Plaque is that sticky substance that deposits on your teeth along the gum line. When it gets hardened, it turns into tartar, which contains millions of bacteria. Plaque or tartar can harm your teeth enamel and even cause inflammation around gums. To retain healthy gums and teeth, it is critical to get rid of the plaque as and when it forms. This can prevent many future gum diseases and dental problems like tooth decay or cavities. Following are some of the most effective ways to prevent the formation of plaque and its removal.

Proper brushing of teeth: While everybody knows that brushing is important for dental health, most do not know how to brush correctly. Proper brushing can remove plaque effectively and help prevent its formation. Dentists usually suggest using a soft brush with nylon bristles to brush right. It is also essential to keep replacing your brush after every quarter-year. If it is difficult to reach the deeper areas of your mouth, then you may choose electric brushes. Avoid hard scrubbing on teeth and brush in circular motions. Brush along the gum line as well as on the chewing surface and up-and-down behind each tooth. After some circular and back-and-forth motions, you will be able to clean all areas of your mouth. Ensure you clean your tongue too. Rinse your mouth thoroughly. Brushing this way twice a day and for at least 2-3 minutes each time will help you stay away from plaque.

Dental flossing: Flossing is the most effective technique to remove plaque. However, with the use of tools like a Waterpik water flosser, the process is not messy, yet detailed. Dental flossing removes all food particles, sticky substances, and bacteria-laden plaque from your gum line and between teeth. If you are using a manual flosser, work it up and down between the teeth, but do it softly. Skim it over the tooth surface to scrape the deposited plaque.

As it may be tiring to use a manual or traditional flosser, you may floss your teeth 2-3 times during a week. However, it is best to do daily flossing using a Waterpik water flosser or similar automatic flossers. This will save your time and make you reach the areas of your teeth where a toothbrush may not reach. Thus, you can prevent the formation of plaque or tartar more effectively.

Use of tartar-control toothpaste: Your toothpaste plays an important role in plaque removal. Thus, you should choose tartar-control toothpastes, made using mild abrasives. This helps to scrub off the plaque quite easily. It is best to prevent plaque from hardening and becoming harmful tartar, which can only be cleaned professionally.

Use of toothpicks: At medical drug stores, you can easily find thin wooden or plastic toothpicks. You may use these to clean the plaque. However, it must be done carefully so that you do not hurt or bleed your gums.
While there are several ways to prevent and remove dental plaque, the simplest ways include daily brushing and flossing in the right manner.

Being financially secure for life is a dream for everyone, but fulfilling it may be a major challenge unless one doesn’t have at least the basic knowledge about financial management. Earning a steady salary is merely the first step; multiplying it is the main one. In that sense, investing in income funds which offer big dividends in return is a perfect choice. Even though many people are tempted to opt for funds that give the highest yields on a quarterly basis, there are other factors which must be considered before investing in them.

One of them is the expense ratio, which basically indicates the per annum amount an investment company charges for the sum invested by a consumer. The other factor is that dividends earned may be used to buy more shares, thereby reinvesting them in a process known as the Dividend Reinvestment Program (DRIP).

Here are two of the best dividend income funds which have been relied upon and consistently given benefits to the investors:

• Vanguard International High Dividend Yield Index Fund (VIHIX)
  The specialty of VIHIX lies in the fact that it gives investors the much-needed exposure to nearly 800 stocks in companies both in and out of the country. They are estimated to deliver above-average yields at a cost of 0.42%, which is 64% less than an average expense ratio of funds of a similar type. It means that if a person invests the minimum amount set of $3000, he or she would have to pay only $12.6 to the investment firm for the same. The fund has large-cap value, which signifies that it is suited for those who have investment goals for the long-term and may persevere with the volatility of stock markets.

• Fidelity Capital and Income Fund (FAGIX)
  This is amongst the best dividend income funds that also gives an investor capital growth in the form of diversification. A minimum investment of $2500 is required and as of June 29, 2018, an investor will have to pay around $16.75 due to an expense ratio of 0.67%. The fund claims that each year, an investor gains 5.69% annual returns on an average and persisting for 10 years takes it to 8.55% and more. This fund ought to rank in the top dividend income funds as it consists mainly of high-yield bonds, involving maximum returns against average risks.