Introduction
In order to make plaque visible on the teeth, various food dyes are used in the form of staining tablets or gels. These are used to mark areas on the tooth surface that have not yet been cleaned sufficiently. Such so-called plaque indicators are mainly used in pediatric dentistry to increase the motivation for thorough oral hygiene. A distinction is made between single-color staining (tablets) and two-color staining (e.g. by gels).
Which preparations make plaque visible?
The best known method of making plaque visible is the use of so-called plaque-detecting tablets. These staining tablets usually consist of substances that react with certain components of plaque and stain the teeth with food colouring when chewed. There are also liquid staining solutions that can be drizzled onto a cotton swab or brush and applied to the tooth surface.
These preparations also consist of food coloring and can therefore be used without hesitation. An advantage to the tablets is the comparatively low price. The disadvantage is that stains on clothing are difficult to wash out if you spill.
In addition, some manufacturers offer special gels and pastes that make food colouring-based dental plaque visible. Especially the preparations in gel form are particularly easy and clean to use. It is also possible to distinguish between old and new plaque.
Most manufacturers use a blue dye to show older plaque (older than 48 hours) and a red (or pink) dye to make new plaque visible. Special mouthwashes for staining plaque are particularly suitable for children, as they are particularly easy to use and show a clear color change in plaque-filled areas after only 30-60 seconds. The disadvantage of these mouth rinses is that it is usually not possible to distinguish between older and fresh plaque.
The typical detector mouth rinsing solutions are only used as an aid for brushing teeth. The color remains can be easily removed afterwards with a toothbrush or interdental space brushes and dental floss and leave no residue. The use of staining tablets results in a monochromatic staining.
These contain the pink food dye erythrosine, which makes existing plaque visible in a pink shade. This makes it possible to clearly see where the cleaning of the teeth has not yet taken place optimally. However, it is not possible to distinguish between fresh and older plaque, because both plaque types are stained reddish.
If gels are used, a two-color staining occurs. They are particularly easy and clean to use and contain two types of food colorants, namely brilliant blue (a synthetic food colorant) and phloxin (a red acid dye). With the help of these two additives both older plaque (appearing blue/purple) and newer plaque (appearing red/pink) can be distinguished and made visible.
In addition, the acidic pH value of the gels colorizes certain areas of the teeth where a high number of bacteria and a high bacterial activity prevails. These areas are particularly susceptible to the formation of plaque and must therefore be cleaned extremely thoroughly. Ultimately, these staining methods serve to promote patient motivation for better oral hygiene.