Dental Plaque

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses dental plaque, how it forms, what it consists of, what it causes, and how it can be controlled. The paper notes that dental plaque is actually a combination of bacteria and sticky bacterial products forming on the teeth within hours of cleaning. It discusses that there are more than 300 different species of such bacteria that have been identified.

From the Paper:

"Dental plaque is actually a combination of bacteria and sticky bacterial products forming on the teeth within hours of cleaning. The cause is the natural bacteria in the mouth, and more than 300 different species of such bacteria have been identified. When newly formed, plaque exists in small amounts and is both invisible and relatively harmless. If plaque is allowed to accumulate, however, it increases in volume, often to the point where it can be seen as a soft whitish deposit. As the amount increases, the proportion of harmful species in the plaque also increases (Shepherd, 1990). Studies have shown significant correlations between root surface caries incidence and baseline scores for root surface caries, salivary lactobacillus count, and the age of the patient."

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