Plaque control

It’s no secret that a clean mouth is key to maintaining a healthy mouth and plaque scoring can really help you achieve that.

Most people think they clean their teeth well, however for most of us we fail to reach the less accessible spots where plaque accumulates and where periodontal disease starts.

What is plaque scoring?

Plaque scoring is an easy assessment tool that we use at Life Dental & Wellbeing. It enables us to monitor how effective your tooth brushing technique is and, where necessary, advise on areas that can be improved upon. It’s a simple way for us and for you to easily see how your treatment plan is working whilst giving you a tangible goal to work towards.

We can show you how to get into the areas that you are currently missing out and help you eliminate every scrap of plaque to make sure that you do not lose your teeth in the long-term, or suffer all of the embarrassment of bleeding gums, bad tastes and bad breath in your mouth.

A good way of checking your plaque levels at home is to use disclosing tablets on a regular basis. You might remember using them as a child, but they aren’t just for children and are an excellent way of checking your plaque levels and cleaning ability at home.

You can buy disclosing tablets at Life Dental & Wellbeing and just in case you can’t remember how to do it, here is an easy guide to help you.

How to use “disclosing” tablets at home

Chew a tablet thoroughly until it is completely dissolved and spread saliva to all tooth and gum surfaces with your tongue for at least a minute or so.

If you look in a mirror you will see old plaque will be stained blue – this has been in your mouth for more than a day. New plaque less than 24 hours old will stain pink.

Brush your teeth thoroughly to remove all the stain and then check your mouth in the mirror again. You might find that you have still missed some areas so brush again.

Avoid using disclosing tablets just before going out because you will end up with a blue tongue for a while afterwards!