Plaque staining
Plaque is the cause of both caries and gum disease. Plaque is a deposit of bacteria on your teeth, among other things. We want to completely remove this layer at least once or twice a day to prevent cavities and gum disease.
Because plaque is also white, this is hard to see. But there is a way to make plaque visible. It is a simple method: a dye for plaque which you can buy at the drugstore.
In our practice, plaque staining is also used to increase the visibility and awareness of plaque left behind after brushing.
The patient in these pictures had cleaned her teeth, but as can be seen, there is plaque particularly between the teeth and at the gum edges that still needs to be removed.