Plaque on Teeth
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.
Remedies for Removing Plaque and Tartar
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.
Tooth care begins at home. You need to brush and floss your teeth correctly and also go in for regular dental checkups. By doing this, you can help prevent your teeth from decaying and also prevent any kind of gum diseases. If you are afraid of the dentist’s drill and are not looking forward to a visit to your dentist, it makes sense to prevent any dental problems before they begin.
To make sure that you do not get any cavities, you need to remove any plaque that covers your teeth. Plaque is the thin film that forms on your teeth and comprises of dead and living bacteria. If you neglect the plaque formed on your teeth, it hardens and forms tartar which is usually difficult to remove and more damaging. Both plaque and tartar are responsible for any cavities and gum diseases that you may have. If this is left unattended for a longer period, it can lead to more damage. It causes gum diseases, leading to bleeding and inflammation. It could also damage the bone that is responsible for keeping the roots of the teeth in place. Plaque is caused due to some unhealthy choices that we make as far as what we eat is concerned. The starchy and sugary food we consume causes plaque. Plaque is also caused due to incorrect brushing techniques, heredity reasons, and if a person does not floss his/her teeth.
Undoubtedly, the most questions are thus: “How to remove plaque buildup on teeth?” and “How to soften tartar?” Well, you need not worry about how to remove plaque buildup on your teeth or how to soften plaque. In fact, if you are successful in preventing plaque buildup, you will not have to worry about “How to get rid of tartar on the teeth at home” and “How to soften tartar?” This is because, as mentioned earlier, tartar results from the hardening of plaque; hence, if you can get rid of plaque, you won’t need to worry about tarter.
There are many home remedies for removing plaque. Of course, the best thing that you can do to remove plaque is to brush your teeth well. Also, make sure you brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once. Ensure that your toothpaste contains anti-plaque and anti-tartar agents. Also, while brushing your teeth spend extra time and brush your teeth that are closer to your salivary glands. This could be beneficial in slowing the process of tartar formation. Also, make sure your toothbrush has soft bristles that are rounded.
How to get rid of plaque on teeth at home and natural remedies for tartar: There are many effective home remedies that you can use if you are wondering how to remove plaque buildup on teeth or if you are looking for home remedies to remove tartar from your teeth.
One remedy that really works is including spicy food in your diet. Spicy food causes your salivary glands to stimulate and produce saliva to ensure that your gums and teeth are clean and able to fight decay. Another effective home remedy to remove tartar from your teeth involves the intake of vitamin C. Apply the juice of tomatoes or strawberries on your teeth. Then, wash it off after leaving it on for approximately five minutes. You can add baking soda to the warm water used to wash it off. Rubbing the peel of an orange directly onto your teeth and leaving it overnight is another great home remedy to fight microorganisms and remove plaque buildup on your teeth. Also, eating an apple one hour after your meal helps. This ensures that your teeth remain clean and your gums healthy. You can substitute apples with watermelons or muskmelons, which are as effective.
As mentioned before, if you are wondering about how to get rid of plaque buildup on your teeth and at home, you have no reason to worry. You can start by making your mouthwash at home. Take a cup of water and add about half a cup baking soda to it. Then, add aloe vera gel (one teaspoon), vegetable glycerin (four teaspoons), and lemon essential oil (ten drops) to it. Mix this well and store the liquid in a bottle. You can use this homemade mouthwash regularly to prevent and remove plaque buildup on your teeth. To soften plaque, add a tablespoon of baking powder to one cup of water, and add a small pinch of salt to it as well. Use your toothbrush to brush your teeth with this solution.
You could also dip your toothbrush directly into some baking powder and use it to brush your teeth. Black tea (powdered) can also be used to brush your teeth, and it makes for a great remedy to remove plaque and tartar. The fluoride in the black tea helps in suppressing the growth of bacteria that is responsible for bacterial plaque. You can also use a mixture of salt and vinegar to remove tartar. Mix both these with caution and make a paste. You could use this paste to brush your teeth. You may also use diluted vinegar to gargle. Diluted vinegar helps kill bacteria and keeps your mouth fresh.
Lastly, stay away from chips and opt for cheese. Consuming some cheese (five grams) just before your meals helps in the elimination of acid plaque production. It is important that you eat a cheese that is aged such as cheddar as it is believed to perform the job of a buffering agent.
If you find that these home remedies for removing plaque and tartar from your teeth are not giving you the desired results, it is best you check with your dentist as to what can be done. Remember that ignoring the problem will not make it go away. Both tartar and plaque ruin not only the look but also the health of your teeth and gums, not to mention the bad breath that results. In fact, plaque and tarter can cause periodontal disease such as gingivitis in the long run. Therefore, it is to tackle the problem right in the beginning.
To sum up, make sure you take good care of your teeth, especially while cleaning them. Spend some time over the brushing routine instead of rushing through it. Set aside three to four minutes to thoroughly brush your teeth, and ensure that you do so in a methodical and correct manner. These few minutes that you spend every day will ensure that you are free from dental trouble and away from the dentist’s chair. Also, choose your toothbrush with care and ensure that its bristles are well-rounded and soft. You could also speak with your dentist and get a good mouthwash and toothpaste. Lastly, look for an electric brush if you can; electric brushes according to research remove a good percentage of plaque from your teeth and leave you with a winning smile.
