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If you don't brush and floss daily, food particles remain in your mouth, causing bad breath. A colorless, sticky film of bacteria called plaque forms on your teeth. If not brushed away, plaque can irritate your gums. Eventually, it can form plaque-filled pockets between your teeth and gums.
If your bad breath is due to a buildup of bacteria called plaque on your teeth, your dentist may recommend a mouth rinse that kills the bacteria. Your dentist also may recommend a toothpaste that contains an antibacterial agent to kill the bacteria that cause plaque buildup.
Ongoing gum irritation and swelling, called inflammation, can cause periodontitis. Eventually this causes deep pockets to form between your gums and teeth. These pockets fill with plaque, tartar and bacteria and become deeper over time. If not treated, these deep infections cause a loss of tissue and bone.
The most common cause of gingivitis is poor care of teeth and gums, which allows plaque to form on teeth. This causes swelling of the surrounding gum tissues. Here's how plaque can lead to gingivitis: Plaque forms on your teeth. Plaque is a sticky film that has no color.
This condition is called atherosclerosis. The buildup is called plaque. Plaque can cause the arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow. The plaque also can burst, causing a blood clot. Some causes of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease are: Diabetes or insulin resistance. High blood pressure. Lack of exercise. Smoking or tobacco use. Risk ...
Plaque attacks. The acids from bacteria remove minerals in your tooth's hard, outer enamel. This erosion causes tiny openings or holes in the enamel — the first stage of cavities. Once areas of enamel are worn away, the bacteria and acid can reach the next layer of your teeth, called dentin.
White tongue is the result of an overgrowth and swelling of the fingerlike projections (papillae) on the surface of your tongue. The appearance of a white coating is caused by debris, bacteria and dead cells getting lodged between the enlarged and sometimes inflamed papillae.
The idea was that plaque buildup reduces blood flow in the penis, making an erection difficult. However, experts now believe that erectile dysfunction preceding heart problems is more often due to the dysfunction of the inner lining of the blood vessels (endothelium) and smooth muscle.
Dry mouth often is due to aging, the side effects of certain medicines or radiation therapy for cancer. Less often, a condition directly affecting the salivary glands can cause dry mouth. You also may experience dry mouth temporarily if you are thirsty or feel anxious about something.
To understand the causes of heart valve disease, it may be helpful to know how the heart works. Four valves in the heart keep blood flowing in the right direction. These valves are: Aortic valve. Mitral valve. Pulmonary valve. Tricuspid valve. Each valve has flaps, called leaflets or cusps. The flaps open and close once during each heartbeat.