Having plaque build-up on your teeth increases your risk of tooth decay and other types of dental problems.
What is Tooth Plaque?
Tooth plaque is a film that ends up covering the surface of your teeth. This film contains bacteria that can eat away at your teeth, which raises your risk of cavities and tooth decay.
How Do Teeth Develop Plaque?
Food particles and saliva make it possible for bacteria to thrive on your teeth and gums. This leads to the creation of plaque, which covers your teeth. When you don’t have plaque removed, it can end up creating tartar build-up, which must be removed with a professional teeth cleaning.
How Does Plaque Affect Teeth?
Plaque can leave deposits of bacteria on the surfaces of your teeth. These bacteria have acids that eat away at your teeth and cause decay. When decay becomes severe enough, it can lead to infections and serious damage that might result in tooth loss.
What Foods Cause Plaque Build-Up?
Most foods can cause plaque to accumulate on your teeth, but some do so more than others. Foods that usually cause plaque build-up include simple carbs that have starch and sugars, such as candy, chips, baked goods and soda.
Can Plaque Fall Off Your Teeth?
Plaque sticks to your teeth, and it won’t fall off on its own. You’ll need to have plaque removed from your teeth with regular brushing, flossing, and professional dental cleanings.
What Foods Should Be Avoided to Prevent Plaque?
To prevent plaque from building up, you should limit or avoid foods that are high in sugars and starches. This includes baked goods, candy, and other sugary foods, as well as chips and soda.
Does Dental Flossing Help You Stop Plaque?
Dental flossing can help remove bacteria that lead to plaque build-up on teeth. When you eat, food particles can get caught between your teeth. Brushing might not be enough to eliminate these particles. Flossing helps get rid of food particles between your teeth and on the sides of them. This lowers your risk of having plaque form and accumulate.
How Do You Scrape Plaque Off Your Teeth?
Regular brushing and flossing help you remove plaque off your teeth on a daily basis. However, if you have significant plaque build-up or tartar, your dentist will need to scrape it off. Dentists have special tools that are able to get rid of stubborn plaque and tartar on teeth. Having this done helps lower your risk of tooth decay.
Best Time to See a Dentist for Plaque?
You should have regular cleanings done in order to ensure that plaque and tartar are removed. Your teeth need these cleanings done every six months or as often as your dentist recommends. If you are having any signs of tooth decay or other dental problems linked to plaque build-up, you should see your dentist as soon as possible for a cleaning, exam and any dental work that needs to be done.
If your teeth are due for a cleaning, contact Cedar Mountain Dental today to schedule an appointment.