Plaque control and patient advice Flashcards
Name the toothbrush that the ancient Egyptians used 5000 years ago
The meswak
Why should we worry about plaque?
Because there is ample evidence linking plaque and gingivitis and periodontal disease
What is the most important strategy for preventing periodontal disease?
Preventing the build up of plaque from an early stage
How can we prevent the build up of plaque?
By Brushing, flossing and having regular periodic dental visits are associated with better periodontal health
What type of manual toothbrushes the most effective
Tooth brushes with multilevel profiles were consistently more effective
than flat brushes, especially when interproximal efficacy was monitored
What type of tooth brush is general is he most effective?
An electric toothbrush
What is the objectives of tooth brushing?
- To remove plaque biofilm and disturb reformation
- To clean teeth from food, debris and stain
- To maintain the health of the gingival/periodontal tissues
- To apply dentifrice with specific active ingredients to address dental caries, periodontal disease, or sensitivity
How can we asses and improve a patients tooth brushing technique?
- Disclose the plaque using a plaque disclosing tablet or solution
- Record the plaque free score
3, Show the patient the disclosed plaque in a mirror - Let the patient brush their teeth with their own toothbrush
- Modify their technique as necessary
- Let the patient try the new technique
What plaque free score should patients have?
The goal is to try and achieve a plaque free score of >70%
What are the key points we should remember when giving oral hygiene advice?
- The OHI must be tailored to each individual patient’s needs
- Don’t expect the patient to change more than one thing during a single session
- Set and agree targets
- Evaluate the patient’s progress from session to session
Why is a multi level tooth brush favoured to a flat headed manual toothbrush?
Because they can reach the inter dental areas and they can displace the plaque from those areas
What technique should we use when brushing out teeth?
The modified bass technique
What are the ingredients of toothpaste?
- Abrasives (20-40%)
- Water (20-40%)
- Humectants (20-40%)
- Foaming agent (soap or detergent 1-2%)
- Binding agent (up to 2%)
- Flavouring agent (up to 2%)
- Sweetening agent (up to 2%)
- Therapeutic agent (up to 5%)
- Colouring or preservative (less than 1%)
What are some chemical compounds used to to supplement the usual brushing and flossing?
- Triclosan and co-polymer (eg Colgate Total)
- Stannous salts
- Sodium hexametaphosphate to reduce tartar and staining potential
What is triclosan?
Broad-spectrum antibacterial agent
It is effective again a wide variety of bacteria
Broad-spectrum antibacterial agent
How can triclosan be used to improve oral health?
Oral retention can be improved by copolymer of methoxyethylene and maleic acid (Gantrex) and triclosan
What are stannous salts used again?
Stannous fluoride (SnF2 ) has reported activity against caries, plaque, and gingivitis30
What are anti-calculus dentifrices designed to do?
Designed to interrupt the process of mineralisation of plaque to calculus due to the super saturation of saliva with calcium and phosphate ions
What do some anti hypersensitivity products contain?
- Potassium nitrate (Sensodyne Total Care F)
- Strontium chloride (Sensodyne Original)
- Strontium acetate (Sensodyne Rapid Relief)
- Calcium sodium phosphosilicate (Sensodyne Repair & Protect)
- Potassium citrate (Colgate Sensitive)
- Arginine (Colgate Pro Relief)
- Stannous fluoride (Colgate Gel Kam Sensitive)
- Sodium citrate (Rembrandt Sensitive)
What do whitening tooth paste contain?
Dentifrices marketed as ‘whitening’ or ‘stain control’ control extrinsic stain via physical and chemical methods
Name some inter dental aids
- Floss
- Interdental brushes
- Automated inter proximal cleaners