Dental Plaque: Bacterial Shenanigans Above and Below the Gumline

Every morning and every night you clean your teeth. Your dentist tells you to do it, your family does it, and even your pets might do it using a special food or toy. Cleaning is done to remove dental plaque that accumulates over time on teeth, above and below the gumline. What is dental plaque and why is it important to remove? In this article, we provide an overview of dental plaque: what it is and why it forms, how dental plaque can hurt your teeth and gums, and what you can do to protect your teeth and gums. We hope this article inspires you to keep up with your own oral health and perhaps encourages you to consider a career in dentistry or the oral health sciences.