Plaque and tartar are the two things that you hear your dentist talk about with you all the time. It’s probably the one thing that they’re always getting on to you about. “you have a lot of plaque” “there’s a lot of tartar buildup? But have you ever wondered why they care about this? Well, you’re in luck because here, we’ll look at the science of plaque and tartar, to help you better understand just what’s going on. 

What plaque Is 

Plaque is basically what bacteria creates after they eat some of the food and enamel off your tooth. It’s a biofilm that covers the area. The problem with this is that it starts to harden, and then bacteria will feed off this, creating tooth decay. When it gets all the way to the root, it causes gingivitis, and periodontitis, which are both not very fun diseases. 

It is a huge concern because over time, it will start to break down, eventually getting so bad that it can cause tooth loss. Again, never fun, and you should always try not to have this happen. 

The formation Process 

The formation process begins with your mouth’s biome.   The mouth has a ton of bacteria, some good, some bad.   While the good is needed, the bad causes problems. 

The bad, feeds off sugars and starches that you eat.   When they nibble on this, it then causes the biofilm to form.   This then becomes plaque.  When you wash it off, you’re fine, but what if you don’t.

Then it hardens even further, creating what’s called tartar. Tartar cannot be removed without the help of a dentist, so don’t even try to do it yourself. 

When left on, it then causes tooth decay and a breakdown as well. 

The prevention of tooth decay 

Tooth decay prevention requires you to take care of your teeth, to remove this plaque before it gets worse. This of course, may be brushing your teeth twice a day, really getting all of the various areas. It also may be flossing, to get in between those problematic teeth areas. 

Now, brushing and flossing only goes so far. It’s needed, it’s important, but it isn’t perfect.   In some cases, it might cause you to have to go and see someone else, a dentist perhaps. In that case, then you’ll need to get a professional cleaning to get rid of the bad stuff.

But while seeing a dentist is great, you also need to be proactive about what you do.   try to as well have some diet and lifestyle choices, ones that will help to improve the oral health and reduce plaque buildup. It may take time, but removing the sugars and starches, replacing them with healthy, whole foods that will improve the enamel, will most definitely be the better solution for you. 

If you’re having trouble with what foods to eat, having dairy, leafy greens, and non-acidic foods is a good place to begin. you can have sugars and starches, but try to have some water after that. Also, don’t try to have them often.

And there you have it, everything that you need to know about dental health, and how to prevent the ongoing growth of plaque. When you control your plaque, you control your oral health, and by doing so, you’ll be able to, with this, create a better, and more rewarding experience for your oral health needs. 

Controlling this will help to make your own experience even better, and by doing so, you can create a better mouth for yourself and your future.