No matter how meticulous you are about dental hygiene, your mouth undoubtedly contains millions of bacteria. These tiny micro-organisms thrive in warm, wet, and sweet environs like a mouth and they cause little to no harm in most cases. Read on to find out what can happen when those relatively docile bacteria levels begin to rise and create more and more dental problems.
The Formation of Plaque on Your Teeth
Bacteria that are not removed in a timely manner can turn into acid. In most cases, basic activities like eating and drinking will produce bacteria that become acid. This acid sticks to your teeth in a way that becomes more and more difficult to remove with brushing and flossing. Once it gets hard, this substance is known as plaque. If bacteria in large amounts can be bad for your teeth, plaque in almost any amount is not just bad but very bad for your teeth and your gums.
Take Action to Stop the Plaque
If left on teeth, plaque can cause both cavities and gum diseases. Those things, in turn, can lead to more serious disorders like the deterioration of your jawbones and serious life-threatening infections. You can stop the train of destruction by taking a few simple measures to control the growth of bacteria and to vanquish plaque and gum problems before they worsen.
Remove Bacteria
Brushing is a simple thing to do that will get rid of almost all excess bacteria. It's important not to leave food and drink remains on your teeth for long periods of time so be sure you brush after eating and before you go to bed. Plaque tends to fester at the gum line, so concentrate on brushing (gently) those places in particular.
Get In-between Your Teeth
Flossing should accompany every brushing. You should be able to move the floss easily between each of your teeth. Be sure to see the dentist when you note signs of bleeding. A bit of red on the floss could mean the beginnings of gum disease.
Food and Drink
Even the foods you like differs in the way bacteria react to them. As you might expect, sweets create the most bacteria but carbs are almost as bad. On the other hand, fresh fruit and vegetables can be consumed without causing your mouth to become a bacterial production line. Fibrous foods like broccoli provide another benefit – they increase saliva which helps wash bacteria from teeth.
See Your Dentist
It all starts and ends with good dental care that includes regular cleanings and exams. You can head off serious problems by catching them early and there are things only your dental hygienist and dentist will be able to see and take action on. To find out more, speak to a local dentist.
Share18 November 2020
Do you have "bad teeth"? I do. Ever since I was a kid, every checkup turns up a number of issues ranging from cavities to dental fractures. It has always been frustrating to keep my smile in decent shape, which is one of the reasons I started focusing on understanding different dental problems. I wanted to know what I was getting into when I visited the doctor, so I began focusing on learning as much as I could. I wanted to create this blog all about dentistry so that other people could find out what to expect when they head to the dentist. Check it out!
