0
Dental plaque is a soft, sticky film of bacteria that forms on your teeth every day. Brushing removes it. Left in place, it hardens into tartar, which only a dental professional can take off.
Quick answers
- What it is: a film of bacteria, saliva and food residue.
- What it looks like: colourless to pale yellow. Your teeth feel fuzzy.
- What removes it: brushing twice a day and cleaning between your teeth.
- What doesn’t: teeth whitening. It changes the colour of a tooth, not what sits on it.
What is dental plaque?
The American Dental Association describes plaque as a sticky film that covers your teeth and contains bacteria. After a meal or snack with sugar, those bacteria release acids that attack the enamel.
Having plaque is normal. New plaque forms every day, even while you sleep, and it’s harmless as long as it doesn’t stay, as the Cleveland Clinic explains.
What does plaque look like on teeth?
Plaque is colourless, so you often can’t see it. It can turn pale yellow when food particles stick to it. You’ll mostly find it:
- along the gum line;
- between the teeth;
- on the back teeth, where the brush reaches less easily.
How to check if you have plaque
- The tongue test: run your tongue over your teeth. If they feel fuzzy, plaque is probably there.
- Disclosing tablets: you chew a tablet or swish a solution that colours the plaque, so you can see where you missed.
- A dental check-up: a dentist sees what you can’t, including under the gum line.
Brushing along the gum line is where most plaque is removed.
What causes plaque on teeth?
Bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugars and starches you eat and form a film on the teeth. Some things make it build up faster:
- brushing irregularly, or for too short a time;
- frequent sugary snacks and drinks;
- a dry mouth;
- smoking;
- braces, which make teeth harder to clean.
Plaque vs tartar: what is the difference?
| Plaque | Tartar | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A soft film of bacteria | Plaque that has hardened with minerals |
| Texture | Soft, sticky | Hard, rough |
| Colour | Colourless to pale yellow | Yellow, brown or dark |
| How fast it appears | Every day | Within days, if plaque stays |
| Removed by | Brushing and cleaning between the teeth | A dentist or dental hygienist only |
More on the hard stuff in our guide to dental tartar.
How long does plaque take to turn into tartar?
Within days. Health bodies such as the ADA and the US dental research institute give no exact figure: they say plaque that isn’t removed every day can harden into tartar. A children’s hospital in the UK health service says “several days”. The “24 to 72 hours” you often read comes from toothpaste and toothbrush brands.
What happens if plaque is not removed?
- Cavities: the acids wear down the enamel.
- Gum disease: the NHS states that gum disease is caused by a build-up of plaque.
- Tartar: which holds more plaque and stains easily.
- Bad breath.
See a dental clinic if your gums bleed when you brush, if bad breath doesn’t go away, if your gums are pulling back or if a tooth feels loose. The Smile Bar is a teeth whitening studio: we don’t treat gum disease or cavities.
How to remove plaque from teeth at home
- Brush twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste.
- Clean between your teeth once a day with floss or interdental brushes.
- Consider an electric toothbrush. A Cochrane review of 56 trials found powered brushes reduce plaque more than manual ones.
- Use mouthwash as an extra, never instead of brushing.
- Cut down on sugary snacks between meals.
What not to do
- Don’t scrape your teeth with a metal tool. You risk damaging your teeth and gums.
- Don’t rely on baking soda or oil pulling. The evidence for them is limited.
What only a professional cleaning can remove
Tartar. Once plaque has hardened, a brush can’t shift it: only a dentist or dental hygienist can remove it, above and below the gum line.
How often you need it is for you and your dentist to decide. A Cochrane review found that routine scaling reduces tartar, but makes little difference to gum health in adults whose gums are already healthy.
Does teeth whitening remove plaque?
No. Whitening lightens the colour of the tooth. It doesn’t replace brushing or a professional cleaning.
| What it removes | |
|---|---|
| Brushing and flossing | Plaque |
| Professional cleaning and scaling | Tartar and surface stains |
| Teeth whitening | Nothing: it lightens the shade of the tooth |
Clean teeth whiten more evenly, which is why a cleaning comes first. At The Smile Bar you can add Cleaning and Scaling (950 THB) to a whitening session. It’s performed by our dentist and can’t be booked on its own: see teeth cleaning and whitening in one visit. For a cleaning alone or a gum problem, go to a dental clinic.
Book your whitening session at The Smile Bar
- Single Whitening: 1 × 20 minutes, 2,399 THB
- Double Whitening: 2 × 20 minutes, 4,399 THB
- Triple Whitening: 3 × 20 minutes, 5,799 THB
- Cleaning and Scaling: 950 THB, only together with a whitening session
Book online or walk in when a chair is free. We’re on the ground floor at 392/27-28 Siam Square Soi 5, next to BTS Siam, open every day from 10 am to 8 pm. Prices are on our teeth whitening prices page.
Frequently asked questions
Can you scrape plaque off your teeth yourself?
Soft plaque comes off with a brush, so there’s nothing to scrape. Hardened tartar shouldn’t be scraped at home: you can damage your teeth and gums.
Why do I still have plaque even though I brush every day?
Because plaque forms again every day. That’s normal. What matters is removing it daily, including between the teeth.
Can hardened plaque fall off on its own?
A piece of tartar can occasionally break off, but the rest stays. It needs a professional cleaning.
Does plaque cause bad breath?
It can. The bacteria in plaque produce odours. Bad breath that persists is a reason to see a dentist.
Does plaque cause cavities?
Yes. After you eat sugar, the bacteria in plaque release acids that attack the enamel.
Is an electric toothbrush better at removing plaque?
On average, yes. A Cochrane review found powered brushes reduce plaque more than manual ones, although how much that matters in practice is unclear.
Can I whiten my teeth if I have plaque or tartar?
Brush well before your session. If you have tartar, have it removed first: whitening works on the tooth, not on the deposit.
Where can I get plaque and tartar removed in Bangkok?
At a dental clinic. At The Smile Bar, Cleaning and Scaling is available only as an add-on to a whitening session.
