Plaque – Causes and Management

How to minimise the impact of plaque on your teeth and gums.

It is widely understood that sugar is a problem for teeth, and will eventually lead to tooth decay, particularly if they are not properly cleaned.

Although sugar does play a major role in this, it is not actually the sugar that is directly harmful for your teeth, but the acidic bi-products that are produced by the bacteria that feed off the sugars.

These erode the enamel of the teeth, often leading to decay if not cleaned away in good time.

Plaque

The name ‘plaque’ generally sounds relatively harmless, but it is actually a collection of bacteria that forms a film on your teeth. The more sugars that you consume, the faster the number of bacteria will grow. It should be noted that whilst products such as fizzy and sugary drinks are especially harmful, these are not the only source of sugar and even carbohydrates such as found in bread and pasta will form sugars as they break down. As you can see, even if you eliminated sugar from your diet entirely, you would still need to clean your teeth regularly.

Plaque not only causes tooth decay but will also lead to gingivitis, and, if left untreated, periodontitis. The latter especially is very harmful for your teeth as it damages the bone which holds your teeth in place.

Home and professional teeth cleaning

At the Clock Tower Dental Clinic, we continually encourage our Epsom patients to take responsibility for looking after their teeth well at home. No only does this mean trying to keep sugar consumption down, but also maintaining good personal oral care. A toothbrush that is no more than three months old should be used both morning and last thing at night to remove the plaque from the teeth and gum line.

We also strongly encourage flossing. Although brushing will remove much of the plaque, some inevitably finds its way into the spaces between our teeth where a brush can’t reach. The most straightforward way to keep these areas clean is to use dental floss. Doing so will reduce the chances of decay starting in these areas, and also help to protect against gum disease.

Professional help

However well you clean your teeth at home, there will always be hard to reach places where plaque will collect and eventually form tartar. This is a particularly hard bacterial and mineral collection that simply can’t be removed by brushing. A non invasive scale and polish treatment by our dental hygienist will effectively remove this, helping to achieve a clean bill of health for your mouth.

If you would like any advice on your home oral care, or would like to make an appointment with our hygienist, please call the Clock Tower Dental Clinic in Epsom on 01372 720136.