Plaque

Dental plaque is a naturally formed colonization of microorganisms that adheres to the surface of the teeth. Plaque bacteria attach to the surface of the tooth by adhering to glycoprotein’s on the teeth from the food that we eat. If plaque is not removed it will calcify and form calculus. Calculus cannot be removed by brushing unlike plaque, and therefore needs to be removed by a hygienist.

Do you know what plaque looks like?

(1)

What happens when plaque is not removed?

If plaque is not removed by daily brushing, the bacteria that naturally inhabit our mouth will thrive on the sugars from the food we eat, to form acid. The acid will demineralize the teeth to start the process of cavity formation.

References

(1) implantdrdm. (n.d.). Highly organized plaque with spirochetes X1200 - YouTube . YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. . Retrieved December 8, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQK384ItZlU

(2)Dental cavities: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (n.d.). National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency

(3)Stages of Dental Caries. (n.d.). dentalproblems.ygoy.com. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from http://dentalproblems.ygoy.com/2010/09/26/stages-of-dental-caries/

(4) DENTAL PLAQUE. (n.d.). ORACARE. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from http://www.oracare.com.np/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86:dental-plaque&catid=38:publication&Itemid=76