If you rub your tongue over your teeth, the sticky, film-like material you feel is called plaque. While plaque is something you must fight against constantly, it's important to understand the risks of leaving it on your teeth. Plaque can destroy your teeth, but it is also something you can remove by brushing and flossing your teeth and by visiting a dentist for a cleaning and examination.
It Makes Your Breath Smell Bad
Plaque is full of bacteria, and as you can imagine, it stinks. When you do not remove it from your teeth, your breath is more likely to smell bad because of it. Trying to keep your breath fresh is not the easiest task in the world, but it will be a lot easier if you keep the plaque off your teeth as much as possible.
It Yellows Your Teeth
Plaque on your teeth also causes discoloration with your teeth. Plaque is a film. It is sticky. It is smelly. All these characteristics of plaque will cause your teeth to lose the whiteness and brightness they have. If you want whiter teeth, you will need to remove the plaque from them. When you fail to remove plaque, it will slowly harden and turn into something called tartar. Tartar is very hard to remove from teeth, and it too leads to yellowing and discoloration of the teeth.
It Leads to Cavities
The worst risk of leaving plaque on your teeth is the potential for developing cavities. Cavities are made up of decay, and decay occurs when bacteria in plaque eat sugars found in your mouth. If you have plaque on your teeth and eat anything starchy or sugary, you are feeding the bacteria. As this happens, decay will begin forming, and decay eats away at teeth. Failing to remove the decay will cause you to eventually lose your teeth. It's also important to realize that decay on teeth smells really bad too. You will have a very tough time keeping your breath fresh if you let decay remain on your teeth.
Getting a professional teeth-cleaning every six months is one of the best ways to eliminate built-up plaque from your teeth. If you would like to get your teeth cleaned, contact a dental clinic today. They can set up an appointment at a time convenient for your schedule, and this will help you have whiter teeth, fresher breath, and a reduced risk of developing cavities. To learn more, contact a company like Robert J Bauder DMD.