Plaque below gumline

[Sandy]

How do you get rid of this yourself? Is there a way? My sister bought a highpower water thingy and she loves it. It cost like $100 and I want to know if it would be a great purchase or not.

[ctoler1920]

I think if the plaque is below the gum line she would have to have a deep cleaning to have it removed. If she asks her dentist or hygenist they would be able to tell her if she needs it. To remove it herself I don't think that new water thingy would do any good.

[Sandy]

They told me I needed a cleaning right away, but had no open date. Said they would call when they got an opening, thats been over 2 months ago. Should I just switch to a new dentist?

[ronnie]

I would switch to a new dentist. With things like that you shouldn't have to wait. Plaque below the gum line is an early sign of periodontal disease. To help reduce flossing is recommened,

[Tara19]

yep i would also switch and get on a mouthwash from the dentist.. A deep cleaning may be needed also.

[mariahfromchicago]

I agree with Tara that water jet sounds too good to be true. I think that it might cause your teeth to fall out o_O

[Sunny]

Mariah this is an old post, so I'll answer your comments.

NEVER aim a waterjet/waterpik at your gumline. You risk damaging the delicate fibres that connect your gums to the roots of your teeth, and the result will be gum recession. Waterjets/waterpics are for cleaning food from around teeth ... and if you have braces, from around the brackets.

Plaque forming under the gumline needs to be removed by a dentist or periodontist, as this requires a deep scrap and scale. If left untreated, there is a good chance of gum disease resulting. This may result in gum recession, bone loss and in teeth becoming loose and falling out.

The best way to prevent plaque forming below the gumline is by flossing once a day.

[wlmturner86]

Hello,

To prevent gum disease most of us would have to be flossing correctly every day from an
early on age! Also brushing, eating right (not too much junk), not taking meds.. etc. There
are lots of things that cause gum disease but we all need regular cleanings at the dentist!
I think your sister should consult to a dentist, He would able to clean her gum and prescribed
right treatment.

[boatsink]

1). It's important to keep up with regular teeth cleaning with a good dentist. I emphasize good dentist. I've had poor dentists, who I thought were good. But when I changed to that special dentist, the first routine cleaning was painful, but very thorough. I knew then my teeth/gums were not as in great shape as I had thought.
2). Floss your teeth at least once a day. Proper flossing and proper floss are key! Most people do not floss correctly. It's important to get the floss to form a "U" around your teeth (some say "C" shape) and down into the gums and scrap. Literally, down into the gums. Get every surface of each individual teeth. Floss time should be greater than actual brushing. Get a good floss that provides the most friction. Careful with the excess wax, it makes people lazy, and doesn't provide as much friction.A good indicator of your gum's health is the color. If it's red, there is plenty of inflammation and you are not flossing properly. Get the gums near the teeth to be a white-pink color. Get rid of the plaque, tartar build up, especially behind the gums. If your gums are red (and not severely diseased), proper maintenance can achieve pink colored gums in 2 weeks.
3) Brush at least twice a day.
4) Minimize consumption of highly cariogenic foods. It's impossible to avoid these foods (even though they are good), but try and minimize the retention time that these food items are in your mouth.

Most people maintain great teeth and gum health from floss and a toothbrush. You don't have to necessarily have to spend big bucks to achieve this.

Goodluck!