinking so much sugar could lead to cavities.
Thank you for your question!
Dr. Roxanna Khajavi
Certainly, calcium and vitamin are essential building blocks for strong, healthy bones (including the jaws that support the teeth), but they do not necessarily strengthen teeth themselves. More importantly, particularly for children under the age of 3, keeping the teeth clean of bacteria and sugar (including lactose which is found in milk) is more important!!
