Dental plaque can form on your teeth at any time. Plaque may also eventually become dangerous. When you rub your teeth with your tongue, you should expect to feel a sticky substance around them. Plaque is the first stage of tooth decay and its a sign that you need to make improvements to your oral hygiene to make sure your oral health doesn’t get worse.
Below breaks down everything you need to know about dental plaque from its definition, causes and treatments and how your local dentist can help.
What is Dental Plaque?
Dental plaque is a sticky pale substance that forms around the teeth owing to poor oral hygiene. The plaque substance contains millions of bacteria and combines with saliva to produce it.
The bacteria particles that form attribute to consuming sugary and starchy food and drink. Dental plaque is the first stage of tooth decay and, whilst it can easily be reversed through teeth whitening treatment, it is essential that it doesn’t get to the stage where the bacteria particles begin to penetrate inside the gums as this can cause gum disease and tooth loss. If you’re at an advanced level of periodontal disease, you are susceptible to adverse heart problems.
How Can You Remove Plaque?
If plaque is building up inside your mouth, it means your oral hygiene isn’t strong enough and you need to ensure your routine caters to keep your mouth clean when you sleep and wake up especially.
You can prevent plaque build up by performing the following:
Brush and Floss Your Teeth Daily
Are you guilty of not brushing your teeth at night? Or after a heavy meal you forget to wash your mouth to clear food debris? These are two critical steps as part of a strong oral routine that will keep plaque away from your teeth.
Reduce Sugar and Starch Foods
If you’re a sugar-craver, you should consider reducing the amount of sugar and carbohydrates (starch) foods because sugar and combine with the harmful bacteria to form an acid attack on your teeth. The acid build up is responsible for tooth decay, which is irreversible.
Rinse Your Mouth
Consider rinsing your mouth with mouthwash. Along with brushing and flossing, this can significantly reduce the chances of plaque building up on your teeth. Mouthwash contains an ingredient called Chlorhexidine, which is designed to rapidly kill bacteria and also helps to keep gum health.
Visiting The Dentist
Are you checking yourself in for regular check ups at the dentist? This is vitally important so the dentist can scrape the plaque off of your teeth with special dental equipment. The dentist can remove all plaque in an instant, whereas home remedies could take a lot longer to clear.
You don’t want the plaque to get worse so that bacteria penetrates inside the bloodstream. When this happens, you will lose your teeth and introduce adverse health conditions which are irreversible. As soon as you see plaque, contact your local dentist for advice to improve your oral health.
Are you seeking support with your oral routine with a dentist near you? Contact us here and we’d be happy to help.
