If you try rubbing your tongue along the surface of your teeth after not brushing for a couple of days, you will find that it feels a little bit fuzzy and sticky. This sticky film is dental plaque. You may not be able to see anything as the film is colorless but you can definitely feel it. It feels quite different from squeaky clean teeth.
How Plaque Forms
Before getting to the tips on how to remove plaque, it is important to understand a little bit about how plaque forms.
The bacteria that live in our mouth act on the foods that we eat and produce acids. These acids together with the bacteria, food and saliva form plaque that sticks to the teeth. This happens within minutes of eating. If left on for too long, the acid starts acting on the teeth and results in tooth cavities.
How to Prevent Plaque Formation
Avoid or at least limit eating sugary, starchy and sticky foods: The bacteria in the mouth have a special affinity for starch and sugary foods such as bread, cakes, cookies and milk as well as foods that are sticky such as raisins and candies. When you eat these foods, they go to work immediately and produce a lot of acid, which is damaging to the teeth.
Make sure to brush at least twice a day: Because plaque formation is a natural process that goes on every time you eat something, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day to prevent the plaque from hardening into tartar on teeth. Dental tartar is plaque that has hardened. It is more damaging than plaque and can lead to gum disease or gingivitis and serious dental decay.
Floss regularly: No matter how often or how thoroughly you may brush your teeth; there are some places that the bristles of the brush just cannot reach. Hard to reach places are the back molars and in between the teeth and just under the gum line. Flossing helps you clean those areas that cannot be cleaned with a toothbrush. It is important to floss regularly or else the plaque will harden into tartar.
Get regular dental checkups: The best time to go to your dentist is before you tooth starts paining. When you have a toothache, it is a sign that the damage has already progressed to the severe stage. During a routine checkup, a dentist will do a thorough checkup to identify early signs of tooth decay. The earlier the cavity is detected the easier it is to get treated. The dentist will also do a scaling of your teeth to remove all the plaque and prevent the formation of more cavities.
When it comes to dental cavities, prevention is infinitely better than cure. Don’t wait till you have a toothache. Call dental clinic near kharadi for a thorough dental check up and cleaning so you can stop dental decay in its tracks today. Also, check out their new page on Dental Plaque.
Article Source: EzineArticles
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