Plaque

Introduction to plaque Plaque refers to a population of microorganisms that adhere to the surface of the teeth or other soft tissues of the mouth. It is composed of a large number of bacteria, intercellular substances, a small amount of white blood cells, exfoliated epithelial cells and food debris. When the amount of plaque is small, it is difficult to observe with the naked eye, and it is usually displayed well with a plaque indicator. Plaque can not be removed by mouthwash or by rinsing with water. Therefore, plaque is now regarded as a complex ecological structure in which bacteria adhere to tartar, which is closely related to the occurrence of rickets and periodontal disease. basic knowledge Sickness ratio: 0.0001% Susceptible people: no special people Mode of infection: non-infectious Complications: periodontal disease caries gingivitis periodontitis

Plaque cause

The causes of plaque are complex, and there are three accepted theories:

Acquired film formation (60%):

The salivary glycoprotein in the mouth is a substance in saliva, which is contained in the saliva of each person. When it comes into contact with the teeth, it can adhere to the surface of the enamel to form a membrane-like substance. This membrane is called Acquired film. It provides a matrix for the initial adhesion of oral bacteria, creating conditions for the formation of plaque. It has been shown that the sulcus is the first part of the tooth that forms the acquired membrane.

Bacterial attachment (30%):

Most researchers believe that acquired membranes are important for bacterial attachment. It was observed that when the tooth surface acquired film formed, bacteria adhered quickly, indicating that the adhesion speed was fast. Numerous studies have confirmed that the bacteria that first adhere to the tooth surface are Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus salivarius. Bacteria grow on the surface of the acquired membrane and produce acid to deposit glycoproteins. Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus mutans can synthesize dextran and form a plaque matrix together with the deposited glycoprotein, which creates a basis for the formation of plaque.

Bacteria grow, develop, multiply and decay on acquired membranes and carry out complex metabolic activities. According to relevant data analysis, the proportion of mature plaque bacteria is: facultative anaerobic streptococcus 27%, facultative diphtheria 23%, anaerobic diphtheria 18%, Streptococcus faecalis 13%, Wyoming 6%, Bacteroides 4%, Clostridium 4%, Neisseria 3%, Vibrio 2%. The cariogenic bacteria in mature plaques are Streptococcus mutans, Actinomyces, Streptococcus sanguis and Lactobacillus.

Plaque prevention

If you want to have a body-building tooth, you must pay attention to the health of your teeth and eat more calcium-rich foods. Especially in infants and young children should pay attention to the choice of diet. Parents should give their children more vegetables that can promote chewing, such as celery, cabbage, spinach, leeks, kelp, etc., which is conducive to the development of the gums and the neatness of the teeth.

Plaque complications Complications periodontal disease caries gingivitis periodontitis

Plaque mainly poses a hazard to the teeth and gums, which are the two most common diseases in the mouth: rickets and periodontal disease.

Rickets: commonly known as "worm teeth", the "worm" here refers to bacteria in the plaque. The plaque is firmly attached to the tooth surface. The bacteria ingest the sugar in the saliva and break down the sugar to produce acid. These acids will damage the teeth and eventually form a hole.

Gingivitis: When plaque is close to the gums, the toxins and other harmful substances produced by the bacteria can irritate the gums (commonly known as "dental", "dental"), causing inflammation, that is, gingivitis. If left uncontrolled, gingivitis may develop into irreversible periodontitis, causing damage to the alveolar bone, which eventually leads to loosening and falling off of the teeth.

Other: Helicobacter pylori (HP) is a Gram-negative pathogen. It was first isolated from the gastric mucosal epithelial biopsy specimens of chronic active gastritis in 1983. It was finally confirmed as gastric ulcer and various types. An important virulence factor for gastritis and even gastric cancer. This is an important discovery in medical research in the 1980s, which provides an important basis for the diagnosis and prevention of various gastric diseases.

According to epidemiological surveys, HP has been identified as one of the most common infectious bacteria in the world, but most people have no symptoms, but in the long run can cause vitamin B12 malabsorption, leading to B12 deficiency and anemia. In 2001, American researcher Ivku reported that 108 of the 241 B12-deficient patients were diagnosed with gastric HP infection, most of which were chronic non-specific gastritis, followed by atrophic gastritis. Further examination confirmed that there were 88 people with oral plaque containing HP. According to this, Ivku believes that gastric HP infection is inseparable from plaque. HP bacteria can be obtained if the plaque is scraped off with a sterile curette and immediately trained in bacteria.

It is now clear that the main cause of recurrence of gastric HP infection is the presence of HP-containing plaque. If the plaque is not completely removed, it will not prevent HP infection of the gastric mucosa. Therefore, if you want to cure stomach HP infection, you need to remove plaque.

Plaque symptoms Common symptoms Green teeth or tan teeth Teeth color abnormal teeth Yellow teeth Teeth black teeth Brownish black teeth loose and shed toothache

Plaque is a colorless, sticky bacterial film that often forms on the surface of teeth. Depending on the type of plaque, the following types of symptoms are specific:

1 Upper plaque: The tooth surface above the gingival margin is mainly composed of Gram-positive cocci and bacilli. Gram-positive cocci, bacilli and filamentous fungi gradually increase with the growth of plaque.

2 underarm plaque: located under the armpit, covered by gums, which contains a variety of bacteria, the surface has more filamentous worms and spirals.

3 smooth surface plaque: located on the smooth surface of the teeth, containing Gram-positive cocci and filamentous bacteria.

4 cleavage plaque: located in the groove of the tooth surface, mainly containing cocci and bacilli, but also filamentous bacteria.

Plaque inspection

General oral inspection is the method of examination of plaque.

The visual inspection of the teeth should focus on the color, shape, texture, size, number, arrangement and contact relationship of the teeth, as well as the presence or absence of defects, discoloration and sediment on the surface.

(1) Color and transparency of teeth: Diseases such as rickets, dead teeth, tetracycline discolored teeth, and fluorosis have changes in tooth color and surface gloss. For example, the fangs are white or tan, the dead teeth are dark gray, the tetracycline discolored teeth are yellow or brown, and the fluorosis teeth are white or yellowish brown.

(2) Shape of the teeth: the deformed central tip of the premolar, the deformed lingual fossa of the maxillary incisors, the fusion teeth, the twin teeth, the combined teeth, and the congenital syphilis teeth all showed abnormalities in morphology.

(3) The size of the teeth: oversized teeth, too small teeth, tapered teeth, etc.

(4) Number of teeth: It should be noted whether there are extra and missing teeth. When the teeth are missing, it should be known whether it is an ambush, or a congenital loss or a disease.

(5) Arrangement and contact relationship of teeth: Check for dislocation, tilt, torsion, deep cover, deep cover, open, reverse, etc. of the teeth.

(6) Whether there are cavities or other defects caused by cavities: It should be combined with probing. When observing cavities, pay attention to the location, size and depth of cavities, and how much color and color of softening dentin should be. Pay attention to whether it is exposed. It should also be noted that wedge-shaped defects or traumatic tooth defects.

(7) Dental plaque, tartar oral hygiene, tartar, excessive tartar, which is one of the exogenous factors causing periodontal disease.

(8) The color of the gums: The normal gums are light pink, and the gingival margin is slightly redder than the attachment. The color of the gums is related to the thickness of the epithelium, the degree of keratinization, the blood supply, and the number of pigment-containing cells. In some pathological conditions, the color of the gums will change: for example, when the inflammation is dark red, the color is bright red when the inflammation is acute; when the gums are thin and there are underarm tartar, the ochre becomes dark or purple; the anemia is gingival.

Plaque diagnosis

Plaque is a complex ecological structure in which bacteria adhere to tartar and is generally not confused with other conditions. Can be identified with dental caries. Rickets, commonly known as fangs and fangs, are bacterial diseases that can cause pulpitis and periapical periodontitis, and can even cause alveolar bone and jaw inflammation. If left untreated, the lesion continues to develop, forming a cavity, and eventually the crown is completely destroyed and disappeared. The final result of its development is tooth loss. Rickets are characterized by high incidence and wide distribution. It is a major common disease in the oral cavity and one of the most common diseases in humans. The World Health Organization has listed it as a three major human disease prevention and treatment with cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments.