This is a calcium phosphate crystal, the stuff that makes up your tooth enamel.
Here's some plaque forming bacteria, magnified 1000 times. It really likes to hang out on your teeth.
See: here's the surface of a human tooth. Bacteria is coloured blue, red blood cells are red.
When you let the bacteria stick around, plaque starts to form.
Brushing can keep the plaque at bay. This is a single bristle from a used toothbrush.
Here's the bristles of an interdental brush covered in plaque.
Some more of that lovely plaque-forming bacteria that forms on your teeth. Super cute and cuddly!
Look away now if you're squeamish. This is a tooth with a cavity.
And don't forget about your gums. These are the bacteria that live in them.
