You may have noticed plaque, which is a soft, colorless film that forms on your teeth. You may not have given much attention to it or you may not have known how to deal with it. Treating plaque on time is very important given the damage it can cause to your oral health. To this end, you don’t need to search for expensive treatments. There is an efficient natural remedy with baking soda to get rid of it. Here, we talk about plaque and how to go about eliminating it.
What Is Plaque
Understanding plaque and its dangers is important to make sure that you will take necessary steps to prevent it. Plaque is a sticky film that builds up on your teeth. Looks harmless, right? Well, the danger is that it contains millions of bacteria that can cause tooth decay and gum disease. These bacteria kick into action after you eat a meal or snack containing sugar. They use the sugar in your food to produce acids, attacking tooth enamel. Such repeated attacks will lead to enamel breakdown and eventually results in cavities.
If you don’t clean your teeth regularly, plaque hardens into tartar. This will make it more difficult to maintain oral hygiene. The accumulation of tartar above the gum line will lead to the swelling of your gum tissue, thus, making it prone to bleeding. This is the beginning of a gum disease called gingivitis. If you don’t take care of your oral health, this may further develop into periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease. Hence, plaque, which contributes to dental decay and cavity formation must be removed on a regular basis. And this brings us to the need for a natural remedy.
Natural Baking Soda Paste To Get Rid of Plaque
There is no dearth of natural remedies that can get rid of plaque. But the most easily available and inexpensive remedy is a paste formed with natural baking soda and coconut oil. This combination could do wonders to keep your teeth healthy.
The importance of baking soda: It acts as an effective agent in dislodging plaque and whitening your teeth. It is found that dentifrice products containing baking soda are far more effective in plaque removal compared to non-baking soda dentifrices.1
The importance of coconut oil: What makes this edible oil unique is the presence of medium chain fatty acids. It has been found that using coconut oil is effective in decreasing plaque formation and plaque-induced gingivitis.2 It is considered an easily usable and cost-effective agent with minimal side effects in oral hygiene maintenance.
How To Use It
Here are the ingredients you need to make the paste:
- Extra virgin coconut oil – 2 Tbsp
- Baking soda – 2 Tbsp
- Essential oil (your choice) – 2 drops
Take baking soda and coconut oil in a bowl. Mix them until you get a paste of uniform texture. Add drops of essential oil of your choice. This is optional. Apply the paste on your toothbrush. Using this paste, brush your teeth twice a day.
As a word of caution, make sure that you don’t overuse it. Just like too much of anything is bad, its excessive use could lead to enamel damage. And don’t brush your teeth for more than two minutes when you use baking soda. Moreover, for those who wear braces or permanent dental appliances, baking soda may weaken the adhesive. This may cause darker spots appearing on the teeth.
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