Do you know how to effectively clean plaque and tartar at home? Follow these steps to ensure a clean, sparkling mouth with everyday tips and materials you have around the house! It’s much easier to achieve oral health than you think!
Careful Brushing
Brushing is the most important part of cleaning your teeth. Most people tend to spend about 30 seconds to a minute brushing their teeth every morning and night. For the best results, you need to be spending at least 3 minutes carefully brushing all parts of your teeth (and tongue) with even, consistent pressure. This will stop you from developing stained teeth, especially if you enjoy staining foods like coffee, wine or blueberries.
Fluoridated Toothpaste
Fluoride will help to strengthen your enamel and decrease tooth decay, which is causes cavities. It helps to create a protective barrier between the acidic, sugary foods and drinks you consume. Although fluoride is a big help to your oral health, focusing on eating a healthy diet free of too much sugar will help to decrease your chances of developing cavities.
Eating Apples
Do you know that squeaky clean feeling you get after eating an apple? That is because apples are incredibly fibrous and work as a toothbrush to scrub away debris, plaque and tartar. In addition, their acidity helps to kill off bad breath, just as a lemon or orange would. So if you ever run out of time in the morning and can’t brush your teeth, grab an apple on your way out!
Eating More Spicy Food
Spicy food not only kills off bacteria and germs, but it also increases the production of saliva. Saliva is your own natural toothpaste, it washes over your teeth and cleans your oral environment with incredible efficacy.
Maintenance with Food Colouring
A great trick to see just how much plaque and tartar you have on your teeth is to put a few drops of food colouring into a cup of water and swish it around in your mouth just as you do after brushing. The food colouring will colour the plaque and show you exactly where you need to focus brushing, and that can be a clue as to which side of your mouth you chew on more.
Contact our professionals to learn about other ways how to effectively clean plaque, maintain your oral health and to book a professional cleaning!
