Dental plaque is what you have to be wary of at all times when you want healthy teeth for life. Not taking care of it is why most of the people end up suffering of cavities and gum disease.
We shall review just what this is and what to do in order to prevent its buildup in our teeth. We hope that these tips from dentists in Los Algodones help you greatly!
What is plaque?
Plaque is a film of sticky and colorless bacteria that cling to our teeth. You see, when the bacteria encounters starchy and sugary foods, they use that together with other elements to produce plaque and acids that harm the teeth and gums.
These bacteria are always present in our mouth, so there is no way to completely get rid of them, but we ca n take some extra steps to hinder the damage they do.
Also, once plaque has sit long enough on our pearly whites, it develops into tartar. Once it hardens into this stage, it is recommended to visit your dentist, as only professional tools will be able to remove all of it and without harming the surrounding tissue.
What happens if nothing is done?
By letting plaque sit on your mouth, there are an array of problems that begin to raise:
Gum disease: Developing periodontal disease due tartar and plaque is actually pretty common for people without proper oral habits. By letting the plaque sit along the gum line, it harms the gum and as such they swell and become irritated.
Tooth decay: Some teeth are more prone to get tooth decay and cavities than others due plaque exposition. This is the case of the teeth all the way back: not only are they far, but they have grooves as well. This proves the perfect environment for bacteria to do their work and damage the surface until they get to the pulp.
Bad breath: There are a number of studies out there that testify that bad breath is most likely caused by other causes. These causes being mostly due tooth decay and gum disease, which we now know that plaque causes.
Tartar: As we mentioned before, plaque turns into tartar. But that is not all, by having tartar around your teeth, it is actually providing a better space and grip for more plaque to buildup. And yes, that means more tartar if we are not careful.
Tips to keep plaque buildup to a minimum
Here we have some tips from our dentists in Los Algodones in order to lengthen your teeth’s life:
Have a proper toothbrush suited for the job, as there are many things to consider!
- Make sure that the bristles of the brush are soft. We do not want to harm the tooth enamel or the gums with hard bristles.
- Also take into account the size of the toothbrush, as it can get a bit bothersome to reach other areas.
Brushing is good, but brushing properly is more important!
- Brush twice a day: once in the morning and once before going to sleep.
- Brush for at least 2 minutes, as anything less will make the paste not have nearly as much effect.
- Use enough toothpaste but not too much to make you want to spit it out too early.
- Tilt your toothbrush 45° against the gumlines, as you seek to remove the plaque from that tricky spot.
Flossing do wonders when it is done right.
- There are different tools if you do not fancy the use of dental floss, like dental picks, for example.
- Flossing removes plaque that reside in between the teeth, a place that the brush sometimes cannot get properly.