4 Oral Habits That Speed Up the Formation of Dental Plaque
When you touch your teeth with your tongue and feel a rough texture, what you are feeling is usually dental plaque. Plaque is a harmful film on your teeth filled with bacteria, food debris and acids that can damage your teeth. Although plaque forms on teeth naturally throughout the day, some of your oral habits may speed up its formation.
Since plaque is responsible for tooth decay and gum disease, the less you have of it on your teeth, the better. The following four oral habits all increase the speed of plaque formation and put you at greater risk of tooth decay.
1. Smoking
Did you know that nicotine reduces the flow of saliva? And did you know that saliva helps to slow the formation of plaque? Saliva slows plaque formation by washing food debris and bacteria from the surface of teeth. Saliva is also an effective antibacterial that can keep bacteria numbers down. If you reduce saliva flow in your mouth by smoking, you increase your risk of plaque formation too.
2. Eating junk food
Junk food contains lots of carbs and simple sugars. Carbs and simple sugars are very easy for oral bacteria to break down and digest. If you feed oral bacteria simple sugars, they'll reproduce faster, and this will increase the amount of plaque on your teeth. And the white bread used for burgers sticks to your teeth, giving oral bacteria a ready source of food throughout the day.
3. Drinking sugary soft drinks
As mentioned in the previous point, simple sugars are easy for oral bacteria to digest. Soft drinks contain a lot of simple sugars. Not only that, but soft drinks are also acidic and can damage tooth enamel. When enamel breaks down due to high acidity, the surface becomes rough. Plaque and bacteria can stick to teeth more easily when the surface of teeth is rough.
4. Drinking very little water each day
Drink more water and your body will stay hydrated and be able to produce a steady flow of saliva, which helps to reduce plaque. If you don't drink enough water per day, you'll produce less saliva and thus have more plaque on your teeth.
If you want to reduce the amount of plaque on the surface of your teeth each day, stop these oral habits. And remember to see your dentist at least once a year for a dental cleaning. Dental cleanings remove plaque and tartar, protecting your teeth from cavities and tooth decay in the process.
Share
