19 Amazing Home Remedies for Removing Plaque Naturally
Use these amazing home remedies to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth. Keep your teeth and mouth healthy with all-natural scrubs and cleansing solutions.
What Are Plaque and Tartar?
People often use the terms ‘plaque’ and ‘tartar’ interchangeably. Although they’re very similar, they’re not the same thing. Plaque is the bacteria that causes decay and cavities. And tartar on your teeth is an accumulation of stains, saliva, food, dirt, and grime. Tartar makes it easier for the plaque to take a hold of teeth.
When you see yellow or white patches on your teeth, it’s tartar. It’s quite tough and sticks fast to your enamel. That’s why a dentist should remove it. If left untreated, tartar build-ups can lead to bad breath and a general staining of the teeth.
Luckily, you can prevent this tartar buildup by removing the plaque from your teeth regularly. Even better, you don’t need a dentist for that. You can easily remove the plaque from your teeth at home. Check out these awesome home remedies to remove plaque effectively.
Getting Rid of Plaque and Tartar at Home
Home remedies should never be a substitute for proper dental treatment. But, there are some methods that can effectively remove plaque.
1. Brush Carefully and Regularly
You need to brush your teeth properly and regularly to remove plaque. It’s a great way to take care of your oral hygiene and prevent tartar buildup.
You should brush your teeth after every meal. It’s best to wait half an hour after eating first. You need to brush for three minutes. While you brush, be sure to use an even amount of pressure on the toothbrush as you brush each tooth.
2. Use Fluoride Toothpaste
There’s a good reason why commercial toothpaste recipes almost always contain fluoride. This substance strengthens the tooth enamel and lessens the risk of decay from acidic foods and drinks.
In fact, it actually helps decayed teeth to heal and regenerate. The only problem is that this process occurs too slowly for brushing alone to prevent cavities. You also need to eat a healthy diet and steer clear of sugary snacks.
3. Buy Tartar Control Toothpaste
If you’re prone to developing tartar patches, there’s a variety of tartar control toothpaste out there. You can even use this if you’re worried about plaque.
Tartar control toothpaste contains ingredients that battle against crusty build-ups in the mouth. In some cases, they also contain triclosan. This is an antibiotic substance that can kill off a number of bacteria strains.
4. Clean with Baking Soda
Using baking soda occasionally is a great way to remove plaque at home. It’s slightly abrasive. As a result, it pries and files nasty stuff from the surface of the enamel.
All you need to do is take one tablespoon of baking soda and add a pinch of salt. Then, dampen a toothbrush and dip it into the mixture. Afterward, clean your teeth as you usually would and rinse thoroughly.
5. Mix Aloe Vera and Glycerine
Aloe vera has a lot of benefits. But did you know that it can also keep your teeth free from plaque?
Take a cup of water, combine it with half a cup of baking soda, and a teaspoon of aloe vera gel. Then, add a healthy dose of lemon essential oil and four teaspoons of vegetable glycerine. Now, scrub your teeth with the formula and wake up to a shiny set of gnashers in the morning.
6. Rub Your Teeth with an Orange Peel
If you don’t fancy rubbing vegetable glycerine on your teeth, you might prefer something a little simpler. You can rub orange peel directly onto your teeth. This will help to fight tartar-building microorganisms on the enamel.
You can also mash up the peel and apply it to the stained areas. Leave to rest and then rinse. This can noticeably whiten the teeth.
7. Eat Lots of Fruit and Vegetables
Eating fruit and vegetables isn’t just great for your teeth. It’s also essential for your whole body. Plus, eating fruits and vegetables can also remove plaque naturally.
Munch on some apples, celery sticks, carrots, and peppers to get your teeth looking strong and healthy in no time.
8. Munch on Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds can be an active dental scrub. It gently removes plaque and tartar without damaging teeth.
Just pop a handful of sesame seeds into your mouth. Chew them up, but do not swallow them. Take a dry toothbrush and brush your teeth while the seeds are still in your mouth. They will act as a scrub and delicately scour the surface of stained teeth.
9. Enjoy Plenty of Figs
There are surprisingly many home remedies to remove plaque that involve fruit. Did you know figs are great at fighting bacteria and other nasties on teeth?
You just have to eat three or four figs all at the same time. Chew them up slowly and deliberately. Give them as much exposure to the gums and teeth as possible.
The chewing will kickstart the salivary glands. This is great to remove plaque because saliva contains natural antibacterial properties.
10. Switch to an Electric Brush
Manual vs. electric toothbrush? The dental debate of the century. Ultimately, neither is better or worse, it’s a personal choice you have to make.
However, if you’re prone to plaque and tartar buildup while using manual toothbrushes, try switching to an electric brush. You may be surprised how well it removes plaque and tartar.
11. Always Remember to Floss
No matter how well you brush your teeth, you still need to floss. As dental industry guidelines state, both are required for a high-quality dental care routine. While brushing is great for getting at the surface of tooth enamel, a lot of debris and dirt accumulate in the corners. You simply cannot reach this with a regular brush.
12. Rinse with an Antiseptic Cleanser
You can also control tartar and plaque build-up with a hydrogen peroxide-based mouthwash or cleanser. If you can’t find this type of product in your local pharmacy, it is pretty easy to knock a batch together yourself.
Take one tablespoon of antiseptic mouthwash and add three tablespoons of (3% only) hydrogen peroxide solution. You must make sure that the substance you use is of a suitable concentration or you could damage your teeth.
13. Invest in a Dental Scraping Device
A dental scraper (or pick) is essentially the same kind of device that your dentist uses to coax the tartar from your teeth during intensive cleaning. You can buy these in pharmacies and drugstores.
They are long and thin, with a hooked metal end. A dental scraper can look a little daunting, but scraping should never be painful. Take your pick, stand in a well-lit room with a mirror, and gently scrape at the white patches of tartar.
But, be very careful! You’re scraping inside your mouth with a sharp object. Try to avoid any injuries, and don’t scrape the enamel off your teeth. You may end up causing more harm than good.
14. Make a Super Vitamin Paste
Vitamin C heavy fruits are great for removing plaque at home. Mash together oranges, tomatoes, and strawberries into a thick paste. Apply it to tartar and plaque build-ups. Leave to rest for five minutes and then rinse thoroughly. Vitamin C will help to remove bacteria and keep your mouth healthy.
15. Feast on Spicy Cuisines
If you’re a fan of Indian or Mexican food, you’re in luck. According to dental scientists, spicy cuisines are great for reducing plaque and tartar levels in the mouth. They do this by increasing your production of saliva (which is great against plaque). Saliva washes over teeth and cleanses them of nasty stuff.
16. Gargle with a Vinegar Solution
This isn’t the most pleasant method to remove plaque at home, but it’s very effective. It’s also natural and guaranteed not to harm teeth.
Take a solution of two tablespoons of vinegar, one tablespoon of salt, and four ounces of water. Now, gargle with this vinegar solution. Rinse and repeat every 2-3 days for maximum efficiency.
17. Grind Up Clove Spice
Clove is actually a historic remedy for toothaches. People have been using it to relieve dental pain for centuries. Today, you can find it in every supermarket. It’s a very common ingredient in Indian cuisine, so you should have no trouble finding ground cloves at the store.
Mix the ground spice with a little water, until it forms a paste. Apply this paste directly to the stained areas and leave it to rest. Rinse thoroughly.
18. Identify the Biggest Stains
There is a really easy and clever way to check if you have a plaque buildup on your teeth. Take some food coloring – just the regular stuff found in supermarkets – and add it to a teaspoon of water.
You can use this mini mixture as a plaque highlighting solution. However, you should first rub a little petroleum jelly on your lips first to avoid stains. Swish the food coloring in your mouth for a bit and then spit it out. You should see light patches of color on your teeth. That’s where the most stubborn plaque accumulations are. Concentrate brushing here to remove it.
19. Indulge in Cheesy Snacks
Snacking on aged cheeses, such as Swiss or cheddar, is a great way to clean your teeth naturally. They neutralize the acids that accumulate right after meals. These acids contribute to plaque build-ups the most.
According to scientists, there is an element in aged cheese that acts as a buffering agent and a barrier for plaque. You can also find the same element in peanuts and sesame seeds.
5 Tips to Prevent Plaque
While plaque is relatively easy to get rid of with these home remedies, it can get out of hand fast. And if you leave plaque on your teeth, it’ll turn into hard tartar. An alternative is to prevent plaque buildup in the first place.
Do these five things to avoid plaque build-ups altogether. Prevention is always cheaper than the cure when it comes to dental health. If you can stop plaque and tartar from building up in the first place, you’ll have a much better chance of keeping all of your teeth healthy.
1. Keep Up with Dental Appointments
It’s your job to keep up with check-ups and appointments. Your dentist can’t make you attend. But you need to go regularly. Once you miss several consecutive dates, you risk being taken off the list at your practice.
2. Always Use a Soft Bristled Brush
Keep an eye on how hard you’re brushing your teeth. Brushing your teeth with a lot of pressure won’t clean them faster or better. On the contrary. Tough brushing damages enamel, which results in a host of other problems. Be reasonably gentle and use a soft-bristled brush for comfort.
3. Cut Back On Your Smoking Habit
Unfortunately, there is no cheat or secret way around this one. The reality is that smoking is really bad for your oral health. You will always be at a much higher risk of gum disease and tooth infection while you smoke. It will also lead to accelerated tartar build-up in and around the gum line.
4. Drink Plenty of Fresh Water
There are few things as natural and as healthy as water. You should drink around eight glasses of it every day anyway. (So, this tip should really only be a reminder.) If you drink plenty of water, it will wash away plaque, dirt, and debris before it gets a chance to take a hold on the surface of tooth enamel.
5. Consult with Your Dental Specialist
If you have any questions or concerns about the health of your teeth, you need to ask your dentist. They’re the most qualified person to provide an answer or a solution.
Turn to your dentist with any problem you have with confidence. They’re not there to give you a lecture or yell at you. They only want to offer you the finest in dental care and treatment available.
If Plaque Builds Up, Tartar Hurts Your Teeth
Plaque and tartar both contribute to the development of decay and cavities. Tartar is porous. As a result, plaque can build up inside and around it. It then calcifies around the plaque and bacteria. This traps all of the nasty stuff close to tooth enamel. Once there, it can feast on and wear away teeth with harmful acids.
It’s crucial to have tartar removed because it greatly increases the risk of decay and gum disease. If left untreated, chronic gingivitis and degenerative tooth loss may be the outcome.
For patients with underlying health conditions, the consequences can be extremely serious. Dental scientists now know that poor oral health can contribute to the development of diabetes and heart disease. These are potentially life-threatening conditions.
The Carefree Dental blog is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The text and pictures within the content are intended for information purposes only. Readers should consult with a licensed doctor or healthcare professional before seeking treatment.
The Carefree Dental Card is not insurance and Carefree Dental is not an insurance provider.
