The fight against dental plaque is an ongoing and daily battle. Prevention is always better than having to remedy something so taking the time to properly and regularly brush, floss, rinse and visit your Ottawa dentist for check ups and cleanings is essential for effective dental maintenance.
Plaque however is something that takes time to build up on the teeth; created from leftover food debris and sugar that can get caught in between teeth and on the gum line that can be difficult to clean completely. Over time it can slowly turn into plaque (which is harder to get rid of on your own), especially if you aren’t keeping up with proper dental maintenance. There’s a new product on the market that claims to make plaque elimination that much easier for people during their home oral care regimen: a green toothpaste that binds to the plaque and essentially highlights where it is in your mouth. “A small short-term study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago shows the new toothpaste, called Plaque HD, resulted in a 51.3% reduction in plaque after brushing. So far there’s been no testing of long-term benefits. Plaque is a soft, sticky bacterial matrix that adheres to teeth. If it isn’t effectively removed, it can harden into tartar and contribute to gum disease and cavities. ‘A lot of people think they are doing a great job brushing, but in reality they are missing things,’ says Boca Raton, Fla., orthodontist Jennifer Statler, who says she has seen an improvement in dental hygiene of her patients since she began selling the toothpaste in her office when it hit the market in 2014.”
Is this something that you’d be willing to try to aid in the fight against plaque? Before you make any decisions make sure to do your research and consult with your Ottawa dentist. Get their opinion on it and also hear what other plaque fighting options they would recommend.
