What is that sticky feeling on my teeth?

Every toothpaste or mouthwash commercial mentions plaque, so most people know it’s not good for their teeth. But what is plaque exactly? It’s that sticky substance that films over your oral cavity when it hasn’t been cleaned for a while. Bacteria proliferate within plaque, leading to tartar build-up, gingivitis, tooth decay, and even worse conditions like gum and periodontal diseases.

Where Does Plaque Come From?

When the mouth is cleaned, a healthy dental pellicle layer forms on teeth surfaces via proteins from saliva. This healthy biofilm is a temporary defense mechanism. Unfortunately, within hours bacterial degradation of food particles and especially fermentable sugars form a harmful biofilm: plaque. When plaque initially binds to the pellicle layer, it is odorless and colorless.

This film becomes the breeding ground for more bacteria, and eventually they colonize and secrete a layer of slime. This is what you feel when you run your tongue along dirty teeth. Sometimes people describe it as furry or slick, and it’s usually yellow or brown in color. Once these colonies gain complexity, bacteria continues to mature and create a micro-circulatory system of acid production and demineralization of the teeth. From here, tartar begins to form. At this point, brushing will no longer remove what started as a thin layer on your teeth. Only a deep dental cleaning can get your mouth clean again.

How Does Plaque Destroy my Oral Health?

The six steps of plaque production mentioned above mean bad news for your oral cavity. All the acid released by bacteria as it transforms sugar wears away at enamel and damages the inner layers and roots of teeth. Additionally, the build-up of plaque, hardening of it into tartar, and colonization of bacteria all irritate and inflame the gums, and in later stages can destroy gums and other oral tissues. Plaque is also responsible for bad breathe, reduction of saliva production, and tooth decay.

How Can I Keep Plaque at Bay?

The book Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist by Esther M. Wilkins states that demineralization of the tooth can begin as early as 24 to 48 hours after plaque attaches to the pellicle layer. This means if you go for any longer than this between tooth care routines, you’re sure to allow tartar to sink down onto your teeth structures and under the gum line, where it’s hard to get to and impossible to remove. If you have orthodontic devices, implants, or dentures, plaque and tartar will stack up around them as well. Once this happens, plaque can just grab ahold of tartar and start another layer, preventing proper oral hygiene.

This fact is exactly why brushing, flossing, and regular dental cleanings are so important. Brushing and flossing breaks up plaque and kills bacteria before it hardens into or takes possession of tartar, as well as stalls the process of tooth decay and reduces inflammation.

If you’re concerned about whether you or your child is getting all the plaque off oral surfaces each time you brush, consider buying plaque disclosure tablets. (You can often ask your dentist for a stock up as well.) These chewable tablets stain plaque so you are more aware of where it is built up and can see when you’ve cleaned it away. Most children especially love to use them because not only can they see where they need to brush better, but they also think it’s hilarious that their mouth changed colors. They can be a wonderful way to get the threat of plaque and its associated bad effects out of your mouth.

The American Dental Association highly recommends that each and every person visit a dentist every six months for an exam and cleaning, and this recommendation is carried over to dental insurance policies for a reason. With the highly processed and sugar laden diet of most U.S. residents, a lot can happen to our teeth in so short a time. Your dentist picks the crusty tartar build up and the plaque currently forming over it off your teeth. You can also request a sealant to be placed over your molars to prevent plaque from attaching to your enamel. Lastly, fluoride is an excellent way to prevent plaque from becoming a problem because it strengthens teeth by remineralizing them, as well as slows down oral bacterial production to prevent cavities. Most water sources in the U.S. have fluoride treatments, but you can so use mouthwashes or toothpastes with it in them as well.