You are cleaning plaque and the food that feeds the plaque. Plaque is a thin colorless film of bacteria that forms when fed by the food you eat. The plaque must be removed or it will cause permanent stains on your teeth and your gums will become swollen and bleed easily. The plaque is an infection and you don't want that.
Brushing your teeth with a soft bristle tooth brush by the gum line is the way to remove the plaque. Flossing is less important than really good brushing. Concentrate on the brushing.
Plaque takes 24 hours to grow so you if you are seeing plaque, it is not because you skipped your morning brush. It has been at least 24 hours since the toothbrush bristles reached that area - often longer. When we see gobs of plaque by the gum line, we know that you have been missing those areas for days.
Often people will tell us they are brushing their teeth. And we believe them. The trouble is that they are brushing the chewing side of the teeth, but that is not where the plaque collects and that is not where the problems occur. Its the gum line. Unless you get the bristles there by the gum line, you will not remove the plaque.
Bleeding gums always mean to brush more by the gums - never less. The bleeding isw a sign of the infection and will quickly get better once you keep it clean for a few days.
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About Me
- Dr. John Campbell
- I was born and raised in Winnipeg. Dentistry is in my blood. My grandfather, Fred Campbell, owned and operated a dental lab in Winnipeg. My father, Dr. William Campbell, or Bill, was an orthodontist until he retired in 1989. I used to hang around the office and I caught the bug. I graduated from The University of Manitoba with my D.M.D. in 1981. I spent one year interning at The Children’s Hospital Dental Program. I decided to be an orthodontist like my father – he loved his job and that was good enough for me. I received my orthodontic education at the University of Manitoba Graduate Orthodontic Program I love technology. More than technology, I am interested in getting better – I want to improve the service we provide to our patients, parents and their dentists, because a healthy smile is a team effort. My goal and that of my staff is never to stop getting better. I have two wonderful children. My daughter Alex is in third year Engineering at the University of Manitoba and my son Reid is in his first year of University and interested in geology. I am very happy that both of my kids are excited about the possibilities for education and technology as I am.