How to Rinse to Remove Plaque

Bacterial plaque is a colorless film that grows on your teeth and causes dental decay and gum disease. Your mouth breaks down food in your mouth using saliva and acid. This acid also forms bacterial plaque along your gum line. Without regular brushing, rinsing and flossing, plaque becomes tarter, a hardened coating over your teeth responsible for inflammation and eventually gingivitis. Rinsing away plaque isn't difficult but does require frequent brushing with rinsing to remove plaque and prevent future buildup.

Things You'll Need

• Toothbrush
• Floss
• Antibacterial mouthwash

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Instructions

• 1

  Remove any major food particles and plaque in between your teeth by flossing. Gently insert the floss upward toward your gum and down again. Pull the floss horizontally and laterally to remove plaque around the base of your teeth. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, flossing should always be the first step of your dental hygiene routine.

• 2

  Pour two tablespoons of antibacterial mouthwash into your mouth and swish for 30 seconds. Open your jawbone slightly and vigorously force the mouthwash between your cheeks, forcing the fluid in between your teeth. Rinsing your mouth helps wash away plaque particles you loosened during flossing.

• 3

  Brush your teeth. Place a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on your tooth brush and move the toothbrush in small circles along all the surfaces of your teeth. Concentrate on brushing along your gum line to remove plaque at its source.

• 4

  Complete your plaque removal routine by rising the toothpaste from your mouth with water and then rising a second time with antibacterial mouthwash. Rinsing with water removes the debris and plaque loosened during brushing. The final mouthwash rinse fights the smaller plaque-causing bacteria along the gum line that you cannot remove with a toothbrush.