Posted on January 18, 2010.
Tartar and plaque The plate is still with us. A newborn's mouth is sterile, but only for the first ten hours of life, according to Sebastian G. Ciancio, DDS, Professor and Chairman, Department of Periodontology, clinical professor of pharmacology and director of the Center for Clinical Studies Dental School of Dentistry, State University of New York at Buffalo. Calculus is a material that often contains bacterial debris and sometimes calcified plaque. It is a white, chalky. Although tartar (also called calculus), it may be easier for plaque to stick around, the substance is generally regarded as a problem mainly cosmetic. Plaque is the culprit in the cavities and gum disease.
"As the plaque grows and matures, it becomes even more dangerous because it changes," said Michael G. Newman, DDS, assistant professor of periodontics at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry and president of the American Academy of Periodontology. As some bacteria in plaque feed of fermentable carbohydrates (including sugars, including fruit and milk and starchy foods such as bread, pasta, and crackers), they produce an acid that eats away the enamel teeth, causing cavities. Other bacteria infect the gums, causing redness, inflammation and bleeding. These are symptoms of gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease. If left untreated gum disease can evolve to the point that the infection literally destroyed the bone that anchors the roots of teeth. That is why gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults over 35 years.
Both plaque and tartar can be formed above and below the gumline. You need a dentist or hygienist to remove calculus from anywhere in the mouth and remove plaque below the gumline. And regular professional cleanings as often as your dentist recommends will help make your home more efficient, says Christine Dumas, DDS, a dentist from Los Angeles who is a consumer adviser rays per person for the American Dental Association (ADA) and Assistant Professor of clinical dentistry at the University of Southern California. It is also important to have your gums checked by a periodontal probing. "It should be as routine as getting your blood pressure," she said. You can, however, try to keep plaque under control. "You need physical contact," says Barrington. "You can not rinse. "Here's what you can do.
