Plaque can cause all kinds of problems with your smile, and in your life, in general. Plaque, as you probably already know, leads to dental cavities as well as gum disease. Additionally, built-up plaque may look unsightly and dark on your teeth, and lead to chronic bad breath.
So what can you do to limit the amount of plaque in your mouth? Our Toluca Lake dentists are here to explain!
Plaque develops every day and every night, as a byproduct of you going through your regular routine. There is no way to totally prevent plaque from developing. There are, however, things that you can do to keep it from building up too much:
1. Keep up with your brushing and flossing routine
This allows you to buff and clear away newly developed plaque before it has a chance to calcify on your smile.
2. See your dentist for professional cleanings
Most dental patients should be completing professional dental cleanings every six months. During these cleanings our team is able to clear away more plaque than you are able to at home, and we can also remove plaque that has hardened onto your enamel.
3. Limit bacteria-feeding foods and drinks
Keep in mind that foods and drinks that have a lot of sugars and refined carbohydrates will allow bacteria to grow even faster in your mouth. Limit these goodies as much as possible.
4. Rinse regularly
In order to refresh your smile throughout the day you can rinse your mouth with water on a regular basis. It is especially helpful to rinse your mouth directly after eating or drinking.
5. Snack on crunchy vegetables
When you chew on crunchy veggies, like carrots and celery, you are actually manually scraping plaque from your dental surfaces. So snack healthy for added dental benefits!
If you want more information about keeping your smile clean and strong, please feel free to call our Toluca Lake dentists!