Preventing and Addressing Plaque and Tartar Buildups: Maintaining Healthy Teeth and Gums for a Beautiful Smile

A lot of people do not visit a dentist every year. This results in dental hygiene issues such as tooth decay, gum disease, and cavities. Although tooth brushing and flossing the teeth regularly can help prevent these issues, it is not enough to prevent them. Without dental cleanings, plaque and tartar can form and cause more serious dental problems. A dental professional who specializes in family dentistry in Weston, MA will always recommend visiting them at least two times every year for dental cleanings and exams. This preventative step is necessary to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

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How Plaque and Tartar Form

Plaque forms because of bacteria and the food you eat. Sugary foods are the most common culprit for plaque formation. Food particles collect around your gum line, leaving the gums sensitive and inflamed. When left untreated, plaque buildup can lead to severe teeth and gum damage such as tooth loss or gum bleeding.

When addressed immediately, plaque can be eliminated easily. However, once has built up and hardened, they turn into tartar that only an in-office teeth cleaning can remove. Tartar causes teeth discoloration, cavities, and gum disease.

How to Eliminate Plaque and Tartar

Although plaque and tartar can lead to serious damage in the mouth, they can be treated. The sooner they are treated, the less damage they do. However, if plaque and tartar have been damaged, you must take steps to improve how you care for your teeth to prevent more buildup. Depending on how serious your buildup is and your current dental care, below are options to address dental plaque and tartar:

Brushing and flossing the teeth regularly. To prevent the formation of plaque and tartar, brush and floss your teeth regularly. Do this twice every day to maintain a healthy and beautiful smile. This practice can eliminate plaque before it becomes tartar. But you must brush your teeth properly and for at least two minutes each time. Also, you must replace your toothbrush regularly to make sure its bristles are strong enough to dislodge food debris stuck between your teeth.
Pick the right dental products. The toothbrushes and toothpaste you use should be those that can effectively fight plaque and tartar buildup. Although a toothbrush with hard bristles can hurt your gums and lead to bleeding, very soft bristles may not effectively get rid of the food particles. Picking toothpaste meant to fight buildup can help you have a history of target and gum issues. Your dentist can educate you about the best dental products to use to maintain your oral health. For toothpaste, they may recommend one that contains fluoride and pyrophosphate.
Schedule routine dental examinations and cleanings. Professional dental cleanings target hard-to-reach areas where plaque and tartar may have built up. Your dentist can easily spot and target these areas. For tartar buildups, in-office cleanings might be your only option to eliminate them. Additionally, regular dental examinations will let your dentist notice any possible issues before they become serious. They can spot tartar before it does damage to your teeth and gums.
Minimize sugar consumption. Tartar buildup can lead to gum bleeding, soreness, loose teeth, or damaged teeth. If you have suffered from any of these issues, you may need to change your diet. Sugary foods tend to leave behind sugar inside your mouth that bacteria feed on. Even if you brush your teeth every day, this may not eliminate all the sugars in your mouth, causing plaque to build up continuously whenever you consume anything with sugar. But you can avoid these issues when you change your diet like consuming water instead of sodas or juices.