Image via Wikipedia

Dentists warn us to fight plaque. Innumerable brands of toothpaste, dental floss, and mouthwash wage war against plaque. But what exactly is this enemy we are up against?

Plaque is mainly bacteria that forms in the mouth, but contains other materials as well. Biology Online defines dental plaque as follows -

A soft, thin film of food debris, mucin and dead epithelial cells deposited on the teeth, providing the medium for the growth of various bacteria.

The main inorganic components are calcium and phosphorus with small amounts of magnesium, potassium and sodium, the organic matrix consists of polysaccharides, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and other components … (Biology Online, “Dental plaque”)

If that definition is too technical, Johns Hopkins defines plaque simply as a sticky substance made of mucus, food particles, and bacteria.

Whatever definition you choose, dental plaque is exceedingly complex, containing as many as 400 types of bacteria. Calcium, a component of plaque that comes mainly from the salivary glands, causes plaque to harden and become difficult to remove from the teeth. Sugar and starches we consume accelerate the growth of bacteria and the development of plaque. (This is an overlooked reason to avoid carbs and sugar in your diet.)

Plaque cannot be eliminated completely, but regular brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, and flossing, are the best defense against plaque buildup.

Related articles by Zemanta

• What You Should Know About Advanced Periodontal Disease
• Candy made with sugar alternative wards off plaque
• Featured Review: Tooth Tissues: Dental Wipes for Baby and Toddler Smiles
• Bad Breath - Some Facts for You
• Do You Know What Causes Gum Disease?

Your teeth may look simple enough from the the outside, but like many things in nature, teeth are deceptively complex.

The crown of your tooth is the portion of a tooth that rests above the gum line — the part we can see. The rest of the tooth, the part that rests below the gum line, is called the root. The root makes up about two thirds of the overall length of a tooth. Deep inside the tooth is the soft, pulpy material called the pulp. Pulp contains extremely sensitive nerves and blood, which keeps the tooth alive. Protecting the pulp is a layer of tissue known as dentin. Dentin, harder than pulp, protects it and contains calcium. The outer covering of the tooth is called enamel. Most of us know how strong enamel is — in fact, it is the hardest substance in our bodies, stronger even than bones.

Tooth Trivia

• 40% of people over the age of 65 have lost some or all of their teeth. Brush and floss regularly!
• Teeth are as unique as fingerprints. (That’s why TV crime shows sometimes identify criminals by their bite marks.)
• Lefties tend to chew on the left side of their mouth. Righties tend to chew on the right.
• Switch from sugar to Lippa Dulcis. This rare plant found in Mexico is 1000 times sweeter than sugar and does not cause tooth decay.
• Teeth begin to grow in a human fetus after only 6 weeks.

Each one of our teeth has a name -

• Central incisors - those two big ones right in front
• Lateral incisor - the tooth next door
• Canine
• First Premolar (Bicuspid)
• Second Premolar (Bicuspid)
• First Molar
• Second Molar
• Third Molar (Wisdom tooth)

As with most everything in nature, each type of tooth serves a purpose. Incisors are used to bite into food. Canines are used to tear into food. Molars are used for crushing and grinding food up. Premolars are mainly used for tearing, but resemble molars in that they have more than one cusp, or point. (To be exact, premolars have two cusps, hence the term “bicuspid”. However, only one of the cusps is functional, making the premolar functionally more similar to the single cusp canine.)

In an upcoming post on dental terms, we’ll talk about the parts of our individual teeth.