Everything You Need to Know About Dental Plaque

Dental plaque, it’s our teeth’s worst nightmare. It’s the main reason many of us suffer from oral heath problems most often related to tooth decay in some form. Tooth decay stems from dental plaque. It’s the reason your dentist wants you to stay on top of brushing and flossing all of the time.

So exactly what is dental plaque? Plaque is the dental biofilm that covers your teeth after a chemical reaction in your teeth takes place. Dental plaque forms on the teeth when your body begins breaking down the foods you consume when chewing. The carbohydrates from these foods mesh with the bacteria in your mouth to form the dental plaque, which must be cleaned away at least twice a day to keep it from getting out of control.

The chemical reaction occurs with carbohydrates, which is why sugary foods are frowned upon in the eyes of your dentist; they help cause the formation of plaque. There are a few things you can do to keep dental plaque from overtaking your mouth:

-Brush twice a day and floss at least once (preferably after every large meal consumed you should brush and floss).

-Use toothpastes that feature fluoride as it has shown to reduce plaque in the mouth.

-Your toothbrush can only do so much at home, visit your dentist twice a month in order to have any remaining plaque (which may have hardened into tartar) scraped off with the necessary tools.

-Replace the sugary snacks with something a little healthier such as fruits, vegetables, and plain yogurts.

Do your part, follow our above advice on oral hygiene, and you should be able to keep your plaque down to healthy levels.