Plaque and calculus

If you attend your Dentist Epping, you more than likely know that you should be brushing and flossing your teeth daily. But what exactly are you trying to remove with that brushing and flossing? Knowing the answer will make it easier for you to carry out your daily cleaning more diligently – and help you remember to do it every single day as you should.

Plaque is a soft, sticky coating of toxin-producing bacteria produced when you eat. Though unseen, plaque sticks to your teeth and along your gum line. It is removed when you clean and floss your teeth regularly, as your Dentist Epping recommends.

Problems start if the plaque is not cleaned off regularly. It will irritate and inflame gum tissue and teeth over time, and cause tooth decay. Eventually, plaque combines with minerals in saliva and hardens to form what is known as calculus on the teeth. Calculus gradually grows thicker and forms a rough surface on the teeth that is ideal for more plaque to be deposited on – which can, eventually, become more calculus. Like plaque, calculus also contains toxin-producing bacteria that further inflame gum tissue and, over time, cause gum disease. Plaque also makes gums recede from teeth.

Calculus can not be cleaned off at home by tooth brushing and flossing; it requires a particular dental procedure.

If, however, plaque and calculus are not removed from teeth, they cause gingivitis and, eventually, periodontal disease – neither of which you want to have.

So, to avoid these unpleasant scenarios, brush the sides and tops of your teeth carefully twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss between them once a day. That way, you will remove the plaque that quite naturally formed there. Visit your Dentist Epping for regular check-ups so he or she can check for any plaque you’ve missed or calculus that might have begun to develop. Your teeth will be thoroughly cleaned, and your oral health will continue.

But, as you now know why you are brushing and flossing every day, the best thing to do is to brush and floss diligently and thoroughly every day. Then you’ll have a lifetime of sound oral health.