The question of how to remove plaque from teeth and between crowns at home remains relevant for everyone who wants to have a snow-white smile and fresh breath. Despite the fact that deposits usually do not cause any discomfort to a person, it is necessary to get rid of the problem. Otherwise, the risk of developing caries, gingivitis, and other diseases of the oral cavity increases.
The patient can resort to professional help or use folk methods. Which of the options is optimal in a particular case, it is better to decide together with your doctor. The problem cannot be ignored, since scientists have long proved the existence of a direct dependence of the state of incisors, canines, and molars on the quality of hygiene care.
What is plaque, and how does it happen
Food particles, dead cells, and saliva components accumulate on the enamel every day, and bacteria appear. Clusters are soft at first and can be easily scraped off. In the absence of regular hygiene care, the layer hardens and turns into stone.
As a rule, several units are affected at once. The surface acquires various unnatural shades (yellow, gray, black, greenish), and becomes rough to the touch. The mouth begins to smell bad.
The most common are supragingival deposits. They are located on the visible part of the crown. The subgingival ones are not visible to the naked eye and go under the gum (sometimes they get to the very tips of the roots). Such a problem can be localized on the enamel, adjoining the gingival tissues in the interdental spaces, fissures, and filling materials.
How is formed
Before you clean plaque and remove everything superfluous from your teeth at home, you need to figure out how it appears and spreads. This process occurs under the influence of the following factors:
- Poor oral hygiene;
- The predominant amount of soft food and “fast” carbohydrates in the diet (confectionery, sugar, pastries);
- Lack of saliva.
In a healthy person, enough secretion is secreted to wash away the remnants of food. However, if the products are sticky, sugary, or viscous, then naturally they are not washed out. Many people neglect mouth rinses after dinner or light snacks, and as a result, a thin whitish layer appears on the enamel, in which microorganisms actively multiply.
In less than a day, there are so many microbes that the products of their vital activity begin to affect the enamel structure. In the absence of high-quality cleaning within 48 hours, the accumulated mass hardens. The stone is no longer removed on its own, a person will have to seek professional help from a dentist.
Causes of deposits
Complete and final removal of soft plaque on the teeth at home is impossible without establishing the prerequisites that contributed to its occurrence. The most common provoking factors:
- Poor hygiene care. This includes irregular brushing, the use of a poor quality or inappropriate brush, and the failure to use floss (floss), which effectively cleans the interdental spaces.
- The use of “fast” carbohydrates with foods and drinks (for example, sweet soda).
- Coloring foods are constantly present in the diet (coffee, tea, berries, red wine, sauces).
- Bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse). At the same time, it is not so important whether a person smokes cigarettes or vapes, a hookah.
- Bite anomalies. The pressure on the jaw with such violations is distributed unevenly, so it is quite difficult to clean the units.
- Various disorders (acute and chronic). For example, pathologies of the salivary glands leading to the formation of deposits (fewer minerals enter the bone tissues), diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Due to the increased acidity, the number of pathogenic bacteria is rapidly increasing.
Why is plaque dangerous?
Soft and hard deposits seem harmless at first glance. They lead to serious problems such as:
- The formation of a stone on the outer and inner surfaces of the teeth, in the interdental spaces;
- Inflammatory processes of mucous membranes, including gums;
- Bad breath that is not eliminated even after rinsing and brushing;
- Malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract.
Everything that accumulates on the enamel must be removed in a timely manner. Otherwise, negative consequences cannot be avoided.
How to get rid of plaque
When thinking about ways to get rid of accumulated whitish, brown, and yellow deposits, you need to focus not on shade, but on structure and hardness. Usually, the white layer is softer than the dense brown or black that forms due to the patient’s addiction to coffee or tea. In this case, solid formations can remain light. You can find out about your condition and methods of dealing with the problem at a consultation with the dentist of the Dentika clinic.
Dental removal techniques
These can be both primitive exposure options and high-tech procedures. The choice of intervention depends on the following factors:
- The patient’s well-being;
- Clinical picture (thickness, structure, and density of the layer);
- Age category;
- Localization of formations.
It is acceptable to use several types in combination. They will complement and accelerate the receipt of a positive result.
Ultrasound for removing hard deposits
How to remove plaque on the teeth, remove it from the interdental spaces and other hard-to-reach places? The ultrasonic method comes to the rescue. Waves crush the hardened layer, and then the broken particles are washed out with water.
This method is suitable for cleaning both internal and external surfaces and areas between crowns. The structure of incisors, canines, and molars does not suffer from such a procedure, however, if the patient has increased sensitivity, or there were too many layers, some discomfort may be felt for several days after visiting the dental office.
Laser removal
The laser beam eliminates an old stone with absolutely no pain, evaporating water into it. The tooth surface remains intact and is not damaged, and the condition of the gums improves due to tone. An additional advantage of the technique is the disinfecting (antibacterial) effect. There is also a drawback, which for some may seem significant, but for others, it does not matter – this is the high cost.
Manual removal
The classic version has been used for more than a decade. Solid deposits are torn off or scraped out with special devices – hooks-curettes.
This method is traumatic, wildly if the hardened layer has penetrated the subgingival space. However, in some cases, this treatment option is the only acceptable one due to certain contraindications and restrictions.
The patient may experience pain or other discomforts. The doctor pre-treats the mucous membranes with a gel or anesthetic spray to alleviate the condition.
Chemical method
How will they clean their teeth from plaque in this case? The procedure is used alone or in combination with others. Dentists often stop at the second option, and a laser, ultrasound, or mechanical cleaning is used after chemical treatment.
This technique applies a special gel-like composition with active ingredients (hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, etc.) to the enamel surface. A reaction occurs, resulting in the deposits being softened and washed out with water or eliminated manually using special tools.
Gentle Air-Flow sandblasting
Air-Flo is a method that is optimal in the presence of soft layers and a thin bacterial film. So you can’t get rid of the hard stone.
During the procedure, the units are treated with a mixture of water, air, and special abrasives in the form of a powder. The composition is supplied under a certain pressure.
According to the results of medical manipulations, the overgrown layer is easily removed, while the structure of incisors, canines, and molars does not suffer, even if they are dairy. Patients who opted for this technique note an indisputable plus – the enamel shade is lighter than before.
How to remove plaque at home
The effectiveness of folk methods depends on the thickness and density of the accumulated layer. If the deposits have appeared recently and are moderately soft, it is enough to clean them in the usual way using a brush.
When yellowish or dark pigmentation appears on the enamel, stiffer bristles and products with abrasives come to the rescue (Lacalut White, Rembrandt “Anti-tobacco and coffee”, etc.). However, such formulations should be used only after consulting a dentist and with his approval. By scratching the enamel, you can significantly worsen the condition of the incisors, canines, and molars, “earn” caries, and more severe diseases of the oral cavity.
The patient should simultaneously receive answers to two questions from the doctor:
- How to clean your teeth from plaque at home, so that it is quick, painless, but effective;
- What mixtures and solutions to use for safe cleansing without negative consequences?
Many patients use improvised components that have shown high efficiency for many years. One of the most popular is activated charcoal. Tablets are crushed with a spoon or mortar until fine particles are obtained, which clean off deposits and polish the surface. A wet brush is dipped in the resulting powder, after which a standard cleaning is performed for several minutes. After using the drug, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water. This method cannot be used more than 2-3 times a week to prevent increased sensitivity.
Baking soda is also often used. The procedure is the same as in the previous case. In the same way, it is indicated to use industrial toothpowder.
Essential oils (lemon, tea tree) are also highly effective. This is the safest home option as there is no exposure to abrasives. There are several ways to use these compounds:
- Add 4 drops of an oily liquid to a glass of warm water, and rinse your mouth after the usual regular brushing;
- Drip on the brush before cleansing without paste.
But do not rush to use the advice without recommendations from the dentist.
Features of plaque removal in children
Some dental techniques are contraindicated in childhood. This applies to ultrasound, laser, and chemical processing. Such caution is associated with a high risk of damage to sensitive tissues.
Delicate Air-Flow cleaning is allowed. It is suitable for kids over 6 years old. Manual processing is also acceptable. The dentist must be very careful. Any wrong move and sensitive baby enamel can be damaged. In addition, almost every child is very active; it is possible to injure a dental instrument by negligence.
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It is essential for parents to monitor what their son or daughter eats and whether regular hygiene procedures are performed well. The diet should contain a minimum of sweets and pastries, it is better to give preference to fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits.
How effective are folk methods
Some people do not think about how to remove plaque on their teeth, remove it from the gums, and not harm themselves. Methods are used in pursuit of a snow-white smile, leading to more severe consequences. For example, many often turn to soda, salt, and activated charcoal. All of these are abrasives. Dentists do not advise getting involved in such cleaning options and often carry out the procedure since solid particles of various sizes scratch the enamel. As a result, it is gradually destroyed, the pathological process affects the deeper layers, and caries occur.
Folk recipes show good results if the formations are soft. They cannot cope with the stone; only a doctor can remove petrified structures.
Deposit prevention
Instead of thinking about how to get rid of plaque at home when it is found on the teeth, it is better to take care of the implementation of preventive recommendations. Preventive action:
- Regular oral hygiene. Systematic cleaning with a paste and a brush is important at least 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening.
- Using additional cleaning products after meals and snacks throughout the day. It can be threaded (floss), irrigator, rinse aid, or special brush.
- Minimizing the consumption of tea, coffee, and other coloring drinks, and food.
- Getting rid of bad habits is especially true for smoking.
- Introduction to the diet of hard vegetables and fruits for natural cleansing of enamel during chewing.
- Periodic examinations at the dentist (at least once every six months).
- Refusal of confectionery, pastries, and soda.
- Replace the brush every 2-3 months.
We can draw several conclusions about how to remove plaque: cleaning at home does not always show high efficiency, especially if the deposits appeared long ago and hardened. Professional procedures are effective and pass very quickly, but require additional time and financial costs.
In order to prevent the occurrence of such problems, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of prevention. First of all, high-quality oral hygiene is essential, in the absence of which colonies of pathogenic microorganisms will settle on hard and soft tissues in the mouth, whose vital activity leads to unpleasant consequences for the human body.