"I noticed one of the back teeth, up against the gum, was coated

with ... matter...and there were such an enormous number of living

animalcules here, that I imagined I could see a good 1000 of them in

quantity of this material that was no bigger than a hundredth part of a sand grain"

A. Van Leeuwenhock, 1683.

WHAT IS DENTAL PLAQUE?

Dental plaque is an organized mass, consisting mainly of microorganisms,

that adheres to teeth, prosthesis and oral surfaces and is found in the gingival

crevice and periodontal pocket.

The term plaque was first proposed by G.V. Block in 1898 to describe

the soft coatings on tooth surfaces.

 

IMPORTANCE OF DENTAL PLAQUE

    Dental Plaque is the primary cause of following major Diseases:

Gingivitis

Periodontitis

Dental Caries (in association with sugar substrate)

Dental caries and periodontitis are major causes of loss of teeth.

Therefore, the mot cause of almost all tooth loss is dental plaque.

 

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