Question | Answer |
What are the deposits found in the oral cavity? | Nonmineralized:
-Pellicle
-Plaque/Biofilm
-Materia Alba
-Food Debris
Mineralized:
-Calculus |
Describe pellicle | The pellicle is an acellular, tenacious, highly insoluble film on the teeth originating from saliva and gingival fluids. Forms in minutes. |
What is the clinical appearance of the pellicle? | It is invisible to the naked eye, and may become visible if plaque or stain accumulates on it. |
What is the composition of the pellicle? | Pellicles consist of glycoproteins from the saliva and gingival sulcus fluids. |
What are the formation and attachment modes of the pellicle? | Pellicles attach to teeth by means of rapid and selective adsorption of protein components in the saliva. |
What is adsorption? | Attachment of one substance to the surface of another; the action of a substance in attracting and holding other materials or particles on its surface. |
Location of the pellicle in the oral cavity?
How can pellicles be detected? | Found on all tooth surfaces.
Pellicles can be detected using disclosing solution. |
What is the significance of the pellicle on the oral cavity? | The pellicle provides a place for bacterial plaque colonization.
BUT: the pellicle can be protective as an acid barrier. |
What techniques can be used to remove pellicles? | Polishing and tooth brushing removes pellicles. |
Describe Plaque/Biofilm | Plaque, or biofilm, is an invisible, transparent, white film accumulated on the tooth surface. Plaque is a dense, nonmineralized, complex mass of colonies in a gel-like intermicrobial matrix. |
What is the composition of plaque? | Epithelial cells, leukocytes, macrophages, but most of the plaque consists of 70-80% bacteria. |
What are the formation and attachment modes of plaque/biofilm? | 1. Attachment to Pellicle that has formed
2. Growth: Bacterial colonization
3. Plaque maturation causes dispersal to adjacent teeth |
Location of the plaque/biofilm in the oral cavity? | Found on supra and sub locations of gum, on proximal and occlusal surfaces, and appliances. |
How can plaque/biofilm be detected? | Disclosing solution and the explorer can be used to detect plaque. |
What is the significance of plaque/biofilm on the oral cavity? | Plaque causes periodontal disease, oral infections, and dental caries |
What techniques can be used to remove plaque/biofilm? | -Self care techniques
-Polishing
-Instrumentation (subgingival) |
Describe Calculus | Calcified bacterial plaque. Supra Calculus looks white/yellowish. Sub calculus looks brown, green, or black. |
What is the composition of calculus? | Calculus is made of inorganic salts- Ca, P, Mg, Na2Co3F and proteins, CHO, and lipids |
What are the formation and attachment modes of calculus? | Deposition of minerals into the biofilm organic matrix |
Location of calculus in the oral cavity?
How can calculus be detected? | Supragingival and Subgingival
Calculus can be detected using air, water, explorer, and radiographs. |
What is the significance of calculus on the oral cavity? | Calculus causes rough surfaces that attract plaque, may prevent full healing, and may hinder self care attempts. |
What techniques can be used to remove calculus? | Instrumentation and ultrasonic scaler remove calculus |
Describe Materia Alba | Is loosely adherent complex of bacteria and cellular debris and it LOOKS like COTTAGE CHEESE. |
What are the formation and attachment modes of materia alba? | Loosely attaches to plaque. |
Where can materia alba be found in the oral cavity? | Along gingival margin, between teeth, and around crowded teeth. |
How can materia alba be detected? | visual observation |
What is the significance of materia alba on the oral cavity | It causes unsanitary mouth and halitosis or bad breath. |
What techniques can be used to remove materia alba? | Once located by visual observation, you can simply rinse, brush, irrigate, and floss away the materia alba. |
Describe Food Debris | Made of food, looks like food particles, got on teeth by eating, found along the gingival margin, between teeth,and around crowded teeth. Found by direct observation. Food particles are unsanitary for the mouth, cause halitosis, caries and perio disease. |
Describe Stains | Discolored spot or area on tooth. Has variety of colors. |
What locations can stains be at?
What sources can cause stains? | Extrinsic- outside superficial stain on tooth
Intrinsic- Stain in the nerve, and dentin.
Exogenous source- outside source
Endogenous source- inside source |
What is an extrinsic stain? | chlorohexidine, betel nut, tobacco, tea, coffee, wine, metals caused stain |
What is an intrinsic stain? | tetracycline, fluorosis, restorative, endodontic tx |
Exogenous Extrinsic stain? | Drugs, arrested decay, caries |
What are stains composed of? | Bacteria (chromogenic- colorful), food pigments, fungi, decomposed hemoglobin, inorganic elements, metals, tobacco products, drugs and minerals |
How do stains arise? | 1. Adheres to pellicle
2. Contained in the calculus
3. Or part of tooth structure |
Methods of removal for stains? | Scaling, rubber cup polishing, and prophy jet help remove these.c |