Dental plaque

Everyone has dental plaque to a certain extent. After eating, a sticky, fine biofilm forms on the teeth within a few hours. In this plaque, caries-causing bacteria and other pathogenic germs feel particularly comfortable and find ideal living conditions.

The best food sources for bacteria in the mouth are sugar ( carbohydrates ), proteins and fats , in short: leftover food and drink. Caries bacteria, for example, transform sugar into aggressive acids, especially lactic acid. It attacks the tooth enamel and gradually destroys it. Again other bacteria in plaque form odorous sulfur compounds and provide for bad breath and halitosis .

It is quite normal that plaque builds up again and again on the tooth within a few hours after brushing the teeth. The dental plaque is often particularly pronounced on the gumline. It can turn yellow or brown if you regularly consume luxury foods such as black tea, coffee or red wine.

Dental plaque and tartar - the differences

Soft plaque forms on the teeth, on the necks of the teeth and in the spaces between the teeth. Thoroughly remove plaque daily with a toothbrush, interdental brush or floss. This is because plaque is a major risk factor for tooth decay , inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) or the inflammation of the entire periodontium ( periodontitis ).

If the plaque has stuck to the teeth long enough, it will continue to accumulate and multiply. It reacts with minerals in saliva, such as calcium and phosphate, and eventually forms thick incrustations. Dentists refer to hardened, calcified (mineralized) plaque as tartar or hard dental plaque. When you run your tongue over your teeth, they will feel rough. These fine fissures are in turn an ideal nesting place for bacteria.

Very solid, mineralized plaque, the so-called concrements, can also form under the gum line on the surface of the tooth roots. In this case, the stored minerals come from the secretions of the gingival pocket. Due to their higher mineral content, concretions are even harder than tartar, they are dark in color, adhere even more firmly and are extremely difficult to remove.

You can remove soft plaque yourself with good oral and dental hygiene. The following applies to tartar and concretions: Only a dentist can remove them with the help of special instruments. One example is the curette, a handheld instrument made of stainless steel with a rounded, non-sharp hook on the end. Curettes come in different shapes and designs, depending on the anatomy of the teeth. Stubborn tartar can also be removed with a scaler. In contrast to the curette, the edges of the scaler are sharp. The dentist scrapes the tartar and the calculus from the tooth or root with the chosen instrument and smooths the surface. Hard deposits can be more gently using ultrasound remove. The removal of hard and soft plaque is an important part of professional tooth cleaning (PZR).

What does plaque look like?

Dental plaque is white-yellow in color and not just a cosmetic problem: Do not remove soft plaque regularly with the help of a toothbrush, interdental brush or dental floss, they harden gradually - minerals are deposited and solid tartar is formed. This can take on many different shades and make the teeth shimmer brown or even black. More importantly, tartar is a risk factor for gingivitis and periodontal disease.

The different colors of tartar are often due to colorings in food and luxury foods. Examples are tea, coffee, red wine or nicotine and tar from tobacco products. Yellow or brown plaque is the result. Tartar occurs primarily in places where the ducts of the salivary glands are located and saliva escapes. Examples are the inner surfaces of the incisors of the lower jaw and the outer surfaces of the first molars in the upper jaw.

Dentists differentiate between two types of discoloration: In the case of internal (intrinsic) discoloration, the substances are deposited in the tooth, in the case of external (extrinsic) they are deposited on the tooth surface. External discoloration can be removed by professional tooth cleaning (PZR). If the tooth is discolored, this is not enough: the only thing that helps here is whitening the teeth, known as bleaching.

Dental plaque: causes

The oral cavity is home to a wides variety of bacteria. Some germs are useful because they repel far more dangerous microbes. Others, on the other hand, are considered to be the cause of illness. They cause tooth decay, inflammation of the gums or periodontal disease. In the biofilm on the teeth, the bacteria form a close-knit network in which they live and communicate.

The exact composition of the microorganisms and their number in the mouth vary from person to person. Some people are more prone to plaque than others. Oral and dental hygiene also play an important role in the formation of plaque: If you do not brush your teeth regularly and use additional instruments such as interdental brushes or dental floss, the plaque builds up and becomes thicker and thicker. In addition, your diet and the consumption of luxury foods are important risk factors for the development of dental plaque. If you eat a lot of sugar, you risk more plaque - and with it tooth decay.

Dental plaque from smoking

Dental plaque can come from smoking. In addition to countless harmful substances, tobacco smoke from cigarettes, cigarillos, pipes or cigars contains tar and the neurotoxin nicotine. These substances make the teeth look brown and continue to yellow. Dentists speak of the typical "smokers' surface." The inner surfaces of the lower incisors in particular are often darkly colored in smokers.

If you are a smoker, the following tips will help:

• Pay special attention to your oral hygiene and thorough, regular brushing of your teeth (at least twice a day). Use small brushes or dental floss for the spaces between your teeth every day, because plaque tends to build up there and on the gumline. These are often difficult to access with a toothbrush. Use a tongue scraper or tongue brush to clean your tongue to reduce the coating of the tongue and the number of bacteria in the mouth.
• Go to the dentist for a check-up at least twice a year. He examines the condition of the mouth, teeth and gums and takes countermeasures in the event of illness.
• Have a professional teeth cleaning done once or twice a year to remove soft plaque, tartar and discoloration.
• The best tip is of course to give up smoking completely or not to start smoking in the first place! Then you don't have to deal with brown plaque either.

Dental plaque from tea and coffee

Luxury foods such as black tea, coffee or red wine contain coloring pigments that change the basic color of the teeth over time. This happens because dark colored pigments penetrate the white enamel that surrounds the dentin and are deposited there.
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To reduce plaque with tea and coffee, the following tips will help:

• Chew gum in between to stimulate the flow of saliva and to minimize the adhesion of the coloring matter to the teeth.
• Rinse your mouth out with water every now and then to remove any dye.
• Don't let your coffee and tea consumption get out of hand and try to keep things moderate.
• Otherwise, the same recommendations apply as for smokers: Brush your teeth regularly with toothpaste containing fluoride. Sometimes so-called whitening toothpastes also have an effect against discoloration, but be careful: They sometimes contain abrasive cleaning particles that rub off the tooth enamel if you brush your teeth with them too often. Use space brushes or floss and go to the dentist and professional teeth cleaning (PZR) twice a year.

Already knew? Certain types of berrie such as blueberries and black currants as well as spices such as curry, saffron, turmeric or red pepper stain teeth!

Dental plaque after antibiotics

Some medications cause unsightly tooth discoloration. A well-known phenomenon is yellow plaque after antibiotics if you have taken tetracyclines such as doxicycline or minocycline. Antibiotics fight bacteria extremely effectively, but they also make the teeth appear yellow to brownish.

Tetracyclines form insoluble compounds with calcium, which are deposited in the tooth enamel, dentin and dental cement. For this reason, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children with teeth forming should not be given tetracyclines. How much the plaque discolors after antibiotics depends on the amounts and for how long you take the antibiotics.

Discuss with the doctor treating you whether you can stop taking the antibiotic or switch to another preparation. Most of the discoloration disappears within a few weeks or months. Thoroughly brushing your teeth also helps. You may then have your teeth cleaned professionally or, in consultation with the dentist, have your teeth whitened.

The following drugs also discolor the teeth:

·                  Iron supplements

·                  Medicines for allergic reactions called antihistamines

·                  Antidepressants

·                  Medicines for high blood pressure

·                  Medicines that reduce the flow of saliva

·                  Mouth rinses with chlorhexidine against inflammation of the gums and diseases, rinses with stannous fluoride