Every part of your day-to-day dental routine is designed to protect your smile from harmful oral bacteria. Unfortunately, this is a never ending battle, because oral bacteria is always building up in your mouth, and clinging to your teeth and gums in the form of plaque.
Today our Toluca Lake dentist office is going through the dangers that plaque presents, and what you can do to minimize these issues. We hope that, after reading this article, you will be able to better keep plaque at bay, as much as possible.
We all have harmful bacteria in our mouths—it’s impossible to totally get rid of these buggers. And in fact, every time that we eat and drink, the oral bacteria in our mouths feed on these substances, and consequently multiply.
Bacteria congeal into a sticky substance called plaque. Plaque allows the bacteria to sit right on the dental enamel and gum tissue, and cause all sorts of problems. Plaque build-up can eventually lead to:
· Chronic bad breath
· A sticky, grimy feeling mouth
· Enamel destruction and dental cavities
· Dental staining and discoloration
· Gum disease (which may cause bleeding gum tissue, receding gums, and even tooth loss)
Obviously we all want to avoid these oral health issues. That is why it is so important to brush and floss exactly as your dentist recommends. You also need to maintain a consistent schedule of professional dental cleanings (for most patients this means seeing your dentist every six months). If you feel, after following these measures, that your smile still isn’t clean, please talk to your dentist about what more you can do to protect your teeth and gums.
Our Toluca Lake dentist office has all sorts of recommendations and information to share with you. Just give our dental team a call to get started right away.