Maintaining good oral health is important for overall health and confidence, and plaque is a common problem. Plaque turns to tartar when left alone, it’s formed by accumulated bacteria in your mouth. You may notice it as a hard yellowish layer, also called calculus, on your teeth. Removing plaque usually requires a visit to your dentist, however you can remove it at yourself at home using natural remedies.
Here are some to help you maintain your lovely smile:
• Baking soda
This is the most well-known and often used tool for removing plaque. Simply pour a little baking soda into a small container, wet your toothbrush, put some baking soda on it and brush. You can mix a pinch of salt into the baking powder for more cleansing power. This removes tartar effectively for pennies.
You can even make your own mouthwash: You will need one-half cup baking soda, one cup water, 10 drops essential lemon oil, 4 teaspoons vegetable glycerin, and 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel. Mix all the ingredients and store in a bottle, use once or twice a day.
• Strawberries and Tomatoes: Strawberries and tomatoes have good quantities of vitamin C which is excellent for oral health. Rub these fruits directly onto your teeth and let sit for 5 minutes, this will soften any tartar build-up. Then rinse your mouth with baking soda mixed with warm water to remove plaque, leaving you clean pearly whites. You canalso use other vitamin C rich foods like bell peppers, berries, lemons, papaya, oranges, and lime the same way.
• Food Coloring: Using food coloring is a great way to spot plaque on your teeth. First dab a little petroleum jelly to your lips to prevent staining, take a couple drops of food coloring in a teaspoon of water and swish it around your mouth. Spit it out and rinse with clear water. Look for colored areas and remove them with your toothbrush. When performing regular brushing pay special attention to those areas of your mouth.
• Cheese: Eating an ounce of an aged cheese, like Swiss or Cheddar, before meals helps neutralize the acids that affect plaque production. More aged, fragrant cheeses work best. Mothernature.com explains that a component in aged cheese acts as a buffering agent. The Student Care Center at the University of Chicago suggests eating raw peanuts for the same effect, neutralizing acids in the mouth and re-mineralizing teeth.
Besides these remedies there are a few other things you can implement into your oral health regimen:
• Brushing teeth regularly with a soft brush using vertical strokes. Concentrate on the space where teeth and gums meet.
• Floss regularly to remove food particles and bacteria between your teeth.
• Eating spicy food will also help keep your mouth clean. When you eat spicy food it stimulates your salivary glands, that saliva cleans your mouth naturally.
• Rub an orange peel on your teeth before going to bed and do not rinse off. This will help your teeth fight bacteria.
• Quit smoking, tobacco products contain tar that sticks to your teeth which results in plaque buildup. source:jcmysavior.org
• Floss regularly to remove food particles and bacteria between your teeth.
• Eating spicy food will also help keep your mouth clean. When you eat spicy food it stimulates your salivary glands, that saliva cleans your mouth naturally.
• Rub an orange peel on your teeth before going to bed and do not rinse off. This will help your teeth fight bacteria.
• Quit smoking, tobacco products contain tar that sticks to your teeth which results in plaque buildup. source:jcmysavior.org