It is easy to assume that dental plaque can be removed by brushing your teeth and that no harm will have been done to your oral health. When dental plaque builds in the mouth, attention needs to be paid to it to avoid it from regularly occurring.
If you’re thinking about getting a dental cavity, the signs are that you’ve consumed food and drink that’s caused dental plaque to form on your teeth.
How Is Dental Plaque Harmful?
If you continue to allow dental plaque to build on your teeth, this shouldn’t be considered natural. Its build-up indicates that your oral routine can be improved, along with changes to your lifestyle to cater to strong oral health.
Dental plaque should be removed as soon as possible, either by brushing your teeth or visiting the dentist for a scale and polish treatment. If it remains in the mouth, it will multiply and indicates your oral health is slowly in decline.
Dental plaque introduces a host of problems with your teeth. The first formation is of a dental cavity, a tiny opening or hole that forms in the centre of your teeth because acid has attacked your tooth enamel, exposing your tooth to bacteria. Cavities are just one example symptom that can occur.
Gum disease can also form when dental plaque hardens into tartar. Tartar becomes harder to remove and would require scraping off at the dentist. When a dental cavity forms, bacteria can interact with your gums causing gum inflammation and infection. Progressively, gum disease can progress into causing tooth loss.
Can Dental Plaque Be Removed?
The answer is yes, quite simply. It can be removed from your teeth, but this will require changes to your lifestyle and oral routine for this to happen. This involves performing the following:
- Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day
- Avoid snacking before going to sleep at night without brushing your teeth
- Drink water regularly to maintain saliva levels
- Avoid sugars and fad diets and replace it with calcium and phosphorous foods
- Visit the dentist for check-ups regularly
If you’re seeing dental plaque around your teeth and you need to seek support, then check yourself in at Garran Dental today for a check-up! Click here to get started.