Plaque buildup occurs throughout the body, causing damaging issues to people of all ages, ethnicities, and social backgrounds. Plaque buildup in the arteries is a leading cause of heart disease because the blood cannot flow freely to and from the heart. Plaque buildup that occurs inside the mouth leaves your entire oral health vulnerable to infection, decay, disease, and tooth loss. Dental plaque should never be disregarded.
Dental plaque is a sticky film that builds up on the teeth on a daily basis. It starts out as a soft film, but over time it will harden. If you have ever run your tongue over your teeth late in the day and felt a fuzzy film, then you have felt the buildup of plaque. Dental plaque is dangerous because it is made up of harmful, acid-producing bacteria. There are millions of bacteria inside your mouth on any given day. These bacteria react with the foods and beverages that you consume, creating acids as they congregate around sugars and particles left behind in your mouth.
The acids inside the mouth are just like any other acid: they eat their way through whatever is in their path. For your mouth, this means that the acids, which are produced on a daily basis, attack the enamel of your teeth and gum tissues. The fuzzy film that you feel on your teeth at the end of the day allows you to comprehend just how fast bacteria inside your mouth work at producing acids and covering your teeth.
Removing dental plaque from the teeth on a daily basis is essential to your oral health. One of the most neglected personal hygiene habits is also one of the most important: flossing the teeth. Dental floss is the only tool that is designed to get under the plaque and scrape it away, as well as get into the tight spaces between the teeth to remove plaque and particles that become stuck there. Your toothbrush is not designed to do any of these things. The bristles of a toothbrush are designed to clean the top surfaces of the teeth, freshen the breath, and help to loosen plaque so that it is more easily removed by dental floss. By neglecting the habit of flossing your teeth on a daily basis, you are allowing damaging plaque to remain on the teeth. As plaque lingers on the teeth, it will harden into a calcified mineral known as tartar. Tartar is extremely difficult to remove, and it is only done through scraping at the dentist’s office. Therefore, if your least favorite part of going to the dentist is the scraping of your teeth, flossing is your best advocate.
Ashley Dinh, DDS, wants to promote optimal oral health by encouraging you to floss every day. Plaque is incredibly damaging to your mouth, yet it is easily controlled.
Posted on behalf Ashley Dinh, DDS
Ashley Dinh, DDS
107 E Holly Ave, Suite 5
Sterling, VA 20164
(703) 430-6655
Monday – Friday 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM