Plaque is a yellowish substance that accumulates between our teeth. It’s perhaps the most common dental problem today, and if it’s not addressed, then it can also become quite a serious problem. This is because plaque can cause dental issues such as gingivitis, periodontitis, and tooth pain.

It’s important to know how to remove plaque from your teeth and also how to avoid it in the first place. So in this blog post, we’ll provide some tips on the causes of plaque and how to prevent plaque from ruining your smile.

What causes plaque?

Plaque occurs for various reasons. The main reasons are:

• Consuming food and drink high in sugar, fat and acidity. This is one of the principal causes of plaque.
• Poor dental hygiene. Plaque often occurs in people who fail to maintain a good oral hygiene routine, such as brushing your teeth twice a day.
• Tobacco. Smokers often get plaque on their teeth because of the cigarettes they smoke.
• Coffee. Sorry, coffee addicts – your risk of plaque also increases if you’re a coffee drinker.

How can I avoid plaque?

• Maintain a good dental hygiene routine. To avoid plaque, it’s essential that you maintain a good dental hygiene routine. This includes brushing your teeth at least twice a day (once before you go to bed, and once during the day). Also, make sure to brush your gums as well as your teeth, because your gums can also harbour bacteria.
• Floss. Something many people forget is dental floss. Floss is essential for good oral hygiene because it can remove plaque from between your teeth, which is place where your toothbrush can’t reach. So before or after brushing, use a piece of floss to remove plaque from between your teeth.
• Eat less sugar. To avoid plaque, it’s also important to eat a diet low in sugar. Reduce the amount of sugar in your diet by cutting down on foods like sweets, chocolate, cakes and desserts.
• Drink plenty of water. Drinking water throughout the day can also help to avoid plaque.

How can I remove plaque from my teeth?

One of the best ways to remove plaque is with your good old toothbrush and floss. By brushing twice a day and flossing every day, you can remove the plaque from your teeth on a daily basis. Also, consider getting an electric toothbrush – they’ve been proven to remove more plaque from teeth than regular toothbrushes.

However, sometimes plaque becomes so severe that it solidifies into tartar, and when this happens, no amount of brushing or flossing will remove it. In this case, the only way to remove it is with a visit to the dentist. The procedure to remove tartar is a scale and polish. In the first step, the dentist will scrape away the tartar from your teeth (the scaling), and in the second step, the dentist will polish your teeth to remove stains.

Even if you don’t have tartar on your teeth, it’s still a good idea to go the dentist regularly. A dentist can perform an in-depth examination of your teeth and can let you know if you have any plaque. If you’re concerned about plaque or tartar on your teeth, then don’t delay in making an appointment with us. We’re also here for your routine dental appointments – just contact one of our friendly receptionists on 01282 428435.