What is Plaque?

Plaque is a buildup that can cause significant issues to your oral health. Dental plaque is a soft, white substance that builds up on the teeth throughout any given day. If you have ever run your tongue or your fingernail over your teeth at the end of the day and felt a fuzzy film on your teeth, then you know exactly what dental plaque is.

Dental plaque can harm the health of the entire mouth because of the damage that it causes to the teeth and gums. On any given day, there are millions of bacteria that live inside your mouth. These bacteria help break down particles inside the mouth that are left behind after eating and drinking. However, their "helpfulness" ends quickly because they begin producing acids to assist in their endeavors. As with all acids, the acids produced inside the mouth eat away at whatever is in their path, in this case your gum tissue and tooth enamel.

Plaque that is allowed to linger on the teeth leaves them vulnerable because of the constant assault on the enamel and gums. Your entire mouth works together to support itself, and if the gums are compromised then your teeth are compromised, and vice versa. Plaque should be removed on a daily basis to promote optimal oral health in between dental visits. The best way to remove dental plaque at home is by using dental floss. Flossing the teeth takes approximately one full minute of your time, yet it is often the most neglected of all hygiene habits.

Dental floss is designed to properly remove plaque buildup from the teeth. A toothbrush helps to clean the surfaces of the teeth, freshen breath, and loosen plaque so that it is more easily removed by dental floss. Yet only dental floss is able to get under plaque in order to scrape it away from the gum line and tooth enamel. Dental floss is also the only tool that can reach inside the tight spaces between the teeth where food particles and plaque easily become trapped. Plaque should be taken seriously, because if it is not removed it will leave your teeth vulnerable to a constant attack of bacteria and acids. Over just a short amount of time, plaque can harden into tartar, a calcified mineral that discolors the teeth and leads to irreversible damage.

At Green Dentistry, we want to promote optimal oral health by encouraging all of our patients to floss daily. One minute of time can save you from disaster.