So many people have heard the word “plaque” used to describe a “bad thing that does bad things” to teeth. So few people understand exactly what plaque is and why it’s no good.
Consider that there are a bunch of different types of bacteria living in your mouth at any given moment.
These bacteria live off of the leftover sugars and acids from the things you eat. In the right environment, these bacteria reproduce and spread throughout your mouth, accumulating on your teeth. This accumulation of bacteria is known as plaque.
Plaque Starts Off Small…
Consider your day, you wake up and eat some cereal, maybe take a shower. Under normal circumstances you would probably brush your teeth before heading to work, but for this example let’s say you don’t – a cup of coffee and you’re off to work.
The bacteria in your mouth are now throwing a party. They have plenty to feast on from the sugary remnants of cereal left in your teeth. The coffee you drank is highly acidic and offers a bountiful feast for some of the other bacterial varieties that prefer that to sugar.
Plaque Sneaks Up on You…
As your day progresses the bacteria is allowed to reproduce based on the amount of food it has available to it. After lunch there is a good chance your teeth will start to feel a bit mossy. A clean tooth feels smooth but a tooth covered in a layer of plaque will feel rough and sticky.
Brush and Floss!
If that plaque is allowed to build up and isn’t washed away it will eventually harden and become extremely difficult to remove. When it hardens it is called tartar.
In order to keep these bacteria under control you need to brush at least twice a day and floss at least once a day! Doing so will wash the plaque off of the teeth and force the bacteria within your mouth to start at square one.
Please contact us if you have any questions about protecting your oral health from plaque.
