How to get rid of plaque

ibarelycare

My teeth have always been in pretty good condition and have always been pretty white. I am overdue a visit to the dentist but it will probably be next month before I get around to it. Lately I have noticed some plaque developing behind my two lower front teeth. It's a horrible feeling, it tastes kind of metally when I run my tongue against it, and feels nearly chalky at times. For a few months I hadn't been using mouthwash - laziness really. I do floss regularly though and I brush my teeth pretty thoroughly, although lately I have been taking particular care. I've had some irritation in my gums lately so now I am using Corsodyl mouthwash twice a day, I use a soft toothbrush and Colgate Total toothpaste. Is there anything I can do to reduce/remove the plaque? The irritation in my gums has died down due to the Corosdyl so I have no problem moving to a medium toothbrush if that will help. Any ideas?

Budawanny

electric toothbrush will sort that out.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Thats Tartar which is calcified plaque, a toothbrush wont do anything to it. A good scale and polish with a dentist or hygienist will sort that out. Corsydol mouthwash increases the deposition of tartar and stains you teeth its not for long term use. Always use a soft toothbrush, never anything else. Its technique and consistency not the aggression with which you brush.

ballsymchugh

Ramiro High Fries wrote: »

Thats Tartar which is calcified plaque, a toothbrush wont do anything to it. A good scale and polish with a dentist or hygienist will sort that out. Corsydol mouthwash increases the deposition of tartar and stains you teeth its not for long term use. Always use a soft toothbrush, never anything else. Its technique and consistency not the aggression with which you brush.

soft toothbrush?? really? soft toothbrushes means the toothpaste is held between the bristles for longer, therefore increasing the abrasive effect of the silica particles in the toothpaste, so can cause wear also. toothpaste on a hard brush tends to disperse quicker. i'd go for the happy medium!!

if you are cleaning your teeth mechanically well (brushing and flossing), then mouthwash is of no benefit to you.

ibarelycare

Bit confused by the posts above! I fully intend to book a dental appt in the next few weeks. It probably is tarter so I will keep going with my soft brush? I have to keep using Corsodyl until I feel my gums are better, so maybe another 2 weeks

btkm8unsl0w5r4

ballsymchugh wrote: »

soft toothbrush?? really? soft toothbrushes means the toothpaste is held between the bristles for longer, therefore increasing the abrasive effect of the silica particles in the toothpaste, so can cause wear also. toothpaste on a hard brush tends to disperse quicker. i'd go for the happy medium!!

if you are cleaning your teeth mechanically well (brushing and flossing), then mouthwash is of no benefit to you.

There are two problems, hard and soft tissue defects, for soft tissue the evidence is conclusive......

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17912997
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23425194
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21842020

Now it is true that toothpaste is required for hard tissue abrasions lesions. And a few studies compared toothpaste abrasivness and toothbrush hardness. This one agrees with you
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21545405
But is a poor study on acrylic plates. This on show a more complex interaction, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18622830 as does this one http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19346053

To have dentine abrasion you need gingival recession, for that problem hard is worse than soft. For dentine abrasion the abrasiveness of the toothpaste is the most important factor. Soft tooth brush, non abrasive toothpaste is the safest combination covering both issues.

bureau2009

Which brands/variants of toothpaste are the least abrasive?

And which are the most abrasive?

BunShopVoyeur.

Ramiro High Fries wrote: »

Thats Tartar which is calcified plaque, a toothbrush wont do anything to it. A good scale and polish with a dentist or hygienist will sort that out. Corsydol mouthwash increases the deposition of tartar and stains you teeth its not for long term use. Always use a soft toothbrush, never anything else. Its technique and consistency not the aggression with which you brush.

My dentists have always recommended a medium toothbrush.

Would there be a reason for this or is it simply personal preference of the dentist?

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I just find patient's that think the hardness of the brush is important press too hard and scrub. Effective brushing is more about thoroughness and technique than force and speed. Also toothpaste is far too abrasive these days, even daily pastes are like sandpaper. Toothpaste should feel smooth like cream between your fingers, if you can feel grit dont brush your teeth with it. My preference Fiacla.