ETIOLOGY Flashcards
What is dental plaque?
The structurally and functionally organized, species‐rich microbial biofilm that forms on teeth
What is the main etiologic agent for pdontal disease and dental caries?
dental plaque
What are the characteristics of materia alba?
*White cheeselike accumulation
* A soft accumulation of salivary proteins, bacteria, desquamated epithelial cells, and food debris
*No organized structure
* Easily displaced with a water spray
What are the characteristics of dental plaque?
*Resilient clear to yellow grayish substance
* Primarily composed of bacteria in a matrix of salivary glycoproteins and bacterial products
*Considered to be a biofilm
* Impossible to remove by rinsing or spraying
What are the characteristics of calculus?
*Mineralized dental plaque forms the hard deposit
*Generally covered by a layer of unmineralized dental plaque
What is the composition of dental plaque?
Water
Microorganisms
Intracellular Matrix
What are the components of intracellular matrix of plaque?
Organic component
- Polysaccharides
- Proteins
- Glycoproteins
- Lipids
Inorganic component
- Calcium
- Phosphorous
- Other minerals
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Fluoride
Where is dental plaque found?
- Gingival thirds
- Cracks, pits and fissures
- Under overhanging restorations
- Around crowded teeth
What are the different areas of plaque called?
- Supragingival plaque
- Subgingival plaque
- Marginal plaque
What are the features of supragingival plaque?
Related to calculus formation and root caries
What are the features of marginal plaque?
- Direct contact with gingival margin
- Initiation and development of gingivitis
What are the features of supragingival plaque?
Tissue destruction
What are the types of subgingival plaque?
(very important)
*Tooth Attached Plaque
*Unattached Plaque
*Epithelial Associated Plaque (most harmful)
(very important)
If the sulcular epithelium is intact will there be bleeding on probing?
(very important)
No
What is the most harmful type of subgingival plaque?
(very important)
epithelial associated plaque
What are the microbe components of supragingival plaque?
(very important)
- Gram+ cocci and short rods
- Aerobic environment
- Slight diversity
What are the microbe components of subgingival plaque?
(very important)
- Gram- rods and spirochete
- Anaerobic environment
- Great diversity
Why is supragingival less diverse than subgingival plaque?
exposure to the environment
What are the steps of formation of dental plaque?
Step 1:
Formation of the pellicle
Step 2:
Initial colonization of bacteria
Step 3:
Secondary colonization and plaque maturation
What is the pellicle?
A conditioning film
Where does the pellicle form?
Forms upon immersion of a solid surface into the fluid medium of the oral cavity
What does the pellicle do?
Alters the charge and the free energy of the surface which increases efficiency of the bacterial adhesion
How does the pellicle form?
- An organic material layer coated on all surfaces in the oral cavity, including hard and soft tissues.
- Components derived from saliva and crevicular fluid.