What Is Plaque—and How Can You Remove It From Your Teeth?
Drazen_ / Getty Images
Medically reviewed by Edmund Khoo, DDS
Dental plaque is a sticky, colorless film made of bacteria that builds up on your teeth. When left untreated, plaque can contribute to tooth decay and potentially gum disease.
You can typically remove plaque with regular dental care. Experts recommend brushing your teeth for at least two minutes twice a day and flossing gently at least once a day.
Symptoms of Dental Plaque
Plaque is sticky and soft, and it can feel fuzzy to the touch. It is typically colorless, so it may be difficult to see. You can stain plaque to make it more visible by brushing with special disclosing toothpaste or chewing disclosing tablets after brushing your teeth.
A build-up of plaque, even for a short time, can start to cause oral symptoms. Some signs you may have dental plaque that needs to be addressed include:
Bad breath or taste that doesn’t go away
Bleeding gums
Swollen, red, or tender gums
What Causes Dental Plaque?
Everyone has bacteria in their mouth. These bacteria can be helpful or harmful. When you consume foods or drinks that contain carbohydrates (sugars or starches), some bacteria use those carbohydrates to produce acids.
When these acids mix with other food pieces, bacteria, and saliva, they produce plaque. This process begins within 20 minutes of eating.
Plaque vs. Tartar
Plaque can irritate your gums and lead to mild stages of gum disease, but you can usually treat it at home by brushing and flossing each day. If plaque is left untreated, it can harden into tartar, also known as calculus.
Tartar can contribute to more severe forms of gum disease that may eventually lead to tooth loss. You’ll need to receive a professional cleaning from a dentist or dental hygienist to get rid of tartar.
Complications of Dental Plaque
When left untreated, dental plaque can lead to more serious dental conditions like gum disease and tooth decay.
Gum Disease
Plaque can harden below the gum line, leading to irritation, redness, and swelling. The gums may start to bleed easily, especially when brushing or flossing. All of these are symptoms of gingivitis, a mild type of gum disease.
Left untreated, gingivitis can progress into more severe forms of gum disease. Advanced stages of gum disease can cause sore gums, pain during chewing, loose teeth, and tooth loss.
Tooth Decay
The acids in plaque can damage your teeth and create holes called cavities. Left untreated, a cavity can lead to a tooth fracture or an infection called a tooth abscess.
Ultimately, decay may destroy the inside of your tooth. In this case, you’ll need extensive treatment or you may need the tooth removed.
Early signs of tooth decay might include white, brown, or black spots on the tooth. Having tooth pain or sensitivity may also be a sign you are experiencing tooth decay.
How to Remove Plaque From Teeth
Taking care of your mouth each day—and getting professional care when necessary—can stop plaque from taking a toll on your teeth.
Brush Your Teeth
Dentists recommend gently brushing your teeth at least twice a day using fluoride toothpaste since fluoride helps prevent tooth decay. The head of your toothbrush should have medium to soft, rounded bristles that easily reach every surface in your mouth.
Here are a few other ways to improve your brushing habits:
Angle the bristles of your toothbrush towards your gum line. This way, you'll clean between your teeth and gums.
Brush for at least two minutes per session.
Use small, circular motions. Don’t scrub hard, as this can damage your teeth.
Brush all sides of every tooth—even ones that already have fillings. Teeth with fillings can still experience new tooth decay.
Don’t forget to brush your tongue.
Always brush before bed, and don't eat or drink anything (aside from water) afterward.
Brush your teeth (or at least rinse with water) after eating chewy or sticky foods.
Consider getting an electric toothbrush, since they tend to remove more plaque than manual toothbrushes.
Get a new toothbrush (or toothbrush head, in the case of an electric toothbrush) as soon as the bristles become worn. Typically, this will happen within three or four months.
Since plaque is colorless, it can be hard to tell whether all of it has been removed. If this is a concern for you, consider brushing with a special disclosing toothpaste or chewing disclosing tablets after brushing your teeth. This will stain plaque, and you can brush your teeth again over the colored areas to get rid of it.
Floss
Experts recommend flossing gently at least once a day to clean food particles and plaque from between your teeth. If you find it hard to hold string floss, try one of the following:
Use a floss holder so you don’t have to wrap floss around your fingers.
Use a plastic or wooden dental pick.
Use a water flosser to clean between your teeth with sprays of water.
Use tiny interdental brushes to brush between your teeth.
Get Routine Dental Care
Experts recommend seeing a dentist for a checkup and cleaning at least once every six months. You may want to see a dentist more often if you have symptoms of gum disease.
If you have dental insurance, make sure to check with your insurance provider that your dentist is covered within your plan. Even with insurance, dental care isn’t always cheap, but there are resources to make it more affordable:
Most dental schools offer clinics staffed by students and professors, where you can receive dental care at reduced prices (or even for free).
The Health Resources and Services Administration offers a directory of clinics for people who are eligible for medical care at reduced costs. Many of these clinics offer dental care.
Your state dental association, or your state or local health department, may refer you to affordable dental care in your area.
Get Professional Treatment
Sometimes routine care is not enough. You might need more extensive treatment if your plaque has hardened into tartar or led to advanced stages of gum disease.
For example, you may be prescribed medication or given a deep cleaning. In rare cases, you may need surgery.
How to Prevent Dental Plaque
Everyone gets plaque, which is why brushing and flossing are so important. However, there are some ways to reduce the amount of plaque you develop.
Adjust Your Diet
To reduce plaque formation, you may want to cut down on sugars, starches, and sticky foods. Carbohydrates can trigger the development of plaque, and sticky foods stay on your teeth longer.
When you do have carbohydrates or chewy or sticky foods, it’s better to have them as part of a meal instead of a snack. Frequent snacking means acids spend more time on your teeth, which increases your risk of plaque. For the same reason, it’s best not to spend a lot of time sipping sugary drinks or sucking on mints or candy.
Use Fluoride
Drinking fluoridated water and brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste can help strengthen your teeth and control plaque. Mouth rinses with fluoride may also be helpful.
Many dentists offer fluoride treatments during cleanings. However, this is not a replacement for daily fluoride exposure. To improve your daily fluoride use, you can ask your dentist for a higher-strength fluoride toothpaste or mouth rinse by prescription.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings dentists apply to the chewing surfaces of your back teeth. Sealants help protect your teeth from germs, food, and plaque.
Sealants are most often given to children. However, they can also be given to adults who don’t already have decay in their back teeth.
Other Considerations
Here are a few other habits to follow if you want to reduce dental plaque:
Clean your retainers, dentures, and other appliances regularly. If you have braces, you are at a higher risk of plaque buildup.
Quit or refrain from smoking tobacco. Smoking can worsen plaque, making it a significant cause of gum disease.
Consider changing your medication if it gives you dry mouth. Having less saliva can lead to plaque buildup. If you can't change your medication, you should drink more water and only chew sugarless gum. Make sure to talk to your healthcare provider before adjusting your medication.
Limit alcohol, since it can contribute to plaque buildup.
Manage your diabetes if you have it. Diabetes can increase the amount of plaque you develop.
While these habits can help reduce or manage plaque buildup, no method of prevention is a substitute for daily brushing and flossing. Keeping with your daily oral hygiene is the main defense against plaque and other oral concerns.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
As previously noted, experts typically recommend seeing a dentist at least once every six months. However, you may need to see a dentist more often if you have gum disease.
You should also contact a dentist if you have symptoms of tooth decay or gum disease, such as:
Bleeding in the gums while brushing
Chronic bad breath
Loose or drifting teeth
Swollen or red gums
Tooth pain or aching
Tooth sensitivity to hot or cold food or drinks
Visible holes, pits, or dark spots in your tooth
A Quick Review
Dental plaque is a film of bacteria that can collect on your teeth. Left untreated, it increases your risk of gum disease and tooth decay.
You can manage plaque by brushing and flossing regularly, making some dietary and lifestyle changes, and getting professional treatment as needed. Don’t forget to see your dentist regularly, especially if you show signs of gum disease or tooth decay.
For more Health.com news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Health.com.
