Determination of the oral hygiene status | Oral Hygiene

Determination of the oral hygiene status

The oral hygiene status describes the current state of your own oral hygiene. It consists of so-called indices, which record the presence of plaque (microbial plaque) and inflammation of the gingiva (gums). The plaque index represents a snapshot of the success of brushing the teeth.

The Gingiva Index, on the other hand, provides information on general oral hygiene over a longer period of time. The signs of inflammation recorded in the Gingiva Index only become apparent after several days of very poor oral hygiene. The oral hygiene status is part of the dental treatment.

To determine part of the oral hygiene status yourself, you can stain your teeth with a special staining solution available in pharmacies and then rinse your mouth. The special solution stains only the plaque-affected areas on the teeth. It is very difficult to determine the exact value of the plaque index, as it is calculated on an area-by-area basis and the deposits are usually located in the spaces between the teeth.

However, staining can give you a first impression of your own tooth brushing behaviour. The Gingiva Indexes primarily record the bleeding behavior of the gums on contact with a special probe (WHO probe).The overall oral hygiene status should be recorded by the dentist and the risk of periodontitis should be assessed.