This afternoon, around 3PM, take a moment out of your busy day and lick your Teeth.

Specifically, run your tongue around your gum line. That sticky, fuzzy substance you feel is Dental plaque, and its mission in life is to destroy your smile

Brushing your teeth twice a day keeps the bacteria that causes plaque in check. Plus it removes the plaque from your teeth before it settles in and hardens into tartar.

Plaque, tartar and bacteria tend to congregate around the gum line. Removing plaque does not take force, it just requires you to gently and thoroughly clean your teeth. Tartar – hardened plaque – does require a professional cleaning to dislodge without damaging your teeth.

Banish Bacteria

The bacteria in your mouth likes to live in an organized colony. They form their little villages (officially known as biofilms) by excreting a glue-like substance that enables them to stick to your teeth.

Early on, when a dental biofilm is just forming, you can rinse it right off your teeth by rinsing your mouth with water. But within 24 hours after a colony has established itself, you need to brush your teeth– properly – to dislodge the biofilm.

And you do want to destroy those villages. Bacterial plaque is the primary cause of 90% of all dental disease. Bacteria secrete acidic waste products. This creates – no surprise – an acidic environment in your mouth that eats away at your teeth and leads to decay.

Over time, without proper oral hygiene and dental care, the plaque clinging to teeth works its way under the gums, resulting in oral infections.

Your best defense is consistent removal of the bacterial plaque. If its left alone for about 48 hours, it begins to harden – this is called tartar – and is extremely difficult to remove by simple brushing and flossing. You need professional cleanings to remove tartar. Even if you do brush regularly, it’s easy to miss tartar that can be lurking between your teeth, in tiny chips and cracks, or just under the gum line.

Preventing Tooth Decay

Most off the population of the U.S. will experience gingivitis (the mildest form of gum disease) during some point in their lives; while 30% to 40% of us will experience periodontitis (the severe form of gum disease). Treatment requires removal of the biofilm and its associated calculus (tartar) from the teeth and gums, and sometimes treatment with antibiotics.

But infections caused by dental biofilms can stubbornly resist antibiotics. Prevention is the best strategy. That means brushing twice a day, flossing, and seeing your dentist regularly for checkups and professional cleanings.

It takes two minutes to brush your teeth properly. Use a soft-bristled brush to avoid wearing away dental enamel or injuring your gums. Brush thoroughly, making sure to clean the areas of your teeth that don’t show when you smile. Flossing helps you remove debris from between and under your teeth.

But no matter how well you brush, you still need to get professional cleanings to remove stubborn tarter from its hiding places. Eliminating tartar at home is impossible, at least without running a serious risk of damaging your teeth.

If you’ve been avoiding seeing the dentist or dental hygienist due to costs, consider Dental Savings Plans. Dental savings plans are an affordable alternative to dental insurance, providing plan members with discounts on most dental services. Most of the plans you’ll find on dentalplans.com offer savings of 10%-60% at the dentist.

Dental savings plan members pay a low annual membership fee for access to an extensive network of participating dentists and dental specialists that provide discounts on dental care at the time of service. Since they are not dental insurance, dental savings plans do not have co-payments, deductibles, paperwork hassles or annual spending limits.

To find out more about dental savings plans, visit dentalplans.com.