What is dental plaque?
Everyone has plaque on their teeth, but to varying degrees.
Plaque is a bacteria that often forms on the tooth. When you eat or drink, plaque bacteria produce acid. This acid can damage tooth enamel and cause tooth decay or gum disease.
Plaque is soft for some time and is easily cleaned with a toothbrush and floss. However, if you don't brush your teeth regularly, i.e. you don't take care of your oral hygiene, the plaque will harden and turn into a stone - only a dentist can remove the stone with the appropriate procedure.
It should be noted that plaque may appear under the gum, on the root of the tooth and damage the bone.
As we have already told you, everyone gets plaques, but the risk is much higher due to certain factors.
Contributing factors are:
- Foods and drinks containing a large amount of sugar in the diet;
- Dry mouth;
- History of radiation therapy on the head/neck;
- Tobacco consumption.
Complicated clinical cases
As we already told you, if you 't brush your teeth every day, the plaque will turn into stone, which cannot be removed without a professional cleaning.
Due to plaque and stone, it is quite possible that a number of noteworthy processes can occur in the oral cavity.
Complicated clinical cases are:
- Caries;
- Gingivitis and gum disease;
- Acute gum infection;
- Tooth enamel decay and tooth loss.
Source:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10953-plaque
