Plaque is one thing that all humans produce, but none of us love talking about. Plaque, bad breath, or just “bad teeth” in general all play a role in your overall oral health. Therefore, it’s important for both cosmetic and genuine health reasons to do all you can to fight plaque and maintain a clean, healthy mouth. Supersmile’s plaque control tips help you do just that, and we expand on the topic below.
Plaque-Causing Food and Drink
Some specific foods and drinks are awful for your oral health. There is also a clear connection between the impact of these foods on your oral health versus the health of your body. For example, soda is one of the worst things for your teeth. Unsurprisingly, it’s also bad for your overall body. However, some connections are less clear. For example, if we look at certain teeth-staining products like coffee or tomato sauce, these can be good for you (or, at least, neutral). In the case of products that are not bad for your overall body but which can, for instance, stain your teeth, it is suggested you find a solution like Supersmile’s toothpaste to limit any harmful, stain-related effects of tea, coffee, tomato sauce, and the like while maintaining their positive impact.
Here are some of the biggest food-and-beverage plaque-causers:
- Potato Chips: Potato chips are filled with starch (not to mention unhealthy calories) to feed the bacteria that cause plaque in your mouth. So, if you care about plaque (or your waistline), it’s typically better to avoid potato chips.
- Sour Candies: Sour candies contain a particularly damaging type of acid nasty for your teeth and can lead to more significant plaque buildup.
- Bread: While certain types of bread (in moderation) can be good for your overall health because they contain fiber, as far as your teeth go, overeating bread can cause plaque buildup. No, you don’t have to eliminate bread if you don’t want to; follow any bread-heavy meals with Supersmile toothpaste brushing.
- Soda: No surprises here; soda is terrible for your teeth and can lead to plaque buildup. Soda is usually also loaded with sugar, leading to weight gain, cardiovascular problems, energy dips, and more. In short, your oral and overall health should eliminate soda from your diet.
- Alcohol: Alcoholic beverages can be harmful to your teeth. Some, like red wine, though have purported benefits but can be staining. To reduce red wine or other tooth stains, consider a solution like Supersmile toothpaste which works to whiten teeth without causing sensitivity.
Managing Plaque
As far as managing plaque, you’ll want to take the following steps.
Use the Right Toothbrush: According to more and more dentists, it’s typically best to use a soft-bristle, nylon (preferably un-waxed) toothbrush that enables you to massage your gums and to do a better job cleaning your teeth without going too hard.
Floss: Yeah, you’ve heard this one before. You need to floss! If you want genuinely great oral health, add flossing to your daily routine.
Disclosing solution or tablets: If you want to check if you’re getting all the plaque, try some disclosing solution or tablets, which you can find in most drugstores or online.
Take all the steps: Remember that truly excellent oral hygiene means taking all of the following steps. First, dry brushing, then brushing with toothpaste for two minutes, then tongue scraping, then flossing.
Conclusion
There you have it, some of the biggest causes and solutions for plaque. Remember always to take the time to perfect your oral health!
