{"id":113,"date":"2019-10-28T14:10:40","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T14:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/?p=113"},"modified":"2019-10-28T14:10:40","modified_gmt":"2019-10-28T14:10:40","slug":"why-you-shouldnt-try-to-remove-plaque-by-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/why-you-shouldnt-try-to-remove-plaque-by-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dangers of Scraping Plaque From Your Teeth At Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/AdobeStock_10229022__1572271530_62702-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"dental tools laying on a tray\" class=\"wp-image-114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/AdobeStock_10229022__1572271530_62702-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/AdobeStock_10229022__1572271530_62702-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/AdobeStock_10229022__1572271530_62702.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Some\npeople watch their dentist scrape away plaque and tartar from their teeth\nduring their checkups and cleanings and wonder why they can\u2019t save themselves\nan appointment and take care of that themselves, at home. Your professionals\nare specially trained to clean and examine your mouth without causing any\ndamage or harm, unlike yourself. Here\u2019s why you shouldn\u2019t try to remove plaque by\nyourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s So Special About Dental Cleaning Tools? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people are familiar with the infamous tray of metal\ntools that your dentist or hygienist wheels around you whenever they\u2019re about\nto examine or clean your teeth. In fact, a great number of people in America\nare intimidated by them and have severe dental fears that keep them from\nscheduling appointments in the first place. If this is one of the reasons that\nyou\u2019ve been trying to clear plaque from your mouth at home, check to see if\nyour dentist in Manchester offers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/sedation-dentistry.html\">sedation\ntechniques<\/a> to make you more comfortable and relaxed! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among these tools are dental mirrors and scalers. These help\nyour professional give up-close, thorough, and personal cleanings that remove all\nplaque and tartar from those hard-to-reach crevices of your mouth. Plaque and\ntartar can build up on your teeth if they\u2019re not regularly removed, causing problems\nlike gum disease and tooth decay. However, not all plaque should be removed at\nhome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Problems Caused By At-Home Plaque Scraping <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve probably seen plaque scrapers that you can buy at\nyour local drug or grocery stores. However, just because they\u2019re available,\ndoesn\u2019t mean you should use them. It takes special training to be able to\nsafely scrape off plaque and tartar from your teeth without accidentally damaging\nyour gums. In fact, dental hygienists and dentists go through years of extensive\ntraining to be able to do this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because these tools are sharp, they can easily cause gum\ndamage and recession, which is when your gums move away from your teeth and\nexpose the sensitive roots. If you\u2019re not sure what signs to look out for that\nyour oral tissues have been harmed, it could develop into an infection. Tartar\ncan also accidentally be shoved under the gumline, causing oral health\nproblems. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How To Safely Remove Plaque and Tartar <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re worried about plaque and tartar buildup, visit\nyour dentist for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">semi-annual\ncheckup and cleaning<\/a>. They\u2019ll be able to take care of any oral health\nproblems and leave your mouth feeling healthy as ever. To limit plaque\naccumulation at home, be sure to floss every day and rinse with an\nantibacterial mouthwash after. Also, don\u2019t forget to brush your teeth for two\nminutes, at least twice every day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s never healthy to take a gamble on your mouth and treat\nit like a DIY project. Often times, most at-home activities that you think will\nsave you money are going to end up costing you more down the road. Keep your\nmouth in peak condition by visiting a trained professional! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Jonathan Mason completed a year-long residency at the VA\nMedical Center in Philadelphia and has a wealth of dental knowledge that he\nloves sharing with his patients. He focuses on providing everybody that walks\nthrough his doors with high-quality preventive treatment that tackles the small\nproblems before they ever have a chance to progress. He is also an active member\nof several professional organizations, allowing him to stay up-to-date with the\nlatest advancements in his field. For questions or to schedule a routine\ncheckup and cleaning, visit his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/contact-us.html\">website<\/a> or call 802-362-1099.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some people watch their dentist scrape away plaque and tartar from their teeth during their checkups and cleanings and wonder why they can\u2019t save themselves an appointment and take care of that themselves, at home. Your professionals are specially trained to clean and examine your mouth without causing any damage or harm, unlike yourself. Here\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why You Shouldn&#039;t Try to Remove Plaque By Yourself | DIY Dental Danger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Have you tried DIY dental cleanings at home because you thought it would save you money. Here\u2019s why you shouldn\u2019t try to remove plaque by yourself.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/why-you-shouldnt-try-to-remove-plaque-by-yourself\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why You Shouldn&#039;t Try to Remove Plaque By Yourself | DIY Dental Danger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you tried DIY dental cleanings at home because you thought it would save you money. Here\u2019s why you shouldn\u2019t try to remove plaque by yourself.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/why-you-shouldnt-try-to-remove-plaque-by-yourself\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jonathan E. Mason, DMD Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-10-28T14:10:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/AdobeStock_10229022__1572271530_62702-300x200.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"drmason\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"drmason\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/why-you-shouldnt-try-to-remove-plaque-by-yourself\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/why-you-shouldnt-try-to-remove-plaque-by-yourself\/\",\"name\":\"Why You Shouldn't Try to Remove Plaque By Yourself | DIY Dental Danger\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/why-you-shouldnt-try-to-remove-plaque-by-yourself\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/why-you-shouldnt-try-to-remove-plaque-by-yourself\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/AdobeStock_10229022__1572271530_62702-300x200.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-10-28T14:10:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-10-28T14:10:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0872dc4dcd5e738e5e3ac24bad3b20de\"},\"description\":\"Have you tried DIY dental cleanings at home because you thought it would save you money. 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