Have you ever noticed that, as your day goes on, your mouth starts to feel less clean? If so, you might notice that your teeth feel grimy, or that you breath seems stale. This happens because plaque has been building up in your mouth throughout the day—so the longer it has been since you have rinsed or cleaned your mouth, the more you are going to notice the effects of plaque.
Here is some information from our O’Fallon dentist office that will help you monitor and take control of oral plaque. The more you know, the better you can care for your smile!
The Basics
Plaque is a sticky film that houses oral bacteria. Plaque is developing pretty much all of the time in your mouth. Oral bacteria especially love to feed off of the sugars and carbohydrates that you consume. If plaque is not cleared away promptly after it develops, it hardens into a substance called calculus (tartar).
Combat the Plaque
The first thing that you can do to keep plaque at bay is to limit the amount of foods and drinks that you consume with high sugar and carbohydrate counts. Then, keep in mind that plaque needs to be cleared out of your mouth very quickly in order to prevent long-term complications. So brush and floss your teeth exactly as your dentist recommends, and consume a lot of water so that you keep saliva production optimal.
Talk to Your Dentist
If you are having trouble keeping your mouth clean (or you breath fresh), tell your dentist about your concerns. Your dental team will help you craft a plaque-fighting dental routine that meets your needs perfectly.
Our O’Fallon dentist office is happy to give you additional information about how plaque functions, and what you can do to keep it in check. Just call our office to get started!