Many people have heard of dental plaque. It is a manifestation of dental disease and one of the important reasons for dental caries. So what is dental plaque? How does dental plaque form?

What is dental plaque?

Plaque is the microflora that adheres to the surfaces of teeth or other soft tissues in the oral cavity. It is composed of a large number of bacteria, intercellular material, a small number of white blood cells, exfoliated epithelial cells and food debris. When the amount of plaque is small, it is difficult to observe with the naked eye, and it is usually well displayed with a plaque indicator. Plaque cannot be removed by rinsing or rinsing with water. Therefore, dental plaque is now regarded as a complex ecological structure in which bacteria adhere to calculus, which is closely related to the occurrence of caries and periodontal diseases.

Symptoms of dental plaque

Plaque is a colorless, sticky film of bacteria that often forms on the surface of teeth. Depending on the type of plaque where the plaque is located, there are the following types of symptoms:

1. Supragingival plaque: The tooth surface above the gingival margin is mainly composed of gram-positive cocci and bacilli. With the growth of plaque, gram-positive cocci, bacilli and filamentous bacteria gradually increase.

2. Subgingival plaque: located under the gum, covered by the gum, which contains a variety of bacteria, with many filamentous bacteria and spirochetes on the surface.

3. Smooth surface plaque: located on the smooth surface of the teeth, containing gram-positive cocci and filamentous bacteria, etc.

1. Grooved plaque: It is located in the groove of the tooth surface, mainly containing cocci and bacilli, and also filamentous bacteria.

How to Remove Plaque

   1. Mouthwash and Mouthwash   

Rinsing can remove food residues from our teeth, but it cannot remove plaque. Choose a mouthwash with certain medicinal ingredients for gargling, which can reduce the formation of dental plaque. It has a certain effect on reducing caries and periodontal disease, but it cannot be abused.

   2. Brush your teeth   

It is a basic measure to remove plaque, and it is also an important method. Spending more time every day to brush your teeth carefully can significantly reduce the plaque on the surface of your teeth.

   3. Dental floss   

In addition to brushing your teeth carefully and correctly, you should also use dental floss. She is one of the plaque removal aids. It will effectively reduce the plaque between adjacent teeth and prevent adjacent surface caries.

   4. Toothpaste   

Rubbing the toothpaste against the tooth surface when brushing. This removes plaque and makes teeth beautiful. The use of toothpaste containing certain medicinal properties can be more targeted to protect the teeth.