What Is Plaque, And Why Is It Bad?

You know that plaque is bad because everyone says it’s bad. You need to brush your teeth and floss every day or else there will be plaque and tartar and cavities and your teeth will ache forever. But how do these things add up, exactly?

Plaque is, simply put, a thin film of bacteria which can build up on your teeth. These bacteria survive by eating two things: sugar and enamel, the outer layer of every tooth. You can never get rid of these bacteria completely, but by brushing after meals and flossing to get rid of the buildup between your teeth, you can remove plaque and slow down the bacteria’s effects. Fluoride can also help repair the damage the bacteria cause, including the fluoride in water, in many kinds of toothpaste, and in the fluoride treatments you can get at the dentist.

Tartar is the next step after plaque. The minerals which the bacteria eat don’t simply disappear, and so the bacteria’s waste can wind up as deposits around the gum line which serve as breeding grounds for even more bacteria. Because tartar is made up of the same stuff as your teeth, brushing isn’t enough to get rid of it, and so you need a professional dental hygienist’s help to scrape it away.

Both plaque and tartar stain easily, which isn’t good for your smile, but what’s worse is the effect they have on your teeth and gums. Regarding the teeth themselves, tartar buildup indicates that the bacteria is eating its way through the enamel and may reach the dentin, a material which is slightly softer and more sensitive than enamel and acts as a buffer between the mineral tooth exterior and the living pulp at the center.

Tartar can also cause gingivitis by infecting the gums and causing them to both swell and recede away from the roots of your teeth. Between the infection and the general excess of bacteria, gingivitis is also well known for causing bad breath on top of everything else.

If your dental situation decays even farther, your gingivitis will become periodontitis. This is a more severe form of the same thing, and so on top of receding, inflamed gums and bad breath, your gums may start to actively bleed, your teeth will start to hurt just from chewing, and an exposed tooth may come loose and fall out all on its own.

One of our senses is limited to our mouths, and another one plays a big role in figuring out what things are good to eat. At the same time, texture is just as important as smell, and without our teeth the one texture we’d be able to swallow would be “predigested slime.” That’s why it’s important to keep your teeth in the best shape possible, and since the bacteria that eat your teeth are relentless, you owe it to yourself to be just as uncompromising in cleaning them off.