Hey there, my name is Tommi the Toothbrush! I'm here to tell you a little secret, the tooth fairy is very greedy and she wants to pull out all your teeth so you can't eat. Who wants me to teach them how to take care of their teeth so you can keep the tooth fairy's greed away from them? Alright, here we go.PlaqueSo there's a soft, sticky substance that has no color and doesn't form in your mouth all the time. This stuff is called plaque! It's not just on your teeth, it sticks to your tongue too! So, plaque begins when saliva sticks to the teeth, called acquired pellicle, and two types of tiny insects called bacteria, Lactobacillus and Streptococus, stick to it. We'll call them LB and SC, and they like to live in large groups called colonies inside the plate that contains the food you eat, which they also like to eat! Mixed with your saliva, the foods you eat break down into sugars, which eat them and produce waste that sits inside plaque. Eww, right? But cleaning plaque is easy if you brush and floss your teeth properly! But if you don't, it will harden and become calculus, also called tartar, and this substance is yellow, sometimes brown or black. This looks really disgusting. So make sure you brush and floss your teeth to prevent it from becoming hard and unpleasant. The Role of Plaque in Cavities When you eat, plaque forms when bacteria, saliva, and food debris mix and stick to your teeth. Bacteria begin to eat the sugar that breaks down in food and produces acid, triggering an acid attack! During the acid attack, the pH of the mouth drops, causing the tooth's protective layer, enamel, to weaken, and some of its minerals to dissolve or melt due to the acid. This is called demineralization, because it causes the loss of minerals like calcium and phospha...... middle of paper ...... a cosmetic agent, to freshen the breath, but it There are certain mouthwashes that now have therapeutic and even preventive benefits: such as the introduction of fluoride and minerals to strengthen and remineralize the teeth. Mouthwashes can cover hard-to-reach areas of the teeth and provide a means of removing particles. A third oral hygiene tool is the Floss Threader, a dental device that has a loop on one end and a more rigid, pointed end for threading the floss under orthodontic or restorative devices that do not allow flossing. to pass freely between tooth contacts.NutritionIn addition to proper cleaning techniques, good eating habits can contribute to healthier teeth. As discussed in the section on plaque formation, plaque forms all the time and is enhanced in the presence of food debris. With more food debris for bacteria to feed on