Our Family Dentist in Methuen Explains the Danger of Dental Plaque
Our Methuen family dentist has seen many patients that suffer from a buildup of plaque. Dental plaque can be extremely damaging to your teeth and to the health of your gums. It is important to remove dental plaque on a daily basis and keep up with your dental checkups to keep plaque levels at bay.
What is dental plaque?
Dental plaque is a thin biofilm of bacteria that covers the surface area of teeth. It is made up of hundreds of different kinds of bacteria that feed off of the sugars in our mouth (through the foods and beverages we consume). These bacteria create an acidic byproduct which continuously attacks the enamel of our teeth.
How is dental plaque removed?
The best way to remove dental plaque is by brushing your teeth twice daily, and flossing once a day. Brushing helps to remove 65% of the bacteria on the surface of your teeth. However, brushing alone is not enough. Unfortunately, the toothbrush cannot access certain areas of the mouth.
This is why our family dentist in Methuen warns that flossing is just as important as brushing. Dental floss can access the areas of the mouth that the toothbrush cannot reach; for example, between the teeth and along the gum line. Flossing plays an important role in the prevention of gum disease.
Aside from good oral hygiene, keeping up with dental checkups is another important step to keep dental plaque levels low. Even with careful brushing and flossing, plaque can still buildup. However, if you keep up with your dental checkups, your hygienist can remove and plaque that has been left behind.
What happens if dental plaque is not removed?
If dental plaque isn’t removed, it can cause a number of oral health issues. It can lead to gum disease, dental decay, and eventually even tooth loss.
Plaque that isn’t removed will eventually transform into tartar, which is even more difficult to remove. This is even more difficult to remove and you will probably need to visit Dr. Sandler to have it eliminated.
If you are in need of a dental checkup, or if you think you have plaque buildup, be sure to contact our family dentist in Methuen by calling (978) 683-3343 to schedule an appointment.
