Human saliva contains over 800 species of bacteria, over 100 species of fungi, as well as mineral, chemical and dietary components. If this is not kept under control, immediately after brushing your teeth, the saliva releases certain chemical compounds which coat the teeth and form a thin film. At this point, the pellicle (biofilm) begins to act like double-sided adhesive tape, sticking to the teeth and trapping everything that comes into contact with it. Within a few minutes, glycoproteins are released from the saliva, settle on the pellicle (biofilm) and solidify, serving as anchor points for further bacteria.
Next, the bacteria in the saliva attach themselves to these anchor points and begin to consume sugar, causing them to multiply and attract other bacteria; combined with food and other deposits in the saliva, these form soft plaque. The bacteria in the plaque continue to consume sugar and release lactic acid, which demineralises your tooth enamel and, if not brushed away, can eventually cause a cavity.
Over time, and under the right conditions in the mouth, plaque can also calcify and turn into hard tartar within 5–7 days, which can only be removed by a dentist or dental hygienist using a professional clinical scaler.
Our aim is to remove plaque with every toothbrushing session before it causes damage. There are various ways to do this, the most popular of which is ‘simply sweeping’ with a mini-broom – the toothbrush. Electric and sonic toothbrushes move the bristles up and down or in a circular motion, replicating some of the hand movements. Some of these sonic toothbrushes are very aggressive (moving up and down with a lot of force), which, over a lifetime, have the potential to wear away your enamel and damage your gums.