For the longest time, I thought I had the plague when
my friends used to casually drop a clinical term every time I complained about
this sticky substance coating my teeth.
It wasn’t until I read up and discovered that I wasn’t in fact infected by a
rodent disease and instead had a slightly discomforting oral problem called plaque,
that I heaved a huge sigh of relief.
So since I was enlightened on this matter, it’s my
turn to pass on the favour. Plaque
is a sticky substance that is a by-product of leftover food particles and saliva which forms a layer covering the
teeth. You have to be careful about
removing plaque promptly because the
longer you let it stay inside your mouth,
you run the risk of it turning into tartar
which is that hardened, grotesque thing that makes your teeth look yellow. It is
also what emanates a strong stench
that one can smell from a mile away.
In fact, one of my friends very sweetly cared to point that out to me amidst my
wedding ceremony which has made that day memorable for other reasons. However,
with experience I have learned how to manage this issue better and I can declare
with utmost confidence that you can do away with plaque rather easily.
Every solution starts with the fundamentals and this
one does too. The road to respite from any dental
problem begins with brushing,
rinsing and flossing. I found that brushing
with an electric toothbrush seemed
more effective than a manual one. I also used fluoride toothpaste in my oral
care regime which helped me considerably. Flossing helps remove food
particles that are fiercely trapped in between teeth so make sure you get that done! I also started using Listerine, a powerful antiseptic mouthwash, which prevents plaque build-up because the mouthwash
reaches out to parts that brushing
usually misses out on. Someone also suggested increasing the consumption of raw
vegetables and fruits as the juices help induce saliva which in turn keeps plaque
away. Although I haven’t tried them myself, you do find discolouring solutions and tablets
that stain your teeth to help identify spots that have plaque. This can probably make the whole cleaning process a lot easier!
On my part, I can say that just being careful and
diligent and by following a strict regime drastically reduced my plaque problems and today, I’m
reasonably plaque free! So, I’d just
recommend you do the same and soon you’ll no longer be plagued by plaque!
