Dental Health: What Is Plaque?
- Date: 2007-05-07 - Word Count: 603
Share This!
If no action is taken to maintain proper dental health care, acid will form and attack the tooth enamel, allowing tooth decay to penetrate into the softer tissue inside the tooth. If the decay is not treated in its early stages, it will progress to the tooth pulp, a soft tissue containing nerves, arteries, veins and lymph vessels. Eventually, an abscess will begin to form at the root - and unless endodontic (root canal) treatment is carried out, the tooth will be lost.
Plaque must be removed daily, if not, the irritants in plaque can cause swollen, red, bleeding gums. These conditions occur when plaque hardens and forms tartar (calculus) that collects around the tooth under the gum line, causing the gum to pull away from the tooth. Pockets form between the tooth and under the gum line. Plaque and its harmful by-products move down along the tooth towards the roots. When the bone is eaten away, the tooth, with little support, will become loose and fall out. Gum disease (periodontal disease) is one of the main causes of tooth loss in adults. However, if it is detected in time, it can be treated. Practising proper dental health care, you will be able to notice any warning signs of tooth decay.
Food is a huge contributing factor in causing plaque formation on teeth. Sticky, sugary foods are the traditional cause of tooth decay. However, over the past decade, scientific thinking about the connection between diet and tooth decay has changed quite appreciably. Dentists no longer talk about foods being good or bad for teeth. How often you eat and how long food remains in the mouth are considerations that are just as important as what you actually eat.
A bacterial deposit (plaque) constantly forms on the tooth surfaces. The bacteria in plaque thrive on refined carbohydrates (especially sugar) that are converted into acid. This acid damages the tooth enamel and erodes it until a cavity (caries) forms. Dental scientists have found that these bacteria can use either natural or processed sugars. Sugar in an apple is as likely to cause tooth decay as sugar in a chocolate bar. Furthermore, the simple starches in foods such as bread, cake or cereals are broken down by salivary enzymes into the same kinds of sugars that generate the formation of acids. The main problem with sticky confectionery, such as toffee or dried fruit and with long-lasting boiled sweets, is that they remain in the mouth (and release sugar) for a long time, thereby increasing the likelihood of tooth decay. It is best, therefore, to eat sweets in moderation and to brush and floss your teeth regularly. If you must have sugary foods, restrict their consumption to immediately after meals, when increased saliva production makes them less harmful.
Another point often overlooked in dental health care for children is that children older than one year old should not be put to bed with feeding bottles containing fruit juice, sweetened tea, flavoured or sweetened milk, or even cows milk. The flow of saliva slows during sleep and the liquid can stagnate on the teeth. The sooner a mother starts cleaning a child's teeth - even if it is breastfed - the less chance of it developing tooth decay from food and drinks.
Foods that promote dental health care and especially lessen plaque formation are raw vegetables, nuts, popcorn, plain yoghurt and cheese. In fact, cheese is not only considered one of the best sources of calcium (a nutrient essential for healthy bones and teeth), but research has also shown that certain types - for example, aged Cheddar - protects the teeth against the acids that cause tooth decay.
Plaque must be removed daily, if not, the irritants in plaque can cause swollen, red, bleeding gums. These conditions occur when plaque hardens and forms tartar (calculus) that collects around the tooth under the gum line, causing the gum to pull away from the tooth. Pockets form between the tooth and under the gum line. Plaque and its harmful by-products move down along the tooth towards the roots. When the bone is eaten away, the tooth, with little support, will become loose and fall out. Gum disease (periodontal disease) is one of the main causes of tooth loss in adults. However, if it is detected in time, it can be treated. Practising proper dental health care, you will be able to notice any warning signs of tooth decay.
Food is a huge contributing factor in causing plaque formation on teeth. Sticky, sugary foods are the traditional cause of tooth decay. However, over the past decade, scientific thinking about the connection between diet and tooth decay has changed quite appreciably. Dentists no longer talk about foods being good or bad for teeth. How often you eat and how long food remains in the mouth are considerations that are just as important as what you actually eat.
A bacterial deposit (plaque) constantly forms on the tooth surfaces. The bacteria in plaque thrive on refined carbohydrates (especially sugar) that are converted into acid. This acid damages the tooth enamel and erodes it until a cavity (caries) forms. Dental scientists have found that these bacteria can use either natural or processed sugars. Sugar in an apple is as likely to cause tooth decay as sugar in a chocolate bar. Furthermore, the simple starches in foods such as bread, cake or cereals are broken down by salivary enzymes into the same kinds of sugars that generate the formation of acids. The main problem with sticky confectionery, such as toffee or dried fruit and with long-lasting boiled sweets, is that they remain in the mouth (and release sugar) for a long time, thereby increasing the likelihood of tooth decay. It is best, therefore, to eat sweets in moderation and to brush and floss your teeth regularly. If you must have sugary foods, restrict their consumption to immediately after meals, when increased saliva production makes them less harmful.
Another point often overlooked in dental health care for children is that children older than one year old should not be put to bed with feeding bottles containing fruit juice, sweetened tea, flavoured or sweetened milk, or even cows milk. The flow of saliva slows during sleep and the liquid can stagnate on the teeth. The sooner a mother starts cleaning a child's teeth - even if it is breastfed - the less chance of it developing tooth decay from food and drinks.
Foods that promote dental health care and especially lessen plaque formation are raw vegetables, nuts, popcorn, plain yoghurt and cheese. In fact, cheese is not only considered one of the best sources of calcium (a nutrient essential for healthy bones and teeth), but research has also shown that certain types - for example, aged Cheddar - protects the teeth against the acids that cause tooth decay.
Related Tags: exposed acne solution reviews, exposed acne treatment reviews
Adilene Cowan writes articles on different topics. To know more about exposed skin care review and exposed acne product visit www.squidoo.com/exposedacnetreatment/ Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Dental Insurance For Individual Can Be Of Help At Time
Dental problem may cost one a lot of money and pain. But, practicing a reasonable care could decreas - Personal Trainer For Perfect Health
There is a general misconception that need for a fitness trainer comes for novice or from those who - Varicose Veins - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The majority of people after thirty notice the changes that appear with the maturing. In this case t - Scenar Therapy - Self-treatment Or Healing Partnership
Do you want to learn about a device which will help you to ease your pain? If you get this kind of a - Scenar - 5 "no, Nos" Of Scenar
Are you fed up with the pain in your body? Various parts of our body seem to ache due to different r - Scenar Device - 5 Tips On Travelling With Your Scenar (skenar) Device
You might be aware of scenar which has become quite popular these days. This is actually the acronym - Scenar Therapy - How To Treat Your Pet With Scenar
There are many alternative methods of treatment that are being invented these days. Lots of people a - Your Options For The Treatment For Appendicitis
Appendicitis is considered to be a surgical illness. Due to its severe character, the treatment for - How To Choose The Right Copd Medication
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD does not have any cure. But with the help of medicines - Septic Arthritis: Infectious Agents Penetrate Joints' Spaces
Another major type of arthritis is septic arthritis, which is also known in various terms like: pyog
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Drugs - the Last Alternative for Adhd in Kids
Anyone over the age of thirty who has grown up with ADHD understands that there was not much help av - Foods To Eat To Gain Weight
Malnutrition has the same degree of problem as obesity. There are people who are too skinny, they fi - Understanding Postpartum Clothing
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity - Kegel Exercising for Bladder Control and Enhanced Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, thereby improving the urethra and/or rec - The Use Of Weight Loss Herbs
Nothing has garnered more attention in today's world than the success or failures of weight loss pro - A Simple Acid Relux Cure
Many people today are afflicted with heartburn. If they eat food that is too spicy, they get heartbu - Five Effective Household Back Pain Treatments
Back pain treatment comes in lots of forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Standard and most wides - Herbal Remedies - Can They Cure What Ails You?
You've probably heard about herbal remedies before and how they can treat a variety of health proble - Natural Relief for Tinnitus - What are your Choices
Natural Relief For Tinnitus - Alternative Options Did you know that there are an estimated 50 t - Birthing Around the World
Since ancestral times, different cultures showed off different customs and beliefs around the miracl