How to Get Rid of Plaque and Tartar

Plaque is a soft, sticky film that builds up on the outside of the teeth and along the gum line. A person can often prevent and treat plaque buildup at home. If a person does not practice good dental hygiene, plaque can turn into a hard yellow-brown substance called tartar.

When people eat, bacteria in the mouth breakdown the carbohydrates from food into acid, which mixes with leftover food particles and saliva to create plaque.

Brushing and flossing often prevent plaque and tartar from forming. However, tartar can be more difficult to remove and sometimes requires a visit to the dentist's office for a professional cleaning.

Poor oral hygiene can also cause bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease (gingivitis). Recent research has also uncovered possible associations between gum disease and other health conditions, including pneumonia, dementia, and heart disease.

In this article, learn about simple ways to remove plaque and prevent tartar buildup at home.

Baking soda: 

Baking soda is a commonly known ingredient used to remove plaque from your teeth. All you have to do is add baking soda to a wet toothbrush and brush. Another way of removing plaque is to mix some sea salt with baking soda and brush your teeth with both ingredients. Also, you can make your own mouthwash by mixing a half a cup of baking soda, one glass of water, 10 drops of lemon essential oil, and one teaspoon of organic aloe vera juice or gel.

Apples & Melon Fruits:

You can prevent plaque forming by eating an apple or piece of melon after each meal. Apples in particular work really great as a teeth cleaning food. Their fiber rich and when bitten into rub the teeth in a squeaky clean way!

Orange peels: 

You can help reduce bacteria on your teeth by rubbing your teeth with an orange peel eeach night before going to bed, leaving it overnight. Orange peels contain vitamin C and pectin that benefit the teeth.

Spicy foods:

Eating spicy herbs and foods helps to clean your mouth, teeth and gums by stimulating your your salivary glands, which is a great way to clean your teeth and gums naturally.

Tomatoes and Strawberries:

Both are rich in vitamin C and lycopene, the two ingredients help you remove the plaque and tartar as well as protect and keep the gums healthy. You can mash strawberries in a bowl and rub it on all your teeth then leaving it on for several minutes. After this you can clean your mouth with a baking soda and water. Other foods rich in vitamin C and antioxidants benefit the teeth and gums such as berries, oranges, papaya, bell peppers or lemons.

Sesame Seeds:

A little trick to help get rid of tartar is to chew sesame seeds and and then brush your teeth with the sesame seeds still in your mouth. It’s odd, yes, but it works very well as a strong way to break down tartar.

Dental Pick:

Using a dental pick to remove tartar is effective but it can also be risky. If you have weak teeth, enamel or sensitive gums it can hurt or cause more harm than good. If you choose this option be very careful and make sure that you’ve been eating healthy, organic whole foods and had less acidic foods and drinks for a month or so prior to trying this. The last thing you want is to do more harm than good.

Oral Cleanser:

Rinse your mouth with food grade hydrogen peroxide. You can mix h202 (hydrogen peroxide) with a glass of water in order to be able to gargle or brush it. Hydrogen peroxide is a very strong way to help break down plaque and tartar both as well as kill harmful bacteria in the mouth and gums.

Water Fast:

This is probably the most underrated and unspoken way to remove plaque and tartar. If you really want to remove plaque and tartar fast I cannot think of a faster and more effective way than this. Go for 1-2 days without eating any food and only drinking water. You’ll feel the plaque and tartar loosen up and you can simply then brush it off with a toothrbush or scrape it off with your fingernail. The longer you water fast (go without food and only water) the more plaque and tartar will soften and come off.

If you try this method make sure you have some immediate things on hand like fruit and sea salt in order to ensure your electrolyte, mineral and blood sugar levels don’t drop too fast. If you have some experience in water fasting you can just utilize this and then add the above methods to your teeth to accelerate the effectiveness during your next fast.

That’s more than a few ways to help you remove plaque and tartar from your teeth. It’s good to always have baking soda and food grade hydrogen peroxide (3%) on hand at any given time not just for plaque and tartar but for other health and wellness reasons as well. They are also great deodorizing and cleaning agents for your home!