Brushing? Shirley that's straightforward?

 Yes, you'd think so wouldn't you. Brush your teeth...job done! Well, guess what, you can make brushing more effective and therefore more preventive. 'How!' I hear you cry. plaque hardens with time, so the longer the plaque has been there the more difficult it is to remove. CONSEQUENTLY[1] brushing more frequently boosts effectiveness. Example? Yes, if you brushed for four minutes once a day that would be much less effective than brushing for two minutes twice a day.

[1] Sorry about the shouting.

Biscuits, cakes, chocolate, sweets, I love them all...

We all love sweet things. It's a built in biochemical response and there no getting away from it. It can't be turned off and it absolutely will not stop until you are dead? (Sorry about that last bit I've been watching The Terminator again).  I think we all agree that sugar is a problem for teeth and the rest of the body. What can you do? 

Reduce - cutting down slowly helps, the endorphin reward system adjusts to lower levels of sugar.

Replace - substitute with alternative sweeteners like aspartame etc. Or even non-sweet thing, go nuts!

Refuse - try turning down sweet things occaisionally.

What exactly is plaque anyway?

Would Sir[1] prefer the long boring scientific answer or the tl;dr[2]?

The tl;dr it is then. It's the gunk created by mouth bacteria which has its malign effect because it prevents Oxygen reaching the bacteria in the lower levels. This forces the bacteria, starved of Oxygen, into anaerobic mode. Misery ensues.

[1] Other excellent genders are available. 

[2] Too long, didn't read. I'm down with the kids, me.

Humans vs. wisdom teeth...

 Speaking for myself, wisdom teeth are a huge pain in the gums. Why? Why do so many of us (85% is one estimate[1]) have one or more wisdom teeth out? Yet again, humans have done it to ourselves. A change away from a high fibre, low-energy-density diet to lovely lovely McDonalds is the underling cause. 

[1]https://scienceinsights.org/what-percent-of-people-need-wisdom-teeth-removed/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Anaerobic activity, you won't like it...

As much as the makers of Listerine would like you to think otherwise, mouth bacteria are useful. In fact killing them will land you in Thrush related mouth bother. You don't want that. HOWEVER, that is just an aside, if you starve mouth bacteria of Oxygen they are forced into anaerobic mode (anaerobic=without Oxygen). This is when the misery starts... Anaerobic activity in some mouth bacteria produces lactic acid. This is the cause of tooth decay.  Plaque is very efficient at keep out Oxygen, so the problems being in areas where plaque builds up easily. Not on the brushable surfaces, but between the teeth. Does this mean that you don't have to brush? Well, no, but it highlights the importance of flossing.

Corsodyl TV advert...

 The Corsodyl TV advert.(UK TV)

The Corsodyl television advert, which is thankfully no longer showing (as far as i know, get in touch if you see it) spread the misconception that just using the mouthwash on its own was enough to cure gum disease. Consequently people are still putting off getting help with gum problems. I understand why, "Corsodyl will cure the problem, why do I need to go and see the stinky dentist", but guess what, Cosodyl doesn't remove the plaque which is causing the problem so all the while things are getting worse, not better. Oh dear...

Etching tooth structure? With phosphoric acid?

 ... yes, like car bodywork...

I etch the surface of the cavity with phosphoric acid, dissolving some of the mineral in the surface, rinse away the acid and when I dry the surface it's porous. A drop of bonding agent and the filling sticks to the surface, excluding bacteria and making a longer lasting job of the filling. Simples.

Surely You're Joking, Mr. ^H^H^H^H Green! Err, no actually, the idea was invented by Dr. Michael F. Buonocore in 1955!