Tooth care is not just about keeping your pearly whites shining bright, but also about ensuring that your gums are healthy and disease free. Tartar and plaque are among the most common dental problems you can experience. Plaque is a sticky and thin film comprising of living and dead bacteria that forms on the teeth, gums and tongue and needs to be removed constantly. It can harden within forty eight hours and if left untouched for 12 days, plaque can become solid. You can blame problems like cavities and gum disease on plaque, and it can cause more and more damage the longer it remains in the mouth. It leads to gum disease like redness, bleeding and inflammation and can even destroy the bone keeps the teeth roots in place.
Plaque is caused by unhealthy food choices (sugary and starchy foods), heredity, wrong brushing techniques, lack of dental flossing, and infrequent visits to the dentist. Maintain good oral hygiene, like brushing every morning and night without fail and by using the right technique and brush. You should also floss, brush or scrape your tongue, and clean your mouth well after eating anything. Always use a soft, rounded-tip bristled toothbrush and particularly clean the space where the gums and teeth meet. Opt for fluoride-containing toothpaste to brush your teeth. Make it a point to visit the dentist at least once every six months.
You can also use some home remedies to get rid of the plaque and tartar. One of these remedies is eating spicy food! Spicy food stimulates the salivary glands, which produce enough saliva to clean up the teeth and gums and fight decay. Vitamin C removes plaque on the teeth and hence you can apply strawberries or tomatoes on your teeth, leave it on for five minutes and wash off with warm water with baking soda added to it. You can also rub orange peels on the teeth directly and let it stay overnight to fight microorganisms. You can make your own mouthwash with 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of baking soda, a teaspoon of aloe vera gel, four teaspoons of vegetable glycerin, and ten drops of lemon essential oil. Mix all the ingredients well, store the liquid and use it on a daily basis. Eat an apple an hour post your meal. It will clean your teeth and keep the gums healthy. Just like apples, munching on any kind of melon (musk melon or water melon) an hour after the meal prevents plaque and bleeding gums.