{"id":186,"date":"2017-06-13T17:26:31","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T17:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dentalgroupwest.com\/blog\/?p=186"},"modified":"2021-08-30T15:17:12","modified_gmt":"2021-08-30T15:17:12","slug":"dentist-in-toledo-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dentalgroupwest.com\/blog\/dentist-in-toledo-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Fighting Plaque Accumulation with Your Dentist in Toledo"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Your<\/a>After eating or drinking something, you may feel a slimy, thick film over your teeth. That usually prompts some of us to brush our teeth right away or even take a napkin and rub the film off our teeth. That sticky substance is called plaque. This is the stuff you\u2019re trying to remove every time you brush and floss \u2014 sometimes you can\u2019t see it, but it\u2019s still important to remove it. Although plaque is natural, it\u2019s one of your smile\u2019s worst enemies. But why? Your dentist in Toledo explains how plaque can harm your teeth and gums and what Dental Group West can do to help you.<\/p>\n

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What is plaque?<\/h2>\n

Plaque is a sticky film that is constantly forming on your teeth. It\u2019s made of dental bacteria, leftover food, and other harmful debris. Although this is a natural process for your body, you shouldn\u2019t neglect plaque buildup! These bacteria are damaging and you don\u2019t want to give them the chance to move in and take over.<\/p>\n

How does plaque harm the body?<\/h2>\n

Removing plaque is the whole point of your dental routine at home. If you neglect your dental routine or regular professional cleaning, you will activate the immune system unnecessarily, which leads to inflammation in the body. Long term inflammation in the body can develop deadly systematic diseases that affect your overall health.<\/p>\n

How does plaque form in the mouth?<\/h2>\n

The bacteria in your mouth have a heyday when you eat \u2014 the food you eat gets broken down and the bacteria feast on simple sugars. The acid excreted by bacteria after they consume sugars is their waste product and the stuff that leads to bad breath, tooth decay, destruction of enamel, and cavities.<\/p>\n

Dun, dun, dun! It gets worse\u2026if you don\u2019t remove plaque promptly, it starts to harden. Then it becomes literally impossible to remove with just a toothbrush and floss. This hardened plaque is called tartar.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the best way to effectively remove plaque?<\/h2>\n

You want to catch plaque in its earliest stages \u2014 before it turns to tartar. Brushing and flossing scrub away plaque before it can cause much damage. But what if you don\u2019t floss? You should start! If you\u2019re not flossing, you\u2019re leaving behind most of this plaque. In fact, if you skip flossing, you\u2019re not cleaning 35% of your smile\u2019s surfaces.<\/p>\n

What is the best way to prevent plaque buildup?<\/h2>\n

If you want to avoid dental problems by staying two steps ahead of plaque accumulation, follow these helpful tips:<\/p>\n