{"id":574,"date":"2011-09-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-09-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/\/drlarry\/dental-care-blog\/plaque-tartar\/"},"modified":"2011-09-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-09-12T00:00:00","slug":"plaque-tartar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/drlarry\/dental-care-blog\/plaque-tartar\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Need To Know About Plaque And Tartar"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"WHEN MOST OF US HEAR WORDS LIKE sticky, bacteria, acid,<\/em> and decay <\/em>we tend to cringe a little\u2026<\/strong>and with good reason! Unfortunately, all of those words are characteristics of plaque and tartar\u2014two terms that you\u2019ve probably heard us use when we visit with you about dentistry!<\/em> Don\u2019t worry, there\u2019s no need to panic\u2014we have some handy tips on how to avoid plaque and tartar.<\/strong> But first, let\u2019s back up a little. In order to figure out how we can best prevent plaque and tartar we need to know exactly what they are, right? The best way to understand plaque<\/strong> is to think of it as a thin, invisible film of sticky bacteria (and other unfriendly materials) that coat the surfaces of your teeth. The new term for this is BIOFILM.<\/strong> When sugars and starches come in contact with plaque, an acid is created that can attack your teeth for up to 20 minutes after you finish eating. Repeated attacks can break down tooth enamel and lead to cavities, decay, and\/or gum disease. Tartar<\/strong>, on the other hand, is a deposit that forms when plaque hardens on your teeth. For most of us, tartar deposits begin to build up faster as we age. Unlike plaque, tartar bonds quite strongly to tooth enamel and can only be removed by a dental professional like <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/a>Dr. Stanleigh<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/strong> or one of \u00a0our hygiene team <\/strong>members. <\/em>Prolonged tartar buildup can cause a tooth\u2019s enamel, root surface, gum tissues and bone to break down, resulting in decay and\/or cavities, gum swelling (gingivitis) and periodontal disease (gum disease). So\u2026 in order to avoid cavities \u00a0and gum disease we have to avoid tartar, and in order to avoid tartar we have to avoid plaque.<\/em><\/strong> Here are some recommendations from Dr. Stanleigh <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>on the best ways to fight plaque and tartar buildup. <\/p>\n