Teeth Have Feelings Too: Plaque – The Smile’s Enemy

We love our kids and often display our affection and love towards our children by giving them chocolates, candies, juices, popsicles, desserts, etc. These things have become their lifeline. How often do we check these sugary devils, who enter our child’s mouth? Very few, because we never want to to put a stop on the enjoyment that our child gets from eating these sugar devils.

Plaque:

Plaque is a sticky transparent film that forms on teeth and between teeth, both above and below the gum line.

How does it develop?

Plaque develops when foods containing sugar and starches are frequently left on the teeth. Bacteria that live in the mouth feast on these foods, producing acids as a result.

Adverse effects of Plaque:

The texture of the Plaque is very slimy and sticky. This helps the acid that is released by the bacteria present in the mouth come in contact with our teeth. This again results in the breakdown of our teeth enamel and causes tooth decay and cavities. It also aids in demineralizing it’s a protective coating.

Plaque cause teeth to feel fizzy or rough if it sediments on it.

The Plaque has some dangerous effects too. It causes periodontal diseases and inflammation of gums. This Plaque through gum bleeding travels into the bloodstream and clog arteries causing cardiovascular disease.

If the Plaque stays for the long term, then it hardens and turns into a yellowish color hard substance called calculus is more commonly known as a starter. This starter does not go on its own, and professional help is needed to remove it.

Plaque is also associated with bad breath or a foul smell from the mouth. People who suffer from plate also suffer from bad breath due to the presence of bacteria, which leads to the formation of toxins, thus giving a bad smell from your mouth. Plaque also harms the root of the tooth under the gum and can cause the breaking of the tooth bone, which supports the tooth.

How to get rid of Plaque?

If we want our children to get rid of Plaque, the first thing which we should do is to teach them about having a balanced diet and limit the number of snacks and sugar-rich drinks. Choose nutritious foods and vegetables that help in removing food and improve the saliva in neutralizing Plaque, causing acids.

If the child is suffering from Plaque, and we as parents want to get their beautiful, radiant smile back on their face, then we have to take care of their dental habits and oral hygiene. The most common way to treat Plaque is regular brushing and flossing of the teeth. If there are severe conditions of plate, and daily brushing and flossing is not helping then we have to fix an appointment with our friendly best pediatric dentist who will guide us all about proper oral hygiene, brushing techniques like holding your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle against the gum and sweeping the brush away from the gums back and forth or in circular motions and different brushes  best suited to our child’s teeth. It is also advisable to clean and brush the tongue to scrape away the food residues present on the tongue.

It is seen that flossing also plays a significant role in keeping oral hygiene, which many of us neglect. We should also use a mouthwash that targets Plaque and gives us all a hint of fresh breath. The pediatric dentist will identify the severity and provide dental cleaning, which will remove all traces of mouth using his dental techniques and types of equipment skillfully. So visit your pediatric dentist every six months to remove any plaque and tartar that has formed to prevent future problems. A dentist can only give us a thorough professional help to get rid of the issue of the plate because they are the only persons capable of removing entirely any traces of Plaque and tartar, leaving a smooth surface after scaling. They are thus giving your child’s 24-carat smile back.